Can we steal another commit from C-DOA?

[Papa_Bull]

Dwight Burke, a 6-8, 235-pound fall signee from St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, apparently will not be joining the Pirates next season. According to a report in the Newark Star-Ledger on Wednesday, Burke has withdrawn his commitment to ECU and is planning visits to Marquette and South Florida.

Stokes said he was unsure of Burke's decision, and while he has spoken with Burke, he has not had a chance to do so face to face.

"My focus has been on the current players," Stokes said. "We've tried to visit, but it just hasn't worked out, so hopefully soon we'll have a chance to sit down and visit with him."

St. Benedict's coach Danny Hurley could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Brock Letchworth can be reached at 329-9592 or kletchworth@coxnews.com

http://www.reflector.com/sports/content/sports/college/ecu/stories/2005/04/14/20050414GDRecu_basketball.html;COXnetJSessionIDbuild71=CezK4pVjAm6vscDpxaI0sUamBBJjwWL43z0fTJRboqOa6DFSF6RD!-1413311921?urac=n&urvf=11134861546870.3398111920920087

[Velcro]

wide body... not very tall... brigman size....

[Apis Bull]

Where is he from originally?

[Papa_Bull]

He was originally from Delaware and spent his first two high school years at Christiana High in Delaware before transferring to Rice HS in NY.

Here is a story from the fall:

Hoops Recruiting Report

Thursday, October 21, 2004

By Thad Mumau

 

Rough-cut gem Burke set for refinement

©2004 Bonesville.net

National rankings and stats can be dazzling, but those aren’t the magnets that attract college basketball coaches to high school players.

The combination of talent and potential is what does it.

And that is the lure of Dwight Burke, the 6-8 ½, 235-pound power forward who recently committed to East Carolina with plans to sign with the Pirates in November.

“Dwight is a bit raw but is very talented," said Bobby Hurley, Burke’s coach at Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s School. "He has a world of potential.â€Â

Burke spent last season at New York (NY) Rice High School, where he averaged 7.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and a blocked shot per game.

“He really didn’t play a lot,†Rice coach Maurice Hicks said. “He was our seventh or eighth guy, and there were games he didn’t get many minutes. We were a pretty talented team, though, so this isn’t to say Dwight can’t play.

“The thing is, he needs to play. He needs game experience so that he can feel relaxed out there and just play his game. He has some talent. I think he will be a good college player. East Carolina made a good move.

“Dwight has some good post moves, but he isn’t very smooth at this point. Everything he does looks kind of rough. But he can rebound. When he goes up and gets the ball off the boards, he does it with authority.

“He had a few games for us that he came in and did something big right away,†Hicks said. “That would give him confidence, and he’d go on and have a big night  like a double-double. He did that a couple of times.

“He would block a shot, go down and score at the other end, rip down a bunch of rebounds, get a stickback or two and really assert himself. That’s the kind of player he can be with experience.â€Â

Bill Herrion and his staff didn’t offer a scholarship to Burke on a lark. Coaches from a number of colleges watched the big guy this past summer and liked what they saw.

St. Bonaventure, Richmond and Rhode Island also offered, while Seton Hall, Villanova, Georgia and Rutgers were among several others that were very interested.

“There were around 35 schools looking at Dwight,†Hurley said. “Georgia, Villanova, Seton Hall and Rutgers probably would have offered in the spring. If he had waited and gone late, he would have gotten much more attention, with probably a lot more of the bigger-name schools getting involved.

“I don’t say that because I think he made a bad decision in committing to East Carolina. Coach Herrion has things going in the right direction down there, and it’s a good program. I think it’s a good fit for Dwight.

“I’m just stating a fact,†Hurley said. “What I said about him is true for many kids. The ones who go late, waiting until the spring to sign, end up on lists of a lot of schools that might not be recruiting them in the fall. Everybody doesn’t get the first kids they go after, so they add some new names in the spring. It’s a great opportunity for kids that wait.â€Â

Burke’s only visit was to Greenville.

“It was a couple of weeks ago,†Hurley said. “Dwight really liked the coaches and the campus, and he liked it socially. He came back from Greenville very happy, so he went ahead and got it done.â€Â

Burke was planning a trip to St. Bonaventure, but cancelled it.

“He has a great basketball physique for a four or five guy,†Hurley said. “That’s where he will play  power forward or center. He is not a finesse player; he is a very physical power player. He’s a banger type, very strong.

“Dwight is pretty skilled. He has a nice little jump hook and a powerful drop step. He blocks shots well, runs okay and is an above average athlete for a big guy.

“He has a great up side, and that’s what coaches like so much about him.â€Â

http://www.bonesville.net/Articles/ThadMumau/2004/10/102104_Mumau.htm

[Guest BasketBull.]

Howie, YOU the MAN! Don't know how you dig them up, you do you find it....

Q: Where Jimmy Hoffa's body?

[Papa_Bull]

Hoopscooponline ranks Burk #54 among 5th year players. (They have Chris Howard ranked #24)

http://www.hoopscooponline.com/members/classof2005-5thyearfallrankings.html

[Guest Huh?]

A very unremarkable player.  Not BE calibre.

Riiiiiiiiiiggghhhhtt -  I'm sure GA, 'Nova etc were going to offer him in the spring but who would want to play in the BE or SEC when you have the  lure of playing for ezu in cdoa.  Don't believe the hype.

[Papa_Bull]

I'm sure he is not going to visit Marquette for his health.  :

[USFMikeB]

Yeah, you gotta love the spin they put on players.  If he had a chance at Seton Hall or Villanova offering, no way you commit early to frigging ECU.  That's just a case of the coach putting some spin on to attract players to their prep school.

[Omniscientbull]

I think what he is saying is he's good enough for a Seton Hall or Nova in the late period because those schools are usually only looking for depth at that point but would not have been good enough, i.e. develop enough, for them as a prime player in the early period.

Based on the other comments from Hurley it doesn't sound like he was trying to blow the kid up.  He pointed out a number of short comings.

Having seen St. Benedict’s play on numerous occasions over the past 3 or 4 years I can tell you they've got a great progam, consistently amoung the top 20 in the country.  The youngest Hurley is going to match his fathers reputation very soon.  Man, when St. Benedict’s had JR Smith they were **** good.  Danny has turned out some very good players in JR Smith, Keving Palacios, Bashir Mason, Stanley Branch, Frank Tchuisi, etc.

And just wait to you see the young talent on his team right now with Eugene Harvey, Lance Thomas, and Corey Stokes, all of whem we'll probably play against in a few years in the Big East.

An average player on this team has the potential to be a very good player.  Unfortuantely they ususally have about 15 guys on their team and only so many minutes to go around.