By ADAM ZAGORIA & JASON MORROW
Each 1 Teach 1’s Daniel Giddens will announce his college choice July 4th, his birthday.
The 6-foot-10, 215-pound Giddens out of Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler cut his list in February to six schools: Kansas, Georgia, Ohio State, Arizona, Indiana and Florida.
He recently received an offer from Arkansas as well.
“Arkansas was a good offer. I’m still listening to some other colleges, but my list still stays the same,” Giddens told SNY.tv recently.
The prohibitive favorite has been Ohio State by most accounts, and the Buckeyes are still hard on the trail for the big man.
“I talk to them every week; twice, three times a week maybe. There is a great relationship with Coach [Thad] Matta,” Giddens told SNY.tv. “They just [have] really told me how they are going to use me in the system.”
Matta sees him as a David West-type player. West played for Matta at Xavier from 2001-2003.
“They want me to be their power forward guy,” Giddens said. “They just want me to come in and fill a role for them, they are losing three people.”
As for what will help him decide, the non-basketball factors are very important as well as the program itself.
“This time when I cut my list I’m thinking about what college I can see myself going to and a college that’s going to set me up for the future, so I’m looking at academics.” Giddens said. “Mostly the school, not only for basketball wise, but a good environment.”
Wherever he goes, he figures to make an impact.
“Daniel is the best shot-blocker in the country and a great help-side defender,” Marcus McGee of E1T1 told SNY.tv. “He anchors the paint for any team. Daniel has good vision out of the post and finishes with his left hand more than his right even though he’s right-handed.
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