By ADAM ZAGORIA
Joe Girard, the 6-foot-1 combo guard from Glens Falls (NY) Senior High School, took his first official visit to nearby Syracuse this week.
“I loved the visit and had a great time learning and seeing more about the Syracuse program,” he said. “They just want me to stay home and bring excitement to the Dome.”
Jimmy Hart, director of the Albany City Rocks, summed up Syracuse’s message thusly: “Come to the ACC and New York State’s hometown school. Play in front of 30,000 screaming fans. All the JG3 fans can come to every game. Let’s win a national championship together for upstate New York. You can be Gerry McNamara 2.0.”
Girard has a top six of Notre Dame, Penn State, Boston College, Michigan, Duke, and Syracuse, and said he’s “not sure” if he will take other visits.
Girard picked up offers from both Duke and Syracuse back in February.
According to 247Sports, Girard is ranked as the No. 145 overall player in the Class of 2019 and the No. 5 player from the state of New York.
A two-sport star, Girard surpassed Lance Stephenson to become New York State’s all-time leading scorer last season. He averaged about 50 points a game as a junior.
Playing with City Rocks on the Nike EYBL Circuit, Girard has averaged 12.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, through 16 games. He has helped lead City Rocks to a 10-6 record and a chance to play in Peach Jam next month.
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