Drake Uu heading east

Verbals from the class of 2008 continue to pour in. The latest to commit, Drake Uu from Rio Americano High School in Sacramento (Calif.), announced his pledge to attend the University of Hartford.

The 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard chose Hartford over offers from UC Riverside and Columbia. Other schools showing heavy interest in the athletic sharpshooter were Santa Barbara, UOP, UC Davis, Stanford, Colgate and Princeton.

"I went on an official visit to the school and I was impressed with the Hawks basketball program," said Uu. "Hartford has good community support and they are waiting for the basketball program to take off."

Coached by Dan Liebowitz, in his second year on the job after working for 10 years under legendary coach Don Chaney at Temple, the Hawks are members of the American East Conference. Hartford finished 13-18 last season, sixth in the conference with a 6-10 mark and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2007 America East Championship before being eliminated by top-seed Vermont.

"It is a great fit for Drake," said Al Uu, Drakes father. "Drake is a kid that can flourish in any system, but at Hartford, it is an up and coming program that has some good kids lined up in the program. It is a school that Drake can go in and make an impact right away."

With the college 3-point line moving back a foot this year, Uu's shooting ability from deep is an attractive feature for colleges looking for an outside shooting difference-maker, who is also a high volume scorer. Last year at Rio Americano, Uu averaged 20 points a game with his outside shooting and ability to score off the dribble.

According to Phil Doherty, head coach of the Bay Area Hoosiers, Uu's shooting will make a difference at the next level.

"University of Hartford and Coach Leibovitz is getting a very good player who will immediately impact their program because he is going to knock down shots," said Doherty. "He is one of the better pure shooters in all of Northern California. He also has the ability to put the basketball on the floor and get to the rim due to his strength and athleticism. He is your proto-typical shooting guard."

Hartford first saw Uu in Las Vegas while playing with the Hoosiers. Leibowitz took the lead in pursuing the Sacramento product as a recruit and it was his involvement in the process that helped Uu make his decision.

"When Coach Leibowitz got involved, I felt wanted and that was important for me," said Uu. "I went on a visit and I was impressed. The visit and the practices were very organized and I really liked the location. It is an hour drive from New York City and an hour from Boston."

Uu added that Phil Handy with Ninety-Four Feet of Basketball, who has trained Drake over the past few years, was also helpful in the recruiting process.

Uu is the third player from Northern California to commit to the school in successive years. Other players from the region include former Marin Catholic guard Michael Turner who is a starter for the Hawks and freshman forward Morgan Sabia from Drake.