Former Penn State guard Taran Buie has made a verbal commitment to Hofstra.
“Taran is an athletic slasher with deep range on his jump shot,” Albany City Rocks coach Jim Hart said.
“He has a great mid-range game, good toughness and he’s fearless. Hofstra fans will really enjoy watching Taran play.”
The news was first reported by Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Buie played in 11 games as a freshman, all in the non-conference season, in his first year at Penn State before being indefinitely suspended by then-head coach Ed DeChellis in late December for a violation of team rules. He averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while playing an average of 15.2 minutes per game, reaching double-figures in scoring twice and posting a season high 14 points in a victory over Central Connecticut State.
Buie, who also had interest from Towson and Arizona, among others, will have to sit out a year per NCAA regulations and will then have three years of eligibility remaining. He visited Maryland, Notre Dame and Penn State out of Bishop Maginn in Albany.
Hofstra also recently landed former UConn guard Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, who must sit a year before becoming eligible.
Hofstra is also in the mix for onetime Manhattan signee Zach Lamb, the older brother of UConn standout Jeremy Lamb, although a source close to the Hofstra staff said the Pride would no longer actively pursue the elder Lamb.
Instead, Hofstra plans to pursue Brian Bernardi, a 6-3 shooting guard from Xaverian who has Hofstra near the top of his list.
And as first reported here earlier today, Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino took three players on an unofficial to Hofstra Thursday: 2012 guards Isaiah Cousins and Randy Stephens and 2013 point guard Josh Doughty.
“Always great to see @bcimmino1 on campus,” Hofstra coach Mo Cassara Tweeted.” One of the great coaches and people in the business.”