Syracuse already has Brandon Triche to play point guard for the next few years, but that didn’t stop the Orange from loading up at the position.
Michael Carter-Williams, a 6-foot-4 1/2, 175-pound senior point guard from the St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, Rhode Island, verbally committed to Syracuse Sunday night.
“Yes,” Williams, a native of Hamilton, Mass., said Monday by phone. “I talked to Coach [Jim Boeheim] and Coach [Mike] Hopkins.
“When I visited there for the Elite Camp I felt really comfortable and I really liked the staff and I like Coach Boeheim and Coach Hopkins. They have my major — communications — so it seemed like a good fit for me.”
Carter-Williams said he chose Syracuse over Providence, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Miami and Clemson.
Carter-Williams’ mother, Amanda Zegarowski, coaches girls high school ball in Ipswich, Mass., and his stepfather, Zach Zegarowski, used to coach boys basketball in Charlestown, Mass.
“He’s a very good point guard/shooting guard,” St. Andrew’s coach Mike Hart said. “He’s grown. He’s about 6-5 right now. He’s a Syracuse type guy, long and thin and has a very high basketball IQ. He can score.”
Carter-Williams said he knows the Orange already have Triche, but he’s looking forward to playing with him.
“I know he’s going to be there,” Carter-Williams said. “[Coach Boeheim] told me whoever is working hard is going to play. I hope to learn fom him and I can’t wait to be his teammate.”
BROWN TO TEMPLE
Aaron Brown, a 6-5, 200-pound shooting guard from St. Benedict’s Prep, gave a verbal commitment to Temple coach Fran Dunphy on Monday.
“Yes, I like the style of play, the coach and I love the school,” Brown, who was just named First-Team All-is8, wrote in a text.
Brown chose Temple over Boston University, Harvard and Penn. Providence, Seton Hall and Auburn also showed interest.
“They were the others but I feel best at Temple,” Brown said.
St. Benedict’s coach Dan Hurley says Brown will help the Owls in the long term.
“Aaron’s a guy that is a three-year starter for us,” Hurley said. “He’s not a guy who’s been over-hyped in this area. He has a well-rounded game. His perimeter shooting has improved drastically. He’s a very athletic finisher. He’s a guy that’s up on the upswing as a prospect.”
Hurley added: “I think after we play the high school season, people will realize that Temple got a real good player.”
Hurley also said that 6-8 forward Gil Biruta, a native of Lithuania, will make his first official this weekend.
“He will visit Rutgers this weekend officially,” Hurley said. “If he feels good enough about it, he could pull the trigger. But we’re still very early with him.”
Biruta has never played AAU or in July. He played with the Lithuanian U19 team this summer.
“People are very intrigued and interested,” Hurley said. “Northwestern, Maryland and Arizona have all been in in the last couple days to watch him. Northwestern has offered him and the other schools are arranging for the head coaches to come in and see him.”
FREE THROWS
St. Anthony forward Ashton Pankey will visit Maryland this coming weekend…Good news for Arizona. Lamont Jones had 21 points and Solomon Hill, Derrick Williams and Kevin Parrom had 13 apiece in the Red-Blue tilt.
(Photo courtesy Rivals.com)
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