By JOSH NEWMAN
NEW YORK – Brandon Randolph cut his list to 12 schools late last month, but the 6-foot-6 shooting guard isn’t offering up much beyond that on his recruitment.
“Soon,” the 2017 Westtown (Pa.) School and PSA Cardinals standout told SNY.tv on Friday afternoon at practice for Saturday night’s Big Strick Classic when asked when he might trim his suitors again. “I don’t really have a timeline, but I know it’s soon. “I would take on more offers, but these 12 have been recruiting me the hardest for a long time. I feel comfortable with these 12. I have a relationship with all of them, and that’s great.”
On July 24, the Yonkers, N.Y. native took to Twitter to announce he is down to a list of 12 that includes Louisville, Alabama, Miami, Arizona, Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, North Carolina, Kansas, Syracuse, Xavier, and Wake Forest.
Since the announcement, Randolph took part in the Nike Basketball Academy in Los Angeles as part of a New York/New Jersey contingent that included Westttown/PSA teammate Mohamed Bamba, Hamidou Diallo of the New York Rens, and Nick Richards of Expressions Elite. Quade Green of the PSA Cardinals and St. John’s commit Zach Brown were also there.
Diallo and Green were not at practice on Friday at Gauchos Gym, but are expected to be present for the game on Saturday night. Doors open Saturday at 4:30 p.m. with things getting underway at 5 p.m. with a three-point contest and a slam dunk contest. Those will be followed by an underclassman regional game and the national game.
As for Bamba, the highly-touted 6-foot-11 Harlem native made an unofficial visit to the University of Connecticut on Friday. He and Randolph teamed up last winter to help Westtown to its first Pennsylvania Independent School (PAISAA) state championship in Feb., then were key cogs on the PSA Cardinals team that advanced to the Peach Jam title game before falling to Michael Porter Jr., Trae Young and MoKan Elite.
“Playing with Mo during the school year, I learned what he liked to do, what he didn’t like to do,” Randolph said. “I know a lot about Mo now. Playing with him and (Westtown/PSA teammate) Najja (Hunter) during the school year, I think that really helped us get as far as we could at Peach Jam.
“We have a great relationship, Mo and I. He challenges me every day and he’s just a great person.”
