BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: RUTGERS

March 11, 2009


VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Brian Okam, 6'11, 245 lb C currently attending Lake Highland FL) Preparatory School



Projected 2009-2010 Roster:


SENIORS: Hamady N'Diaye (C)
JUNIORS: Corey Chandler (G), Earl Pettis (G), Mike Cobourn (PG), Jonathan Mitchell* (F)
SOPHOMORES: Mike Rosario (G), Patrick Jackson (SF), Greg Echenique (PF/C)
FRESHMEN: Dane Miller (F), Austin Johnson (F), Brian Okam (C)

* Sitting out 2008-2009 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Will have two years of eligibility left beginning with the 2009-2010 season.

It has been almost one full year since we have written about a Rutgers recruiting commitment. Well, that finally changes this week as, according to Lake Highland Preparatory School basketball coach Jeff Turner, the Scarlet Knights have picked up a commitment from 6'11 center Brian Okam for the class of 2009.

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Its been a trying several months for the Rutgers men's basketball program. A season that was met with excitement and raised expectations with the additions of Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique to a team that had several veterans who have paid their dues in the Big East. However, Tuesday night closed the chapter on a disappointing season, one where the Scarlet Knights finished 2-16 in the Big East and 11-21 overall, with a 61-50 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the 2009 Big East Tournament.

Under coach Fred Hill Jr., the Scarlet Knights continue to plow forward on the recruiting trail, hoping to climb the Big East ladder. The latest addition, joining forwards Dane Miller and Austin Johnson in the class of 2009, is 6'11 center Brian Okam.

"He made his decision over the weekend and let Coach Hill know Monday afternoon," Lake Highland Prep coach Jeff Turner informed the NBE Basketball Report of Okam's verbal commitment. "It was a difficult decision but ultimately, I think he just felt in his heart that Rutgers was the right place for him. He felt a connection to the players and coaching staff."

The name Jeff Turner is certainly a familiar one to many basketball fans. The Lake Highland (FL) coach was a former all-SEC player at Vanderbilt University and a member of the 1984 gold medal winning USA Basketball team. Coach Turner was 1st round pick of the New Jersey Nets and spent 10 of his 12 professional seasons in the NBA, seven with the Orlando Magic, where he also served as nine years as the team's radio analyst following his playing days before joining the Lake Highland Prep Basketball Program in 2005.

Coach Turner did not have Okam available in games this season as Florida High School Athletic Association rules deemed the big man ineligible because he had exhausted his four-year window of eligibility once completing the 8th grade. Still, coach Turner has played a big role in his development and has seen excellent growth in Okam while attending the central Florida prep school.

"We have spent a lot of time working with Brian on his skills around the basket," says coach Turner. "He is a true post player. He has unbelievable athleticism, so we have concentrated on working with him on his balance and footwork in the post and developing a go to move and then a counter to that move. One of my assistance is former NBA [and]Cal-Berkeley center, Michael Stewart. Michael has spent a lot of time working one-on-one with Brian."

Previously, the Nigerian-born big man had attended Montrose Christian in Rockville (MD) and played on the AAU circuit with the DC Blue Devils, with other African imports headed to the Big East in the 2009 class including Mouphtau Yarou (Villanova) and Talib Zanna (Pitt), on a program that has sent many to the Big East and other top programs, including Jerome Dyson (UConn), Dante Cunningham (Villanova), Billy Edelin (Syracuse), Jonathan Flowers (WVU), Roy Hibert (Georgetown), Kene Obi (DePaul), Ricky Shields (Rutgers), Michael Sweetney (Georgetown) as well as Kevin Durant and Stevie Francis, among others.

When NBE saw Okam last spring at the King James Shooting Stars Tournament, Brian was making the most impact on the defensive end as he was still raw offensively, but his athleticism was very evident, and that adds to his upside potential that his future coaches and current coach both believe very much in.

"His size and physical strength are a big plus," says coach Turner when asked about the impact Okam will have in the Big East in the future. "I think he could add another 20 pounds to his frame! As I said before, he is a true center which, from watching the Big East this season, seems like a must to be competitive. He needs to play to improve which is something he has not had the opportunity to do, unfortunately, but I believe he will improve quickly when he gets that chance. It’s up to him!"

Okam was also recruited very heavily by Georgia Tech and in the end, it was between Rutgers and the Yellow Jackets. Coach Turner talked more about the person, not just the player, that the Scarlet Knights are getting for their program.

"As a person, Brian has grown tremendously," Turner said. "This is the area where I am proudest of him. He has been forced to take a tough academic course load because he was way short of the core credits he needed to be NCAA eligible. He has worked hard in the classroom and will complete the academic year with a 3.5 GPA. No easy feat at our school! I think that has carried over into his work ethic on the court. I don’t think he had been pushed as hard as Michael and I pushed him. He will need to work even harder when he gets to college, but he understands that now and has really improved."

With the verbal commitment of Okam, Rutgers still has two scholarships available in the class of 2009. Their most immediate need is for help in the back court, specifically at point guard. Miami-Dade CC point guard James Beatty has become a top target of Hill and his staff, as well as a few others in the Big East. They have also reportedly offered a scholarship to Mesa (AZ) point guard Donte Medder, one of the top players still available from the West in the class of 2009. Also, Puerto Rico's Raymond Cintron Jr. is a player that has appeared on the RU radar and his play at the 2009 Primtetime Shootout has proven he could play at the high-major level.

With just one senior on the 2009-2010 roster, the Scarlet Knights are likely to keep a scholarship open for the 2010 recruiting class. If additional players transfer from the program this spring (we have all seen the Corey Chandler stories), their plan could change and they look for some additional help this spring, but their attention has been on the class of 2010 for quite sometime.

Also at the Primetime Shootout, Branden Frazier of Bishop Loughlin (NYC) and Shane Southwell of Rice (NYC) were a couple 2010 targets that mentioned their interest in the Scarlet Knights. Fred Hill and staff have also worked hard in developing a relationship with forward Tobias Harris long being one of the favorites in recruitment of the Long Island Lutheran star. Also, St Patrick's highly recruited guard Kyrie Irving and St. Anthony's big men Ashton Pankey and Devon Collier, along with St. Peter's Prep forward Ronald Roberts are getting plenty of attention from the RU staff during the local high school season.

After gaining some positive momentum with some recruiting success with the class of 2008 and 2009, it remains to be seen how the results of the 2008-2009 season will impact the recruiting efforts of the Scarlet Knights. Fred Hill came to Rutgers with a big recruiting reputation, and he has fared well in that area, but results on the court need to be seen quickly, or that recruiting momentum will likely disappear quickly.

Check back for more updates as the AAU spring circuit nears and the RU staff will be working hard to give the Knights the opportunity to improve in the Big East as soon as next season.