HOUSTON — DaJuan Coleman knows John Calipari could have gone anywhere the day after Kentucky advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.
But the Kentucky coach went from Tampa, Fla., to Glens Falls, N.Y., to watch Coleman play for a New York State championship.
“That means a whole lot because he could’ve watched anybody,” Coleman said Sunday after posting 12 points and six rebounds as the East fell to the West, 107-104, in the All-American Championship. “He didn’t have to come to see me. He could’ve picked anybody else but he picked me. That means whole lot to me and I was just happy to see him after he just got done with his game.”
The 6-foot-10 Coleman said he doesn’t have “an official top five,” but listed North Carolina, Syracuse, Kentucky, Ohio State and UConn.
He added there were “a couple more so I really don’t have an official five.”
Jim Hart, Coleman’s AAU coach with the Albany City Rocks, previously said Coleman’s list would likely come down to Syracuse and at least one other school since Syracuse is his local program.
“It’s going to be somebody and Syracuse,” Hart said last month. “If there’s five or six schools, the final two is probably going to be somebody and Syracuse.”
Of Syracuse, Coleman said, “They’re in the list. They’re one of my top schools.”
Coleman said he plans to play the summer AAU circuit and then go from there early in his senior season at Jamesville-DeWitt.
“I’m just looking at my options and just taking my time with it,” he said. “I just want to make the right decision for me and my family.”
FREE THROWS
6-8 Nigerian power forward God’s Gift will take an official this Friday to Cincinnati. “After that we’re going to see,” said coach Alex Nwora…Miami assistant coach Jorge Fernandez will not join Frank Haith in Missouri…BYU assistant Dave Rice and former UNLV standout Reggie Theus are the leading candidates at UNLV, per reports…6-9 PF Brandon Mobley visits DePaul this weekend and plans to announce mid-next week. Seton Hall & Auburn are also in the mix.
RELATED CONTENT
**Kentucky, Syracuse showing Coleman ‘the most love of late‘
(Photo, schedule courtesy Albany Times-Union)
