By MATT SUGAM & ADAM ZAGORIA
Eddie Jordan has received his first commitment from a player he recruited as the head coach of Rutgers in D’Von Campbell.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Campbell was the point guard at Hutchinson (Kan.) County College, averaging 12.1 points and 4.0 assists per game while helping guide them to a 31-4 record and the No. 1 ranking in the nation during the season on a team that has all five of its starters going Division I.
He played under Tim Floyd at UTEP as a freshman, averaging 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 11 minutes per game, before transferring to Hutchinson.
“I chose Rutgers because its a wonderful community,” Campbell told SNY.tv. “Coach Jordan is a cool and relaxed guy who was easy to talk to. The players returning are excellent guys and I got along with them.”
Campbell – who has two years of eligibility left – will help fill the void left by Jerome Seagears and Eli Carter, who have both been granted transfer releases and are not returning to Rutgers. Campbell said he has a good relationship with associate head coach David Cox, who recruited him out of high school three years ago.
“He’s real smart, he’s heady point guard, he has good penetrating skillset,” Hutchinson assistant Jay Cyriac told SNY.tv.
“He played with a bunch of good players here,” he added. “One going to Fresno, one going to Long Beach State, he played with high-level players in big games. He’s a smart kid, he doesn’t get in trouble, it’s like having a coach on the floor.”
Campbell is the second commit for the class of 2013, joining junior college forward Craig Brown, who committed to Rutgers when Mike Rice was still the head coach.
