Providence Recruiting Update: Class of 2018 Phones Ringing

June 15th at 12:00am marked the first time that coaches could directly contact members of the class of 2018 — rising high school juniors. Ed Cooley and his staff worked the phones all day and reached out to a number of targets. Aside from the fact that the NCAA doesn’t seem to mind teenagers having their phones begin to blow up at midnight on a weeknight, Brian Snow of Scout.com had an interesting perspective on the importance of these June 15th calls:

Having said that, it does show who the coaches may be prioritizing early on with the Class of 2018 and getting a call from a coach could go a long way towards building a relationship between the coach and the recruit. Let’s take a look at some of the new and notable names that heard from the Friars on June 15th.

Eric Ayala

  • Class of 2018
  • Putnam Science Academy
  • Hometown: Hockession, DE
  • Shooting Guard
  • 6’3 180 lbs
  • AAU Team: WE R1 (Under Armour Association)

Ayala got this call from Providence last year when he was a member of the Class of 2017. Shortly after 6/15/2015, Ayala announced his intention to transfer to Putnam Science Academy and re-classify to the Class of 2018. Ayala is back with WE R1 — a program he’s played for since 6th grade — on the Under Armour Association circuit where he teams up with top 2017 player Trevon Duval. Through 12 games with WE R1 in April and May, Ayala is averaging 11.8 points/game and 4.9 rebounds/game. Ayala also has international experience playing for the Puerto Rican U16 national team in the FIBA Americas U16 Championships in 2015. He was the team’s leading scorer in 4 of the 5 games while averaging 19.6 points/game, 6.8 rebounds/game and 2.8 assists/game. Some other schools that reached out on June 15th were Kansas, Maryland, Miami, Seton Hall, Temple, UConn and USC.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO9iW5lkWxM]

Devon Dotson

  • Class of 2018
  • Providence Day School
  • Hometown: Chicago, IL
  • Point Guard
  • 6’2 175 lbs
  • AAU Team: Team Charlotte (Under Armour Association)

Dotson was offered by Providence over the weekend to join schools like Clemson, Florida, Georgia, NC State, North Carolina, Tennessee, USC and Wake Forest who already extended scholarship offers to the top-60 guard. Dotson runs with Team Charlotte on the Under Armour Association circuit where he has led them to a league-best 11-1 record. In 11 games played, Dotson is averaging 11.2 points/game, 3.2 assists/game — against 1.6 turnovers/game — and 3.8 rebounds/game. Dotson is also currently attending the prestigious NBPA Top 100 Camp. Some other schools that reached out on June 15th were California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas State, Kentucky, NC State, North Carolina and Wake Forest.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWtrzJSw4IE]

Coby White

  • Class of 2018
  • Greenfield School
  • Hometown: Wilson, NC
  • Point Guard
  • 6’4 175 lbs
  • AAU Team: Team CP3 (Nike EYBL 16U)

White began receiving Providence interest earlier this month. He has excellent size for his position after a 4-inch growth spurt took him from 6’0 to 6’4 last summer. With that growth spurt and his continued development, White is attracting some of college basketball elite programs. He runs with Team CP3 16U’s and was also invited to the Nike Top 100 camp in St. Louis. White also heard from Butler, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Saint Louis, Virginia and Wake Forest.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJTAoCW7uCQ]

Nate Laszewski

  • Class of 2018
  • Northfield-Mt. Hermon
  • Hometown: Avon, CT
  • Small Forward/Power Forward
  • 6’9 190 lbs
  • AAU Team: New England Playaz (adidas Gauntlet Series)

Laszewski just finished up his first year at Northfield-Mt. Hermon and I’d say leading your team to the NEPSAC AAA championship while earning MVP honors was a pretty good way to start things off. Laszewski has been sharing minutes with Tomas Murphy, Jerome Desrosiers and Charles Hannah with the New England Playaz on the adidas Gauntlet Series circuit and has averaged 3.3 points/game and 1.8 rebounds/game through 8 contests in April. In May, Laszewski was one of 24 players in the Class of 2018 to be chosen for the adidas Nations training camp held in Miami. He also had an excellent showing in the Memorial Day Classic in Atlanta where he led the Playaz to the championship after a 7-0 weekend. Some other schools that reached out on June 15th are Duke, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Virginia. Michigan called and offered on June 16th.

