High Majors Pursue Jeff Varem
Jeff Varem, a versatile 6-5, 238 pound swingman from Vincennes J.C. in Vincennes, Ind., is a player who should get a lot of attention this winter.
According to Vincennes Head Coach Dan Sparks, Varem is going to wait until the spring to sign with a college.
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That hasn't stopped colleges such as Cincinnati, Wyoming and Indiana from making a trek to Vincennes this fall to take a look at Varem.
In addition to those schools, Buffalo, Colorado, South Alabama, Wisconsin, Villanova, Ohio University, Iowa State and Purdue have also shown some interest in Varem this fall.
Since he is not going to sign until the late period, Varem won't take any official visits until the spring. He said he hopes to take official visits to both Wyoming and Cincinnati at some point, and is also interested in Indiana.
"I like Mike Davis -- he is a Christian," Varem said. "I am a Christian too, and I can tell that he is a God fearing person, too. I like the way that they play there."
Sparks said that Varem is in good academic standing at Vincennes and is expected to graduate on time in the spring.
A native of Nigeria, Varem came to the United States several years ago, and was slated to attend East Side H.S. in Newark, N.J., until a newspaper article in the Star Ledger newspaper raised the issue of foreign players at the public high school.
Varem left East Side and wound up transferring to Traditional H.S. in Buffalo, N.Y., but eligibility issues followed him up to Western New York as well.
With all of that behind him, Varem arrived at Vincennes last fall and was an instant success at the Indiana junior college, starting 27 of 32 games and averaging 12.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contests for a team that finished 21-11.
On top of that, he shot 49 percent from the field overall, and only took 19 three pointers (hitting just three for a 15.8 percent clip) last season.
But personal statistics mean little to Varem.
"My goal is to take the team to Hutch," he said. "As a sophomore now, I have to be a leader and do whatever it takes to get the team there."
"So I am not really even thinking about schools right now," Varem added. "That will come."
At this past weekend's Vincennes JUCO Jamboree, Varem consistently displayed what makes him one of the top junior college sophomores in the country. He can hurt defenses in many ways, whether slashing from the wing or the use of adroit bounce passes on the break.
And don't lot his height fool you, either. He's very effective in posting up players on the low block, thanks to his strength and athleticism. While his perimeter shot is still a work in progress, it showed signs of coming around last weekend at the jamboree.