Commitments have been aplenty of late and this week was nothing outside of the norm.  Programs from all across the nation and from each level of play picked up potential stars of tomorrow in replenishing ones cupboard of talent. Whether they are prospects from the 2017, 2018, or 2019 classes, it seems that the process is beginning to heat up for some of our top ranked recruits but this past week, no one had a better few days on the trail than and Northeastern.

POWER CONFERNECE COMMITMENT OF THE WEEK

CHRISTIAN DAVID COMMITS TO BUTLER

Christian David

Saxtons River, VT

Class

2017

Position

SG

Height

6' 5"

National

69

State

1

Weight

175 lbs

College

Butler

School Team

Vermont Academy

Travel Team

CIA Bounce

We here at HoopSeen are a bit higher on Christian David compared to our peers within the recruiting business for several reasons. One, while the Canadian guard did tear his ACL last year, it is his work ethic and approach to the game that we believe that he will only take the adversity and get better off of it. Along with it, the ball skills, versatility, and upside out of the 6-foot-6 senior wing is very impressive. To top it all off, David found a perfect niche, a place like Butler that has done yeomen’s work in the past with guys like the Vermont Academy star.

A top-75 recruit and one that is one of the most skilled and polished prospects from the 2017 class, David is someone that was a relatively big time name coming up through the ranks within his native Canada. He hit the New England prep circuit last fall and received even further praise but after going down with the excruciating knee injury, schools seemed to have forgotten about him. Credit the staff in Indianapolis for not only valuing the CIA Bounce product, but better yet, adding more attention in luring him to campus next year.

Becoming the fourth member of the 2017 class and cementing the Bulldogs’ case as top-10 recruiting class thus far on a national perspective, David is the cherry on top to it all. He is someone that can play all three spots on the perimeter, make shots when left open, playmake off of the drive to the basket, and score it on the block whenever the mismatch is presented to him.

Creating one of the best classes in the history of Butler men’s basketball, the recent hiring of Mike Schrage has already paid major dividends in the recruitment of David. Originally recruiting the Canadian during his stint at Stanford, the pieces are in line even further for further success within the confines of the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in the years ahead.

NON-POWER CONFERENCE COMMITMENT OF THE WEEK

JASON STRONG COMMITS TO NORTHEASTERN

The CAA Conference has become one that has solidified itself as quite possibly the best mid-major league in all of America. Last year, the league as a whole finished with the eighth best RPI in all of America and this year promises to be just the same. Looking at some of the recent commitments to the affiliates within the conference, even better days might be ahead; case in point being the recent commitment of Jason Strong to Northeastern.

While the Huskies under Bill Coen’s watch have had their day in the sun as they have reached several postseason tournaments throughout his tenure in Boston, the 2017 class being put together at Northeastern is quite impressive. Earlier in the cycle, the CAA gang went out and snagged Tomas Murphy, a 6-foot-8, do-it-all type of forward that is tough around the basket but skilled enough to take his man away from it in hitting on the mid-range jumper. Along with him, Coen and his staff ventured south as they picked up a super versatile and high upside guard out of Georgia, Derrick Cook. However, the steal of the class may have been found earlier in the week with Jason Strong.

A late blooming forward out of the state of Florida, Strong is someone that has his best days ahead of him on the playing floor. He is deceptively skilled on the low bock as he can convert on counter moves while heavily guarded. His toughness and instincts on the glass allow for him to contribute whenever he is not having a play called for him and his improving ball skills enable for the 6-foot-8 forward to score away from the basket with added efficiency.

A one-two punch of Tomas Murphy and Jason Strong in the frontcourt should create major headaches for not just the CAA but also for those within the power conferences. This is the type of blue-collar yet skilled tandem that should help Northeastern make another run in March and hopefully, knock some favored, name brand program off of their perch during an early round session of the NCAA Tournament.

AAC

MEMPHIS

• David Nickelberry, 6-foot-7 wing, Windermere Prep (Florida) – STATE RANKING: 24

SMU

• Everett Ray, 6-foot-7 power forward, Trinity Christian Academy (Texas)

UCONN

• Tyler Polley, 6-foot-8 forward, Sagemont School (Florida) – NATIONAL RANKING: 116

ACC

CLEMSON

• Aamir Simms, 6-foot-8 power forward, Blue Ridge School (Virginia) – NATIONAL RANKING: 80

NOTRE DAME

• DJ Harvey, 6-foot-6 small forward, DeMatha Catholic High School (Maryland) – NATIONAL RANKING: 60

ATLANTIC 10

RHODE ISLAND

• Daron Russell, 5-foot-11 point guard, Imhotep Charter School (Pennsylvania)

ST. BONAVENTURE

• Tshiefu Ngalakulondi, 6-fooot-6 forward, Proctor Academy (New Hampshire)

VCU

• Sean Mobley, 6-foot-8 forward, Montverde Academy (Florida) – STATE RANKING: 25
• Marcus Santos-Silva, 6-foot-7 center, Vermont Academy (Vermont)

BIG EAST

BUTLER

• Christian David, 6-foot-6 swingman, Vermont Academy (Vermont) – NATIONAL RANKING: 68

