BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: GEORGETOWN

September 25, 2008


Verbal Commitment ALERT: Markel Starks, 6'1 (PG) of Georgetown Prep

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:


Seniors: Dajuan Summers (F)
Juniors: Austin Freeman (SG), Chris Wright (PG), Omar Wattad (F), Nikita Mescheriakov (F), Julian Vaughn (PF)
Sophomores: Jason Clark (G), Henry Sims (BF/C), Greg Monroe (BF)
Freshman: Hollis Thompson (SF), DaShonte Riley (C)
Early 2010 Commitments: Markel Starks (PG)

The Little Hoya Chooses Big Hoyas (CapitolHoops.com) as Markel Starks verbally commits to the Georgetown Hoyas after making a campus visit earlier today. The Georgetown Prep point gaurd is the first commitment of 2010 for John Thompson III and the Hoyas.


Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!



DC-area guards are flying off the shelves in the class of 2010 as Kendall Marshall has previously committed to North Carolina, Tyler Thornton chose Duke recently and Josh Selby has picked Tennessee. Now, Georgetown Prep point guard Markel Starks becomes the latest as the 6'1 guard chooses the Georgetown Hoyas on a campus visit.

It was evident very early last spring in the Boo Williams Review that Starks was headed toward high major status with his tremendous handle and ability to score and distribute from the point guard position for the DC Blue Devils. Playing his high school ball for former Georgetown Hoya guard Dwayne Bryant also made sure he had year-round tutoring of the finer points of the game. As a sophomore, Starks averaged 18 points a game playing for coach Bryant.

Even though the Hoyas have brough Starks into the fold for 20101, work is left on the trail for the class of 2010. Last spring, long, lean and athletic, 6'11 Dashonte Riley, out of Detroit Country Day, choose Georgetown over Michigan State and Ohio State. Riley had long been considered a heavy Georgetown lean and he pulled the trigger and committed to the Hoyas.

Like most big men, Riley's defense has always been regarded as his strength and greatly ahead of his offense. Playing with a loaded Family AAU program, he still is not called up to score a lot. He averaged less than 10 points this past season and still needs to improve his offensive skill level, but the natural talent is definitely there to develop quickly with the Hoyas.

Riley visited Georgetown back in October for Midnight Madness and again in the spring. It was the later visit that sealed the deal with Riley and his family and they decided to end the process.

Riley joins Hollis Thompson as commitments in the class of 2009. Thompson will come across country from De La Salle High School in the Bay Area of California to join the Hoya program. Thompson recently transferred from Loyola High school in Los Angeles to De La Salle. Like Riley, the 6'6 wing is long and lean at his position and is a player with tremendous upside to grow as he works to put all his natural tools together with a developing skill set.

With the commitments of Thompson and Riley, we currently show the Hoyas having three scholarships available and the player on the minds of most fans is forward Ryan Kelly out of the Raleigh (NC) area. The 6'9 forward recently visited Georgetown and is also heavily pursued by Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Venderbilt and others. Montrose Christian forward Terrell Vinson also has the Hoyas on his short list, along with Villanova and Loyola Marymount. Connecticut big man Jordan Williams is another receiving interest from the Hoya staff.

One thing is for certain, John Thompson III definitely turned Georgetown back into a national power, not only on the court, but on the recruiting trail very quickly, increasing their College Basketball Odds of seeing the Hoyas competing for titles year in and year out once again.