September Recruiting News: Why Commit Now?
Nine Ohio prospects have put an end to their recruiting process by announcing college commitments this month.
Why didn’t these prospects want to audition for colleges for another full high school season? They could’ve picked up a few more offers and taken more visits, right? The season doesn’t even start until December! (Note: For 2019 prospect Michael Bekelja, he committed without letting his recruitment play out for his entire upperclassmen career.)
We were curious. So, we asked the nine college commits a simple question: Why did you commit in September, instead of waiting it out throughout your senior year?
Here are their responses, which had a pretty common theme.
Sept. 8: Solon’s 6’0″ guard Michael Bekelja (2019) → Fairmont State
“I committed in September for two reasons: 1. Fairmont State is everything I was looking for in a school. I love the program, the coaching staff and the support the team gets from the community. 2. Now I can focus on leading my high school team and trying to accomplish our goals we still have at Solon.”
Sept. 11: Holy Name’s 6’3” point guard Dwayne Cohill (2018) → Dayton
“I wanted to get it done with. It’s been a long recruiting process and I wanted to be able to take some stress off my plate and be able to give my full attention to my teammates and this upcoming season. Also, I just felt that I didn’t want a place that I wanted to go get taken by someone else if I waited it out too long.”
Sept. 11: Columbus Newark’s 6’6” wing JT Shumate (2018) → Walsh
“It was the right fit all around.”
Sept. 14: Hilliard Bradley’s 6’0” point guard Braden Norris (2018) → Oakland
“I committed early because I felt that was the right spot for me and I also want to worry about winning a state championship during my senior year and not college.”
Sept. 14: Africentric’s 6’8” forward/center Jah Bennett (2018) → Kentucky State
No response.
Sept. 17: Pickerington Central’s 6’7” wing/forward Adrian Nelson (2018) → Detroit Mercy
“The reason I committed so early is because I always go by the saying ‘Love who loves you,’ and Detroit Mercy showed love throughout the whole process and had faith in me when no one else did. Also, I feel waiting too long is like rolling the dice because you never know what the future holds. Recruiting is a business and if you don’t make a move quick enough the coaches will.”
Sept. 17: Stow-Munroe Falls’ 6’7” forward Mason McMurray (2018) → Ohio
“OU seems to be a near perfect fit for me. It’s not too close to home but still close enough to home at the same time. They have a great coaching staff and I really like the guys!”
Sept. 18: Wauseon’s 6’9” forward/center Austin Rotroff (2018) → Duquesne
“I wanted to make the decision so I could enjoy my senior year of high school, and I think that Duquesne is a great fit for me and the timing felt right.”
Sept. 19: Dayton Wayne’s 6’1” point guard Darius Quisenberry (2018) → Youngstown State
“Throughout the whole recruiting process, I prayed that God would show me the school which was the right ‘fit’ for me. I was blessed to have multiple schools recruiting me so I had the privilege to look at many campuses and basketball programs. YSU had all the attributes I was looking for. Coach Calhoun, Coach Slay and the rest of the staff have put in a lot of work recruiting me. YSU was the right fit for me. I wanted to put the stressful part of the recruiting process behind me to have fun and focus on my senior year!”