Nearly everywhere Dominic Cheek goes, he seems to run into a former teammate.
At Kansas, it was Tyshawn Taylor. At Rutgers, Mike Rosario. At Pitt is is Travon Woodall.
Of the five schools still on Cheek’s list, three feature freshmen who played alongside Cheek last year on St. Anthony’s undefeated national championship team. Only Memphis and Villanova do not.
I interviewed Woodall, a freshman point guard, tonight for a story running Friday in advance of Pitt’s trip to Newark for the Legends Classic. NCAA regulations prevent me from quoting Travon directly on what he said about Cheek.
But let’s put it this way. Travon is working Dominic hard.
The two played on the Jersey City Boys Club when they were younger, and Woodall views Cheek as a younger brother. Much in the same way Rosario and Taylor do.
Woodall wants Cheek to have a good time on his official visit to Pitt, which began Tuesday and ends Thursday morning and included Tuesday night’s victory over Belmont.
Woodall has been through the recruiting process and can share his insights with Cheek. He knows that college coaches call at all hours, and sometimes you just don’t want to answer the phone.
Cheek and fellow frosh AShton Gibbs of Seton Hall Prep both chose Pitt because it’s in the Big East and is relatively close to home (5-hour drive), yet is far enough away that they can become their own men.
On top of knowing Woodall and Gibbs, Cheek also is familiar with Brandin Knight, a former Big East Player of the Year who is now an assistant to Jamie Dixon.
This is Cheek’s last official visit and he could decide anytime.
Count Woodall among those who believes Pitt has a legit shot at the 6-5 wing.
[For more on Cheek, read this interview from after his Rutgers visit.)
