Post by elon_phan on Nov 15, 2007 21:58:51 GMT -5
This guy was rated a 2star prospect by Scout. Elon was also supposed to sign a 6 ft 1star guard.
Elon signs sharpshooter from growing Southern Conference hotbed
By Adam Smith / Times-News
November 15, 2007 12:27 AM
ELON - Three former prep standouts from the same high school league in southern Ohio are playing men’s basketball in the Southern Conference this season.
Drew Spradlin signed Tuesday with Elon University and now is set to become the fourth member of that group, which hails from an area nestled near the Kentucky border.
But in this case, he said that’s nothing more than a noteworthy nugget regarding his recruitment.
"To be honest with you," he said, "it really didn’t play a part in the decision. I felt like I fit really well at Elon. I felt like it was the best place to get a good education and play the highest level of basketball I could. Those were the most important factors."
Spradlin, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard / forward, faxed his national letter of intent to Elon on the opening day of the early signing period.
He produced averages of 16.5 points and 5.8 rebounds as a junior last season. His high school coach, Wheelersburg’s Tom Barrick, described Spradlin as a sharp-shooting perimeter scorer who extends defenses.
Wheelersburg has gone 65-10 in Spradlin’s three seasons on the varsity and finished 23-3 last season by way of an overtime loss in the final four of the Ohio state tournament.
Spradlin, a standout quarterback in football, just concluded a state playoff run last week with Wheelersburg. He threw 20 touchdown passes and for more than 2,000 yards this season while earning his district’s Offensive Player of the Year honors.
"We definitely had a need to recruit a bigger wing player, which he is," Elon coach Ernie Nestor said. "And he’s a tough kid. He has a lot of qualities that you want in an athlete."
Spradlin said he received basketball recruiting interest from a lot of Division II schools, several Mid-American Conference schools and Marshall. A handful of college football coaches also stopped by to inquire about his quarterbacking services as well.
"I’ve been working for the better part of my life to try to play D-I basketball," said Spradlin, who turned 18 five days ago. "It’s just a great feeling to get something that you’ve worked so hard for."
He visited Elon’s campus in late September and was among the record crowd that watched the Phoenix’s football game against Appalachian State.
"Drew has split so much time between football and basketball," Barrick said. "I think when he gets to college and starts doing that sport-specific basketball training, I think there’s a new level he’s going to be able to reach."
Spradlin said his mother, an English professor at Shawnee State, was pleased that he picked Elon. His father was transferred to North Carolina and worked a job in Hickory for about a year before recently returning to their home.
Camden Miller, a freshman at Western Carolina, is a former high school teammate of Spradlin’s. Western Carolina sophomores Nick Aldridge and Brigham Waginger, both of South Webster, Ohio, competed at a neighboring high school.
"There’s a heightened awareness of the Southern Conference in our area," Barrick said, also referencing Appalachian State’s football upset of Michigan. "When I say Elon’s a great fit for Drew, I’m not just talking about a great fit athletically. I’m talking socially and academically. We’re real excited for him."
Elon signs sharpshooter from growing Southern Conference hotbed
By Adam Smith / Times-News
November 15, 2007 12:27 AM
ELON - Three former prep standouts from the same high school league in southern Ohio are playing men’s basketball in the Southern Conference this season.
Drew Spradlin signed Tuesday with Elon University and now is set to become the fourth member of that group, which hails from an area nestled near the Kentucky border.
But in this case, he said that’s nothing more than a noteworthy nugget regarding his recruitment.
"To be honest with you," he said, "it really didn’t play a part in the decision. I felt like I fit really well at Elon. I felt like it was the best place to get a good education and play the highest level of basketball I could. Those were the most important factors."
Spradlin, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard / forward, faxed his national letter of intent to Elon on the opening day of the early signing period.
He produced averages of 16.5 points and 5.8 rebounds as a junior last season. His high school coach, Wheelersburg’s Tom Barrick, described Spradlin as a sharp-shooting perimeter scorer who extends defenses.
Wheelersburg has gone 65-10 in Spradlin’s three seasons on the varsity and finished 23-3 last season by way of an overtime loss in the final four of the Ohio state tournament.
Spradlin, a standout quarterback in football, just concluded a state playoff run last week with Wheelersburg. He threw 20 touchdown passes and for more than 2,000 yards this season while earning his district’s Offensive Player of the Year honors.
"We definitely had a need to recruit a bigger wing player, which he is," Elon coach Ernie Nestor said. "And he’s a tough kid. He has a lot of qualities that you want in an athlete."
Spradlin said he received basketball recruiting interest from a lot of Division II schools, several Mid-American Conference schools and Marshall. A handful of college football coaches also stopped by to inquire about his quarterbacking services as well.
"I’ve been working for the better part of my life to try to play D-I basketball," said Spradlin, who turned 18 five days ago. "It’s just a great feeling to get something that you’ve worked so hard for."
He visited Elon’s campus in late September and was among the record crowd that watched the Phoenix’s football game against Appalachian State.
"Drew has split so much time between football and basketball," Barrick said. "I think when he gets to college and starts doing that sport-specific basketball training, I think there’s a new level he’s going to be able to reach."
Spradlin said his mother, an English professor at Shawnee State, was pleased that he picked Elon. His father was transferred to North Carolina and worked a job in Hickory for about a year before recently returning to their home.
Camden Miller, a freshman at Western Carolina, is a former high school teammate of Spradlin’s. Western Carolina sophomores Nick Aldridge and Brigham Waginger, both of South Webster, Ohio, competed at a neighboring high school.
"There’s a heightened awareness of the Southern Conference in our area," Barrick said, also referencing Appalachian State’s football upset of Michigan. "When I say Elon’s a great fit for Drew, I’m not just talking about a great fit athletically. I’m talking socially and academically. We’re real excited for him."
