UConn is the latest school to offer the Class of 2018 “Fab Five” that Seton Hall first offered as a group last October and Rutgers offered last month.
The group consists of 6-foot point guard Jahvon Quinerly, 6-3 shooting guard Luther Muhammad, 6-6 small forward Louis King, 6-3 point guard Atiba Taylor and 6-9 power forward Naz Reid, the most highly recruited of the five.
“Kevin Freeman called me,” Sports U coach Brian Coleman said Friday. “Coach [Kevin] Ollie is going to call me later today [Friday].”
Said Quinerly: “I’m shocked right now, extremely blessed.”
The 6-foot-9 Reid, a forward at Roselle (N.J.) Catholic is the most highly recruited of the group. He holds offers from the likes of Kansas, UConn, Louisivlle, Maryland and St. John’s, but Coleman said, “He’s wide open right now.”
Asked how good the group could all be in college if they stayed together when Seton Hall first offered, Quinerly said: “That would be crazy, that would be pretty crazy. That’s some W’s.”
Is it realistic?
“We’ve talked about it before so I know that there’s a possibility that it could happen,” Quinerly said. “We just talk about playing together. Me and Luther came to the same high school together. Originally, Louis, Atiba and Nazi were all going to go to Roselle Catholic together, so we paired up with each other. We talk about it all the time.”
Quinerly, Muhammad and King are all now at Hudson Catholic, Reid plays for Roselle Catholic and Taylor for Hackensack.
RODNEY PURVIS RETURNING TO UCONN
UConn guard Rodney Purvis will withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to campus, he confirmed to SNY.tv on Friday.
Purvis was not invited to next week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, while teammate Daniel Hamilton was.
The 6-3 Purvis averaged 12.8 points and 3.0 rebounds last season.
UConn loses Hamilton to the NBA, Sam Cassell Jr. to transfer (Iona) and Sterling Gibbs to graduation, but will retain Purvis and point guard Jalen Adams while adding Lithonia (GA) Miller Grove point guard Alterique Gilbert and St. Thomas More (CT) combo guard Christian Vital in the backcourt.
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