By JOSH VERLIN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
Harcum College (Pa.) junior college forward/center Ivan Uceda has committed to Miami (Fl.), sources told SNY.tv.
Uceda is the Hurricanes’ fourth commitment for the Class of 2014, joining combo guard Ja’Quan Newton (Neumann-Goretti, Pa.) , shooting guard James Palmer (St. John’s College HS, D.C.) and most recently center Omar Sherman (Prime Prep, Tx.).
“I think he’s a really, really talented kid and just brings a lot of things to the table,” Harcum assistant Kevon Davis told SNY.tv. “Great kid, extremely hard worker, and he wants to be a great player.”
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound big man is a native of Madrid, Spain. Last month, he told CityofBasketballLove.com that he had offers from Marquette, Ohio State, Penn State and Villanova in addition to Miami. When he arrives on campus as a Hurricane next fall, he’ll give Jim Larranaga quality minutes on both ends of the court.
A talented offensive player, Uceda has great hands and footwork, with a variety of post moves and a nice 15-foot jumper as well. Last year, he set the Harcum College record for rebounds in one season, and has a chance to break the two-year college’s all-time record in that mark.”
“He brings a very versatile skill set,” Davis said. ”His ability to shoot 3s and put the ball on the floor and go get rebounds against physical guys. He probably brings a unique skill set to them, I haven’t seen a lot of big men in junior college that have his ability.”
Josh Verlin is the editor and owner of CityofBasketballLove.com, which covers Philadelphia-area high school and collegiate basketball. Photo: Mark Jordan/CityofBasketballLove.com
