UNION, N.J. — St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn says Andre Drummond, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2012, will definitely remain at the Connecticut school through the 2011-12 season and will begin to focus on his list this spring.
“We’ll sit down with some people in the spring,” Quinn said Sunday at the PrimeTime Shootout at Kean University before Drummond scored 17 points in a 73-61 loss to St. Patrick. “We’ve told everybody we’ll talk to people in the spring.”
Quinn previously said the 6-foot-10 Middletown, Conn., native was being most heavily courted by Louisville, Kentucky, West Virginia, UConn, Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Georgetown.
“Those are the ones who have spoken to him most aggressively,” Quinn said Sunday. “He’s been very close to the chest and he hasn’t really discussed what he wants.”
Asked which schools came the most to watch Drummond play, Quinn said “Connecticut, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pitt, a lot of the strong Big East programs.”
As for North Carolina, he said, “Yeah, we hear from them all the time.”
“But you know, I really respect all those guys because they respected our wishes,” Quinn added. ” They’ve left him alone. They haven’t bugged him on the phone conversations. They’re not emailing him and texting him. They’ve let him alone.”
Quinn said Drummond wouldn’t necessarily need to take unofficial visits, either.
“I don’t think he needs to do unofficials,” he said. “It’s just like, ‘Andre, which are your top three choices?’ I don’t think he needs to pick five. I never have. It’s like life, you just need one good woman, you just need one good school.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari sat courtside for the St. Pat’s game, which also included Kentucky-bound McDonald’s All-American Michael Gilchrist and talented St. Patrick underclassmen Dakari Johnson and Austin Colbert.
Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon, Rutgers coach Mike Rice, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard and TCU coach Jim Christian were also on hand.
Quinn said Drummond planned to remain at St. Thomas More over the summer to do individual drills and would go back and forth to his home.
“It’s a situation where his mom prefers that he stays up on campus,” Quinn said. “The school has just adopted him, and loves him. He’s part of the community, not just me, but about 10 different staff members. He’s just so comfortable in that community.”
As for talk that Drummond might reclassify, Quinn said no way.
“Oh, he’s definitely coming back next year,” he said. “My word is gospel. He will be returning next year.”
TOKOTO CUTS LIST
J.P. Tokoto, a 6-5 small forward from Wisconsin, confirmed a report by Scout.com that he has cut his list to Maryland, UConn, UNC, Kansas, Wisconsin, Marquette, Kentucky and UCLA.
He said he’s “going to UNC and Maryland within the next few weeks” and would visit UCLA “in March.”
Tokoto is the No. 10 small forward in the Class of 2012.
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