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May 1, 2012

No commits at this point, so there is nothing real to report. That said, there are tournaments every weekend and the coaches are out taking a look at possible kids for 2013, 14 and even 15. This round-up is focused on the guards that Pitt is watching in 2013.

Some leftover info from the Pittsburgh JamFest of the previous weekend.

Sam Singer (Gold Coast, 2013, Ransom Everglades) – This fast-rising prospect is a 6’4” guard that can play off the ball but also help out at the point. Singer has very intriguing size for his position as well as a nice looking stroke. The Florida product tallied 8 points to help Gold Coast pull off a third round upset over Philly Pride in the nightcap on Saturday.

Singer said Miami, South Carolina, Central Florida, South Florida, Northeastern, Boston University, and William & Mary have all offered and that he’s hearing from Indiana, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Harvard. He also recently got a call from Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh, who has ties to Singer’s family. Alabama and Indiana have been monitoring him the longest, he said, adding that he could potentially make his commitment in the early signing period but is “nowhere close to a decision.”

Singer is a solid, consensus 3-star recruit at the moment. Singer has family that lives in Pittsburgh, so that is how Dixon has ties to the Singers. While it appears at the moment that Dixon and Pitt’s interest is more courtesy than true desire to add him, that could change — provided he doesn’t make an early commitment decision. He had an excellent junior year and has impressed at the early tournaments — hence the growing list of programs interested and offering him. He also has an excellent academic record — which is why programs like Vandy, Stanford, ND and Virginia will likely move from interest to offers.

Another guard Pitt is going after is 6-3, Terrence Samuel out of Brooklyn. He runs point, but there is a question as to whether he might end up as more of a combo or shooting guard. Regardless, he has a lot of interest as a 4-star, top-100 recruit. He’s got a good mid-range and slashing game, but is not consistent with his 3-point shooting. Pitt has offered him. As has Villanova, Cinci and Temple. Louisville is also in the mix.

It should be noted that Samuel is on the same AAU team (New Rens) as Savon Goodman. (Well you knew there had to be some update.) While Goodman played poorly in the Pittsburgh JamFest, there may be a better explanation. A knee sprain that cost him this past weekend’s tournament in Philly. While Goodman is saying all options are on the table for what he will do, the sense is growing that he will go to prep school and classify for the 2013 class.

“It’s a possibility that I move to 2013,” Goodman told NBCSports.com on Friday night. “I’m just waiting until school is over to weigh all my options.”

Goodman says the schools most hotly in pursuit of him are UNLV, Missouri, UCLA, St. John’s, Temple, and Pittsburgh.

In other words. Still in a holding pattern.

Panther Sports Network has a rundown on these and other guys along with Pitt’s interest in them from JamFest — including the wonderfully named  Major Canady at Kiski.

The guard that Pitt and the rest of the Big East might spend the summer pursuing is Isiah Whitehead from Brooklyn. The 6-4 shooting guard is another 4-star recruit. He has also looked really good in the first couple weekends of AAU tournament games.

Whitehead was frustrated during his game against the Detroit Stars, but he still managed to demonstrate an offensive game that has few peers in his class. He makes more difficult shots than anyone in the country, and is not afraid to take fadeaways or contested jumpers. Whitehead can finish with both hands, and absorbs contact extremely well.

That was in Pittsburgh, and then in Philly.

Following a strong weekend in Pittsburgh, Isaiah Whitehead was ready to finish off the Spring Live Period. After taking a brief unofficial visit to Rutgers on Thursday, Whitehead played extremely well running the point and attacking the rim. After picking up offers from Iowa State, Georgetown and UConn last weekend — to go along with St. John’s, Rutgers, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Cincinnati — the 2014 Lincoln (NY) combo guard played his best while running the point. With some interest from Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA and North Carolina, Whitehead has Syracuse as his favorite school thus far.

The belief is that he might be more inclined to stay close to home, but a lot of teams are coming for him. He hasn’t said no about any of them yet.

Finally, one other guard that got an offer ($$) is another consensus 4-star PG, Jaren Sina. The New Jersey resident is a high school coach’s son. His father, Mergin Sina, is the head coach of Gill St. Benard in New Jersey. Here’s a scouting report on him from last year (Insider subs).

Sina is a super skilled guard with a lethal jump shot. He has an effortless stroke that is virtually automatic when in rhythm from anywhere inside of 25 feet, is equally effective shooting off the catch or the dribble, and can also make tough contested shots late in the shot clock. He handles efficiently vs. pressure, has a terrific feel for the game…

He’s as skilled and smart as they get but his intangibles are what separate him. He plays with unwavering confidence and just enough cockiness to maximize his talents. It’s that type of mindset that allows him to thrive in the big moments.

Sina originally committed to Alabama when he was a sophomore, but withdrew the verbal last fall. Bama is still in the mix, as are Rutgers, Memphis, Virginia and an increasingly growing list.





It appears that Singer is Jewish.

Quickie quiz: For you old-timers (like me) who was the last Jewish Pitt hoopster?

Prize: A Polansky’s pastrami sandwich.

Comment by steve1 05.01.12 @ 2:38 pm

I’ll take a stab at this.
Not sure, but current Mt.Lebanon HS Head Coach and former PITT guard Joey David.

Comment by EMel 05.01.12 @ 6:13 pm

Sorry, EMel, can’t be. Joey’s dad, Sam…also a Pitt basketball player…was a Minister.

I am pretty sure it was Mort Lerner, Sam’s teammate on the 49/50 team.

Comment by steve1 05.01.12 @ 6:47 pm

Steve1 — i misread that and thought your wrote “answer: pastrami sandwich” instead of “prize: pastrami sandwich”. really confused.

do we count women’s b-ball? if so, then Laine Selwyn is the answer.

Comment by PantherP 05.01.12 @ 11:40 pm

I’ll take a stab….loved him banging under the boards: Matt Miklasevich. I get the sandwich if he was not then but has since converted.

Comment by SFPitt 05.02.12 @ 3:02 am

More on Mort Lerner from his wife’s obituary. His wife and he did many good deeds. God Bless.

“With her husband she was named University of Pittsburgh 1987 Golden Panther of the Year – to publicly recognize exceptional contributions, because she and her husband gave the first endowed Athletic scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh.

Mrs. Lerner and her husband also endowed a scholarship at University of Pittsburgh for the basketball player with the highest GPA.

After her husband’s death, she donated the Mort Lerner Wellness Center at Catawba College in his memory. The Wellness Center exists to provide opportunities for students, faculty and staff to learn about practices, conditions and habits that will contribute to their physical well-being.”

Comment by steve1 05.02.12 @ 3:55 pm

Sam Singer’s connection to Pitt is because his grandfather, Stuart Kline, played center for Pitt football in 1950-1954. His uncle, Aaron Kline, played baseball for Pitt in 1977-1981.

Comment by Sue 05.04.12 @ 5:07 pm

[…] in May, there were a bunch of guards on the Pitt radar.  I think Dixon really wants to find another player to effectively run the offense after next […]


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