Taran Buie’s weekend didn’t quite work out as planned.
The 6-foot-1 combo guard from Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn rolled his ankle Thursday night and never made his unofficial visit to Notre Dame.
“He sprained it the night before we were supposed to leave for Notre Dame,” said Jim Hart, Buie’s AAU coach with the Albany City Rocks. “He went to the doctor and had MRIs and X-rays at 1 p.m on Friday and they said it was at least the size of a tennis ball. He sprained it on both sides. He’s probably out six weeks. No is8 playoffs for him.”
Hart said Buie will push his Notre Dame visit back to the weekend of Oct. 31, enabling him to see a basketball exhibition against Briar Cliff on the 31st and a football game against Pitt on Nov. 1. Notre Dame shares the same pressing, up-tempo style that Buie plays at Bishop Maginn.
Buie will still Maryland the weekend of Oct. 17 for Midnight Madness and Georgia Tech the weekend of Oct. 24.
Those three schools are his leaders, but Rutgers, Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Texas are also involved with Buie, who averaged 16.4 points last season and led the Golden Griffins to the New York State Class AA championship in March. He is ranked No. 13 among point guards in the Class of 2010 by Rivals.
Hart said Notre Dame, Maryland and Georgia Tech have been “working the hardest on Buie.” Syracuse is also involved, but with Brandon Triche and Dion Waiters coming in, the Orange may be on the backburner.
Meantime, Plainfield (NJ) junior guard Isaiah Epps is working on Buie to attend Maryland.
“Isaiah Epps keeps telling him, ‘Hey, we could go to Maryland a be a great backcourt together,'” Hart said.
Hart also said Rutgers assistant Craig Carter has worked tremendously hard on Buie, and Buie plans to visit Rutgers for the Binghamton game.
“Craig Carter individually has done a phenomenal job,” Hart said. “He’s done the best job recruiting out of anybody. Taran really likes Craig.”
As far as Penn State, Talor Battle, a Maginn graduate, played major minutes last year for the Nittany Lions.
Wherever Buie winds up, that school will be getting a talented player who has the potential to play professionally someday, Hart said.
“He’ll definitely play somewhere beyond college,” Hart said. “Everyone makes the comparison to Ben Gordon. He’s a guard who plays both positions. He’s really a combo guard. He shoots it really good. That’s the most improved part of his game. He plays big in big games. He stood out in the Peach Jam and the Super Showcase. He takes charges. He does dirty work. He’s a 94 student in the classroom.”
And when might Buie make a college decision?
“There’s a chance he wants to commit (this year),” Hart said. “I think (Maginn coach) Richie Hurley wants to see him go through the high school season and decide in the spring.”