Will Dillard

  • Class of 2018
  • Greensboro Day School
  • Hometown: Greensboro, NC
  • Shooting Guard
  • 6’3 185 lbs
  • AAU Team: Team CP3 (Nike EYBL 16U)

Dillard’s name is new to Providence fans as the first time the Friars have been tied to him is when a report came on June 15th that they reached out to him. He’s another member of the Team CP3 family that has gotten a lot of attention from Providence since Jeff Battle was hired. Dillard plays on the 16U team with Coby White. Some other schools that called on June 15th are Clemson, Old Dominion, St. Joseph’s, Tulsa, UNCG and Virginia Tech.

Shandon Brown

  • Class of 2018
  • New Hampton
  • Hometown: Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Point Guard
  • 5’10  150 lbs
  • AAU Team: BABC (Nike EYBL 16U)

Brown runs with BABC 16U’s and is the cousin of former BABC guard Bruce Brown. He’s a bit undersized, but with two more season of high school basketball ahead of him there’s still plenty of time to grow. Brown will leave Beaver Country Day after being named the NEPSAC EIL MVP last season. He’ll spend next season at New Hampton School. Brown missed some time in May due to a dislocated elbow, but had a good run in April with BABC. Other schools that reached out on June 15th include Boston College, DePaul, East Carolina, Florida State, George Washington, Marquette, Miami, Ohio State, Rutgers, St. Joseph’s, Tennessee, USC, Virginia and Yale.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-8jDzeES4]

AJ Reeves

  • Class of 2018
  • Brimmer & May
  • Hometown: Roxbury, MA
  • Shooting Guard
  • 6’4  195 lbs
  • AAU Team: Mass Rivals (adidas Gauntlet Series)

Reeves has long been a top player in the Class of 2018 in New England. He runs with Mass Rivals and is playing up on the U17 behind 2017’s Makai Ashton-Langford and Wabissa Bede. Being in more of a backup role in 8 games played on the adidas Gauntlet Series circuit in April, Reeves averaged 4.0 points/game in just under 10 minutes/game. He did have a breakout week when he led the Rivals — without Ashton-Langford, Bede and Jarrod Simmons — to victory in the Providence Jamfest and received offers from UConn and Louisville in the days following that tournament win.

Reeves also participated in the adidas Nations training camp in Miami at the end of May. He also attended Providence’s Elite Camp last August. Some other schools that reached out on June 15th were Massachusetts, Miami, Michigan, Rhode Island, Rutgers, Temple, VCU, Villanova, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Xavier.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynd_SfVRZvI]

Cole Swider

  • Class of 2018
  • St. Andrew’s
  • Hometown: Portsmouth, RI
  • Small Forwards
  • 6’7  190 lbs
  • AAU Team: BABC (Nike EYBL 16U)

Swider also runs with BABC’s U16 team alongside Shandon Brown. He also plays at nearby St. Andrew’s School in Barrington and is a native of Porstmouth. Swider is a dead-eye shooter who has seen his game grow over the last year since arriving at St. Andrew’s for the 2014-15 season. Swider holds offers from other Big East schools Creighton and DePaul, while also receiving an offer from in-state rival Rhode Island on June 15th. Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal reported on Twitter that Swider fielded 28 texts/calls since midnight on June 15th with some coming from Boston College, Butler, Davidson, George Washington, Marquette, Miami, Michigan, Rutgers, Saint Louis, Virginia and Xavier. McNamara also reported that Swider will visit Providence next week.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5k1SU-xUfg]

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