XAVIER

• Kentrevious Jones, 6-foot-10 center, Westside High School (Georgia) – STATE RANKING: 23

BIG SKY

MONTANA STATE

• Isaac Bonton, 6-foot point guard, Parkrose High School (Oregon)

NORTH DAKOTA

• Tray Buchanan, 6-foot-1 point guard, United Township High School (Illinois)

BIG 10

MINNESOTA

• Jamir Harris, 6-foot-2 guard, The Patrick School (New Jersey)

BIG 12

TEXAS TECH

• Jarrett Culver, 6-foot-6 small forward, Coronado High School (Texas)

BIG WEST

UC-DAVIS

• Delveion Jackson, 6-foot-6 small forward, Centennial High School (Idaho)
• Gio Nelson, 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Centennial High School (California)
• Logan Strom, 6-foot-7 forward, Norfolk High School (Nebraska)

CAA

DELAWARE

• Chyree Walker, 6-foot-5 small forward, Bullis School (Maryland)

NORTHEASTERN

• Jason Strong, 6-foot-8 power forward, Westminster Academy (Florida) – STATE RANKING: 31

TOWSON

• Jeff Prophete, 6-foot-3 guard, Fort Lauderdale High School (Florida)

CONFERENCE USA

LOUISIANA TECH

• Exavian Christon, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Hot Springs High School (Arkansas)

UTEP

• Ladarius Brewer, 6-foot-6 small forward, Meridian High School (Mississippi)

WESTERN KENTUCKY

• Josh Anderson, 6-foot-5 guard, Madison Preparatory Academy (Louisiana) – NATIONAL RANKING: 83

HORIZON

• Dylan Alderson, 6-foot-5 small forward, Clarkston High School (Wisconsin)

IVY

CORNELL

• Bryan Knapp, 6-foot-2 shooting guard, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (Maryland)

HARVARD

• Danilo Djuricic, 6-foot-8 forward, St. Michael’s College School (Canada)

MAAC

FAIRFIELD

• Kevin Senghore-Peterson, 6-foot-6 small forward, Marks Gymnasieskola (Sweden) 

MONMOUTH

• Deion Hammond, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Riverdale Baptist School (Maryland)

MEAC

NORFOLK STATE

• Mastadi Pitt, 6-foot point guard, Hampton High School (Virginia)

NEC

BRYANT

• Charles Dudley, 6-foot-6 forward, Santa Fe Christian Schools (California)
• Ryan Layman, 6-foot-6 small forward, Tilton School (New Hampshire)

PAC 12

OREGON STATE

• Ethan Thompson, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Bishop Montgomery High School (California) – NATIONAL RANKING: 46

USC

• Victor Uyaelunmo, 6-foot-10 center, Calvary Christian Academy (Florida) – STATE RANKING: 22

PATRIOT

AMERICAN

• Sam Iorio, 6-foot-7 forward, Parkland High School (Pennsylvania)

BUCKNELL

• John Meeks, 6-foot-6 small forward, The Burlington School (North Carolina)

LOYOLA

• Luke Johnson, 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Lexington Catholic High School (Kentucky)

SEC

OLE MISS

• Parker Stewart, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Union City High School (Tennessee)

MISSOURI

• CJ Roberts, 6-foot-1 guard, Richland High School (Texas)

VANDERBILT

• Ejike Obinna, 6-foot-9 center, Virginia Academy (Virginia) – NATIONAL RANKING: 91

SOUTHERN

ETSU

• Bo Hodges, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Maplewood High School (Tennessee)

UT-CHATTANOOGA

• Jalen Crutcher, 6-foot-2 point guard, Ridgeway High School (Tennessee)

SUMMIT

IPFW

• Cameron Benford, 6-foot-9 power forward, Hillcrest Academy (Washington)

SUN BELT

UT-ARLINGTON

• David Azore, 6-foot-5 small forward, Clear Brook High School (Texas)

WAC

UMKC

• Marvin Nesbitt, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Butler College Prep (Illinois)

WCC

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

• Joe Quintana, 6-foot-2 shooting guard, Bonita High School (California)

PEPPERDINE

• Jade Smith, 6-foot-3 shooting guard, St. Joseph Notre Dame High School (California)

SAINT MARY’S

• Kristers Zoriks, 6-foot-3 point guard, New Hampton School (New Hampshire)

2018 CLASS

SEC

AUBURN

• EJ Montgomery, 6-foot-8 power forward, Wheeler High School (Georgia) – NATIONAL RANKING: 33

SUMMIT

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

• Owen King, 6-foot-1 shooting guard, Caledonia High School (Minnesota)

WAC

SEATTLE

• Kyle Greeley, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, West Salem High School (Oregon)

2019 CLASS

ACC

VIRGINIA TECH

• BJ Mack, 6-foot-6 power forward, Charlotte Christian School (North Carolina) 2019
• Keyshaun Langley, 6-foot-1 guard, Southwest Guilford High School (North Carolina) 2019
• Kobe Langley, 6-foot-1 guard, Southwest Guilford High School (North Carolina) 2019