Brothers will stay at home

Virginia guard Darien Brothers was one of the nice surprises in Las Vegas at the Reebok Summer Championships. One Atlantic 10 school saw enough to make the 6-foot-3, 180-pound combo guard from Richmond a priority. On Wednesday, Brothers ended his recruitment.

Brothers gave a verbal commitment to Richmond.

"I've known them for a long time and they've been following me for two years. I enjoy the coaches and the players," Brothers, who plays at nearby Benedictine in Richmond, said. "It's great [staying close to home] because my parents can come and watch me play at all of the home games. My friends can come and see me. It all worked out."

He played well for the Petersburg Elite, scoring 25 points against the Worldwide Renegades in Las Vegas. A full Richmond staff was on hand for the performance and stayed strong for Brothers.

Brothers is the first player to commit to Richmond in the class of 2009.

"They don't really have a style. They just play ball," Brothers said. "They find open teammates and when they can run, they run. When the play better teams, they'll slow it down a little bit. I think I fit in well because they like to drive and find the guys for open shots. My strength is getting to the basket and shooting as well as finding the open man. I think I'll fit in nicely."

Brothers said he also considered Northeastern, East Carolina and Gardner-Webb.