Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BASKETBALL RECRUITING Especially since they play an up-tempo style. They weren't very big. I thought they were going to beat Kentucky in that [NCAA Tournament] game." Ranked as the No. 40 overall player in the land, the 6-8, 205-pound forward averaged 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, with his team finishing 3-1 overall, including a 64-52 win over Texas P.R.O. — Allen's team. The only game they lost was a close 68-64 overtime contest against the At- lanta Celtics, which finished as run- ner-ups of the event. With less than 40 seconds to play and his team trail- ing by one, DeLaurier nailed a corner three-pointer to put Team Loaded Vir- ginia ahead of the Celtics, 58-57. The Celtics missed their shot at- tempt at the other end, giving Team Loaded Virginia possession and a one- point lead with under 20 seconds to play. Team Loaded Virginia's Jeremy Sheppard was fouled, and made the first free throw to take a 59-57 lead. He then missed the second, but re- bounded his own miss, and his squad called a timeout. Leading by two with possession and 11 seconds to play was a great posi- tion for DeLaurier's squad, but Team Loaded Virginia turned the ball over after the inbounds play, and the Celt- ics' scored a breakaway layup as time expired to force overtime. The Celtics eventually came back in extra time to secure the four-point win. Some of the other coaches in atten- dance at DeLaurier's games included Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and assistants, Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings and assistants, and representatives from North Carolina and Princeton, among many others. The attention gave him a chance to showcase his increasingly growing skills. "I've been putting in lots and lots of gym time," DeLaurier said. "Out here in July, I'm just hoping to show these coaches my development. I think I'm an athletic, long, high-motor forward with a developing outside game. I still need to work on my ball handling and get my jumper more consistent." While his recruitment has continued heating up with more programs offer- ing scholarships, sources are confident that Notre Dame will get a visit from the four-star player. Both DeLaurier and his mother are serious about aca- demics and intrigued by the complete package the Irish can offer. After the July evaluation period, they will sit down as a family to narrow down his list and start scheduling visits. FORWARD WENYEN GABRIEL RECEIVES ND OFFER DeLaurier and Allen are the pro- gram's top two targets, but every school gets told no more often than yes in recruiting — and because both are nationally coveted prospects, it's vital that the Irish continue identifying other possibilities. That's why Brey and assistant coach Martin Ingelsby evaluated Wilbraham (Mass.) Academy four-star forward Wenyen Gabriel while in Atlanta. The 6-9, 190-pound forward has grown a couple inches over the last year, mak- ing his skillset and size ideal to be- come a face-up power forward in the