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Robert Lee: Hawks an alternative to hoopsters winging it 9:15 AM EST on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 I was at a basketball game last week when I overheard someone ask a little boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. He smiled while holding a basketball in his hands that was almost as big as he was and said, “I want to play in the NBA.” That’s a dream that almost every boys basketball player has when he is young, but it’s an unrealistic one. In fact, most basketball players don’t even get a chance to play for a college team, according to a study recently released by the NCAA. The study shows that less than 1 in 35, or 2.9 percent of high school seniors playing interscholastic league basketball, will go on to play men’s hoops at an NCAA-member institution. Furthermore, according to the study, less than 1 in 75, or 1.3 percent, of NCAA male senior basketball players will be drafted by the NBA. In addition, approximately 3 in 10,000, or 0.03 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic league basketball, will be drafted by an NBA team. Rhode Island is just a small blip on the radar screen for a lot of Division I college scouts, but many Rhode Islanders have found ways to get more exposure, like joining AAU teams such as the Rhode Island Hawks. The Hawks often get their players nationwide exposure, and as a result more doors open for them. Several of the top Interscholastic League players compete for the Hawks, including Hendricken All-State forward David Rufful, who is rated as the top RIIL senior in eteamz.com’s Rhode Island Preps ranking; Smithfield shooting guard Mike Marra, considered the third-best junior in the state by Rhode Island Preps, and Feinstein forward Adalberto Bueno, ranked as the fourth-best junior in Rhode Island. While the Web site says that its rankings are to be taken lightly because it’s not affiliated with any AAU programs or a high school association, college scouts can find it useful in identifying some of the best players in the state since its rankings are updated throughout the season. There are currently 35 former Hawks playing college basketball at schools ranging from the Community College of Rhode Island to the University of Connecticut, and all the way to the University of Memphis. Playing for the Hawks is just one way to get noticed, but it’s not the only way. There is a lot of talent sprinkled around the Interscholastic League. St. Raphael guard Antone Gray, East Providence guard Bobby Perry, Hope guard Jeremi Hall, Lincoln guard Tom Coulombe and Mount Pleasant guard Russell Ford-Brown are ranked 5-10, respectively, among the best seniors playing basketball in Rhode Island by RI Preps. All of them have received their share of looks from colleges around the region, and the future looks bright for several other standouts in the Interscholastic League. Feinstein junior shooting guard Jerell Gomes, a second-team All-State selection last season, is ranked as the top junior in the state by RI Preps, ahead of St. Andrew’s guard Mike Culpo, Marra, Bueno and St. Andrew’s small forward Brian Hanuschak. The Web site has Barrington guard Matt Brown and St. Andrew’s guard Nyheem Sanders ranked 1-2 among sophomores playing basketball in Rhode Island, followed by St. Raphael’s Corey Wright, Hendricken’s Billy Baron and Cranston East’s Mike Juarez. Hendricken’s Nick Manning is ranked as the top freshman in the state, followed by Central Falls shooting guard Robert Alers, Shea point guard Malcom Moniz, Ponaganset small forward Josh Smith and Woonsocket small forward Mike LaPlante. Fans wanting to see the most talented high school players in the state often travel to perennial power St. Andrew’s in Barrington. St. Andrew’s guard Rakim Sanders is ranked as the 18th-best shooting guard in the nation by scout.com. He has committed to play for Boston College. St. Andrew’s 6-foot-8 senior center Garrett Kissel will play for the University of Vermont, and St. Andrew’s 5-foot-9 point guard Joey Accaoui is being recruited by Longwood University in Virginia and St. Francis College in New York, among others. Scout.com considers Accaoui one of the best pure shooters in the nation. Teammate Andrew Hanson is considered the fourth-best Rhode Island senior by RI Preps. The chances of playing at the next level are slim for most, but many Rhode Islanders are good enough to make it that far. |
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