NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Pittsburgh will host a couple of high-profile guards from the Garden State this coming weekend.
St. Anthony senior Dominic Cheek will take an official visit, his third following trips to Kansas and Villanova, while Plainfield junior Isaiah Epps (pictured) will take an unofficial. The Panthers technically have one scholarship left for the Class of 2009.
We’ve already covered the Cheek scenario in another post, so let’s focus on the 6-foot-2 Epps, who played for the Jersey juniors last weekend at the Eddie Griffin Challenge at Rutgers.
“I should be going out there [to Pitt] next weekend,” he said. “I don’t have any favorite schools. I’m open for anything.”
Epps said he had no other visits planned, but “I should be going to Seton Hall and Rutgers, too, on unofficial visits.”
A quick, talented combo guard, Epps said he also garnered interest over the summer from Texas, Michigan State and Virginia Tech.
“I heard from Texas a lot,” he said. “Whenever they ask me to [take a visit] I will.”
Epps recently visited Maryland for its MIdnight Madness with his mother, Danielle.
“It was great,” Epps said. “I loved everything. We went to a football game and I saw their real practice for the first time. It was good. I saw how Gary Williams controlled both teams. I like the way he coaches.”
That same weekend Albany Bishop Maginn guard Taran Buie attended Maryland. Buie lists Maryland, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame as his leaders. He was slated to visit Georgia Tech this past weekend and Notre Dame this coming.
“I’m real close with Taran,” Epps said. “We both can switch up, play the one or the two. We’re just talking about [going to Maryland together].”
Epps, 18, will spend his junior year at Plainfield trying to win a state title along with sophomore teammate Tyrone Johnson. Plainfield has a new coach in Jeff Lubreski.
“We got a new kid that transferred from Virginia, Shaquille,” Epps said. “I just met him. He’s going to be our big man.”
After this season, though, Epps will be too old to play for Plainfield and will probably have to prep.
“I don’t know what school I’m looking at right now,” he said.
