Eli Cain, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard from Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict’s Prep and the NJ Playaz AAU program, committed to DePaul on Wednesday following a recent official visit.
“Thanks to everyone that supported me through my recruiting process.. For my college career I will be attending DePaul University,” he Tweeted.
“One of the wings is graduating and they have a lack of guard depth, so it’s minutes for me as a freshman,” Cain told SNY.tv on Wednesday. “The coach [Oliver Purnell] lets them play, too. And it’s in the Big East, which is always a plus. And it’s not too far from home. I think I can flourish there.”
Cain, who helped the Playaz win the Peach Jam last summer alongside Kentucky-bound guard Isaiah Briscoe of Roselle (N.J.) Catholic and St. Benedict’s sophomore Trevon Duval, also considered Iona, Wagner and Delaware, the school from which he decommitted last fall.
St. Benedict’s coach Mark Taylor believes Cain has a huge upside going forward.
“The thing that’s so attractive about Eli is he has the ability to play four positions,” Taylor said. “He runs the point for us sometimes, he can run the two, he can run the three and he can run the floor as well, which gives him so much versatility. And especially in that kind of a league, the MAAC, and in some of these mid-majors who have to be more creative in how they approach games when they approach big-time teams. So he’s versatile, I think that’s the biggest thing about Eli. I think he’s long and he has some upside. So he can make an impact to the right program immediately and long term. He can become really special.”
Photo: CityofBasketballLove.com
