NEW YORK — Andrew Platek, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.), will visit North Carolina on Monday, Davidson on Tuesday and Stanford on June 24th.
The class of 2017 guard has received offers from North Carolina, Indiana, Stanford and Miami, to name a few. He already took an unofficial visit to Indiana, and said it was one of the best college experiences he’s had.
Platek scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds as the Albany City Rocks went on to defeat the Chinese U18 National basketball team on Friday night, 66-56, in an exhibition match as part of the Rumble in the Bronx at Baruch College.
Platek and the City Rocks will compete at the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. next month, which will feature the 24 best AAU teams in the nation.
It won’t be his first time down south, as the rising senior also took an unofficial to Miami in March where he got to watch the team practice before heading out to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
“I loved it,” Platek said. “It was great. I love the coaches. Coach [Jim Larrañaga] is a great guy, and he’s a very knowledgeable basketball coach. Even from him days at George Mason. I even have a great relationship with coach [Adam] Fisher.”
Platek said academics would be a priority for him when it comes to making a decision, but he also wants to find a place where he can contribute and win games. Northfield Mount Hermon is one of the best academic schools in the nation, and has 11 alums playing basketball in the Ivy League.
“The ball doesn’t bounce forever, but a degree is something no one can take away from you,” he said in a Player Blog for ZAGSBLOG.
City Rocks head coach Jim Hart said Platek is a high academic kid, and schools will need to really sell him on their program before getting Platek’s approval.
“He’s not the kind of kid that commits based on an offer,” Hart said on the 4 Quarters Podcast. “You’re really going to have to kick the tires with his parents.”
VILLANOVA PUSHING FOR HAMEIR WRIGHT
The other City Rocks standout, Wright, added 12 points and five rebounds to help lead his team to victory.
Wright, a 6-8 stretch forward from The Albany Academy, plans to take an unofficial visit to Villanova over the summer. The 16-year-old has been recruited by Villanova early on, and has visited Wright more than any other school.
He went to watch the Wildcats take on Xavier at The Pavilion last December.
“Great program, great coaching staff, great players,” he said. “It’s just an overall great program. “
The Wildcats are fresh off a national championship, which will make their recruitment even more enticing for Wright.
“A lot of people say, ‘Hameir, what are you waiting for? This is perfect,'” Hart said on the 4 Quarters Podcast on Thursday.
Hart also mentioned how Wright’s age – he’s just 16 years old – makes him an even more appealing recruit for Big Five schools. Most EYBL standouts are 17 or 18 years old, he said.
“You look at him and see the success he’s had, the one-on-one play,” Hart said. “He’s going to add muscle to his frame. He’s going to develop a lot. He has the highest ceiling of any of the guys on our team.”
Wright is ranked 63rd in the ESPN Top 100 for the Class of 2017. The forward has also received offers from UConn, Syracuse, Maryland, to name a few. There is a personal connection for two of those schools with Wright.
Wright and Jimmy Boeheim Jr., son of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, used to play together on the City Rocks. Boeheim Jr. will play a year at prep school next season, but Wright’s length and athleticism could make him an ideal fit for the Syracuse zone.
Wright’s friend, Kevin Huerter, 6-5 knockdown shooter from Shenendehowa Central High School, will play for the Terrapins next season and has tried to recruit Wright to College Park. Both competed with each other in upstate New York.
“He’s just said come over and we could be two 518 kids, and simple stuff like that,” Wright said of Huerter’s recruiting pitch.
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