April 1, 2010
by JEFF BORZELLO
A name for Big East fans to keep an eye on over the next couple of years is Deontae Hawkins, a sophomore from Dayton Dunbar (Ohio).
“His potential has no limit,” Dunbar assistant coach Renaldo O’Neal said. “He will be one of the top players in the country. He’s already one of the top sophomores in the country, but he will be one of the top players.”
Hawkins already has offers from Dayton and Cincinnati, with interest from Xavier, Miami (Ohio) and Wright State.
“He’s a great name,” O’Neal said. “He’s a 6-6 silky smooth scorer. He’s a good rebounder, shot-blocker.”
Despite being so young, O’Neal said that Hawkins more than held his own against older players.
“He did a great job,” O’Neal said. “He played against some big names, but it was good because he didn’t have to be the focal point. He looks forward to the challenge. He was a little nervous in the state championship game, but he had three humongous blocks for us.
“He doesn’t back down. He’s learning on the go.”
http://www.nbebasketball.com/w3/2010...tment-roundup/
FWIW, I will toot my own horn on this one. As mentioned first post on this thread, I "thought" Hawkins was at the Syracuse game this season, but was unsure. No other outlets reported it, nor did I see a mention that we were even recruiting Hawkins.
I've seen the kid play and he is a very solid DI prospect. I would love to get an early commitment from him.