A Number of Schools Tracking Gibson

Taj Gibson has seen both sides of the country thanks to the game of basketball. Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., the 6-foot-8, 210-pound combo forward has taken a trip to the West coast for his school years at Stoneridge Prep in Tarzana, Calif. Now the class of 2005 prospect is looking everywhere in between for his next stop in college.

Gibson, who has played in California for the last year, plays with the New York Gauchos basketball program on the AAU circuit and during the important April evaluation period, he had his moments to shine in front of coaches.

“In certain games, it came down to me to finish strong. I think I did a good job of that,” he said. “I showed that I can run the floor, rebound and do the little things.

“I’m always going up against guys that are 6-foot-10, 6-foot-11. But I’m always working with the guards on our team so I’ve learned how to run and play a little further away from the basket. It helps for the next level and getting you mentally prepared.”

The next level is looking pretty bright for Gibson. He said Ohio State, Syracuse, Georgetown, Oregon State, Florida, Georgia, Arizona State, UNLV and Oregon have all shown varying amounts of interest.

“When I got back to Cali, my coach told me a bunch of schools had already called him about me and I haven’t even talked to my AAU coach to see who else had called,” Gibson said.

Gibson said he’ll unofficially visit UNLV and Oregon State in the next couple of weeks. And after taking the SAT on June 15th, he said his official visit list will become clearer. He said he doesn’t a list of favorites at this point, either.

“A lot of schools want me to come and see their campuses but most of them just want to get to know me a little bit better and so do I,” he said.

Gibson will be back on the court at the Nike Memorial Day Classic in New Orleans with his Gauchos club. RivalsHoops.com will be there as well with updates and more news and notes.