Cheek Set for Kansas, ‘Nova Visits

St. Anthony star Dominic Cheek will take his first official visit on Friday when he heads to Kansas for “Late Night in the Phog.”

Cheek, the No. 6 shooting guard in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals, is expected to make the trip alone, without any coaches or family members.

“I’m excited,” the 6-foot-5, 170-pound Cheek said recently. “I’m ready right now to take every visit right now.”

After going to Kansas, Cheek will visit Villanova Oct. 24 for Hoops Mania, Pittsburgh Oct. 31 and Memphis Nov. 7. The Memphis date is still tentative, I’m told.

Indiana, Rutgers and Seton Hall are also in the mix. Cheek has yet to set a date for Indiana. He has visited the New Jersey schools unofficially and can do so again if he has time.

Cheeks’ former St. Anthony teammate Tyshawn Taylor is currently a freshman at Kansas. Cheek and Taylor helped the Friars go 32-0 last season and win the New Jersey Tournament of Champions.

“That’s a big plus that Tyshawn’s at Kansas,” Cheek said. “He can tell me what he likes and what he don’t like. He can tell me how the coaches and everything are.”

A number of other stars are expected to be at Kansas this weekend for Late Night, which will be streamed live on KUathletics.com, including Xavier Henry and Harrison Barnes. Brooklyn Lincoln star Lance Stephenson will not make the trip because his team is in the is8 semifinals on Saturday morning.

Cheek’s team, the Playaz Seniors, are also in the semis, and Cheek could potentially play on Sunday if they reach the finals.

After the Kansas visit, Cheek will visit Villanova, a school with which he has enjoyed a long relationship. Cheek has strong ties with the Villanova coaches and is also friendly with Villanova commit Maalik Wayns, who may also be present for the Oct. 24 visit.

“I talk to Maalik every day,” Cheek said. “He tells me they need me. He wants me to go there. He wants to have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country.”

“I told him he would be the man, his show,” Wayns said this summer when the two teamed up on the USA U18 National Team.

Cheek is also friendly with a number of Nova players, including Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, who played at St. Patrick and St. Benedict’s, respectively.

“I played against most of them and I know them,” Cheek said this summer. “I’ve been down there. I talked to them. They told me it’s a great fit for me and everything.”