Colleges flocking toward Huerter

Kevin Huerter has been quite the revelation so far during the 2015 Nike EYBL season.

The 6-foot-6 combo guard has led City Rocks to a 6-2 record through two sessions of the EYBL. This comes on the heels of Huerter helping lead Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, N.Y., to a state title this year as a junior, averaging 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists per game.

College coaches have been blowing up his phone during April and rushing to central New York to meet with him. Following this past weekend where he shined in Lexington, Huerter began hearing from Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Clemson and Gonzaga. Those schools join a list that already included Michigan, Maryland, Marquette, Iowa, Penn State, Davidson, George Washington, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest, Miami, Syracuse, North Carolina and Villanova.

Maryland, Marquette, Creighton, Michigan, Villanova and Davidson were able to get in Huerter's home before the recruiting period ended to meet with him and his family.

Michigan was among the schools to make a really strong impression on the newly minted Rivals150 prospect.

"They are a great program," Huerter said. "They have one of the best coaches in the country. I'm very interested in them and the type of program they have had, and how good they have been."

Notre Dame was the most recent school to offer. The Fighting Irish are coming off an Elite Eight run under coach Mike Brey.

"Coach Brey, I know about his history and how he got to Notre Dame after being under Coach K for all those years and they have been pretty good lately," Huerter said. "Their whole school is successful, especially in academics. It's a great school."

Syracuse has yet to offer the three-star prospect, but the Orange will definitely be a factor in his recruitment if they do come through with one.

"I've always grown up watching Siena, which isn't far from here. I've rooted for Syracuse too, but I can't say they are my favorite team in New York," he said. "They are two hours away, which would be very important if they were to show a lot of interest and offer at some point. With them being a New York school, it would mean a lot. My parents could go to all the games. That would be cool.

"(Jim Boeheim is obviously a Hall of Fame coach, so it's hard to say anything bad about him. In the last couple years, the allegations against them have been tough to hear, but I would love to play for them and they can't take away from what they have already done. They have a great program as well."

Huerter's coach with City Rocks, Jim Hart, told Rivals.com that Syracuse wants Huerter to re-classify so it can take him in the 2017 class, an option Huerter would consider.

"I would be willing to do it if Syracuse, with their scholarships being limited, said they have a scholarship for me in 2017 and I really liked them," he said. "I'm looking possibly at doing a post-grad year. I'm still 16 until August. I want to make sure my body is ready to go when I get to college. The schools I've been talking to have been open to it and said they would take me for either class."

Creighton, Davidson and George Washington have been in the picture with Huerter since the beginning of his junior season. Creighton head coach Greg McDermott conducted an in-home visit with Huerter's family during the contact period.

"Creighton is great," Huerter said. "Coach McDermott came up for an in-home visit a couple weeks ago and I watched them a whole lot this season since they have been recruiting me since the fall. When Doug was there, everybody wanted to see them play and I think that is a place I could see myself fitting into."

Davidson's pitch to Huerter includes comparing him to the NBA's Most Valuable Player, Stephen Curry.

"If you watch some of their games, you see how easily they score the ball and how everybody on their team plays together so well," he said. "They can all pass, shoot and dribble. Coach (Bob) McKillop came up for a home visit as well and there were a lot of Steph Curry stats he was talking about. He was sharing stories about how Steph Curry was a lot like me at the same age except three inches shorter and probably ten pounds lighter.

"He was saying I could be that type of player there and have a great career for them."

Villanova has a family connection working for them.

"Villanova isn't far away at all and my grandfather actually went there and he's obviously advocating for me to go there," he said. "I know they are a great academic school as well and the style of play there is to put a bunch of guards around a big, athletic center in the middle. It's a very guard-oriented system and they give a lot of freedom to their guards to run the team. That would be a fun place to play."

Huerter has been a key cog in the City Rocks success so far this season, but he's not the only one attracting a lot of attention from high-major coaches. Howard Washington and Quinton Rose also hold several high-major offers, which could lead to the possibility of the trio continuing to play together at the next level.

"That would be something to consider," Huerter said. "We have good chemistry. I think we all respect each other and like playing with each other and we know we are all really good. If they both committed to the same school and I like that school and they wanted me to go there, I wouldn't rule it out. We haven't talked about it yet, but we have a lot of the same schools recruiting us and I'd be open to it if the possibility is there."

For now, though, Huerter plans to take everything in stride with his recruitment.

"I'm going to take it slow," he said. "I'm playing baseball right now, so I won't be able to get out and see schools until that ends. That's not to say if in the middle of the summer I visit a school and like it that I won't commit on Aug. 1, but I also wouldn't be opposed to committing next fall at some point. I'm just going to take it slow and make the best decision for me.

"It's going to be the school that has the right system and the right coach and where I can contribute from day one. I want to find the right place academically too, and that's what my parents have been asking about when we see these coaches. I'd like to find a place where they would be able to see me play, too."

Click Here to view this Link.