By SAM LANCE
KANSAS CITY –– Class of 2023 four-star small forward Reid Ducharme is mostly in contact with three schools at this stage of his recruitment, he tells ZAGSBLOG.
The 6-foot-4, 165-pound small forward from Brewster Academy (MA) and the Boston Amateur Basketball Club AAU program, said Xavier, Syracuse and Penn State are recruiting him the hardest.
“I wouldn’t say it’s like my ‘top three,’” Ducharme explained. “But it basically is just because I haven’t taken any officials anywhere else, and I kind of don’t really plan on it right now.”
Ducharme further broke down each of those three options at the NIKE EYBL Kansas City event:
Xavier: “I feel like it’s a really great opportunity because of Sean Miller coming back to Xavier. He’s won there as a coach already, he’s been successful at Arizona. Xavier is a really big basketball school, just basketball. I feel like when I get there, there will be a lot of spaces open. There’s only like five, maybe six kids returning when I get there my freshman year. So I feel like that’s a really great opportunity. I love the way they play. I love the coaching staff too. [Adam] Cohen, he recruited me out of Stanford also and then came to Xavier, so he and I already had that prior relationship and it was good to build off that.”
Penn State: “Again, another great coach in coach [Micah] Shrewsberry. He’s won at the college basketball level also. Again, a lot of spots open when I come as a freshman. Young team, but another great opportunity. Big school. They’ve done it in other sports so they can do it in basketball.”
Syracuse: “Legendary coach in coach [Jim] Boeheim. Coach [Gerry] McNamara, I’ve been really close with coach G-Mac since elite camp at the beginning of the year last year. After that, we started that relationship, so me and him have been talking for a long time. Legendary school. Great opportunity to be able to come in and hopefully make an impact.”
Ducharme has visited all three of his final options and said he doesn’t plan taking any other visits this summer. However, he may revisit some of these schools in the fall and if another school shows interest, he’d consider visiting there as well. Ducharme is eyeing to make his college decision before the high school season begins.
“So whenever that may be,” Ducharme said. “Whether it’s next week, or in a month or two, I’ll commit when the time feels right.”
When evaluating his college decision, Ducharme said relationships with the coaching staff and player development will be key. He’d like to have a coach that’s sent and has experience sending players to the NBA.
“And having a coach who’s going to be honest with me, really tell me when I need to step up or when I’m not doing what I should do,” Ducharme said. “I don’t need to hear I’m the greatest all the time. That’s not what I want to hear.”
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