Legarza gives nod to MAC

After initially saying he wanted to sign late, Vince Legarza from St. Ignatius High in San Francisco (Calif.) reconsidered. After an official visit to the midwest and the University of Miami of Ohio last week, the 6-foot-9 post decided to end his recruitment and give the Redhawks a verbal commitment.

"It was one of those things, that when I went on the visit, it had everything I was looking for in a school," said Legarza. "I liked their playing style, the coaches and the players."

Legarza chose Miami of Ohio, which plays in the Mid-American Conference, over offers from Butler, Loyola of Chicago, Montana State and recruiting interest from Northwestern, Northeastern, Fordham, Santa Barbara, Denver, UOP, St. Mary's, Richmond and San Diego.

"I liked the idea of getting out of the San Francisco Bay Area and experiencing a new part of the country," said Legarza. "Basketball-wise, the MAC is similar to the WCAL. All of the games are competitive and they are dogfights. The midwest is definitely basketball country. People are really into it and are into the games."

In Legarza, the Redhawks are getting a skilled big man with range out to 22 feet. He can knock down the jumper consistently but he is a post player, who likes to play on the block. Legarza is very effective around the basket as he can finish with either hand and he knows how to use his body to create space and gather position.

The Redhawks first saw Legarza playing on the club circuit with the Bay Area Warriors. His play over the summer was very strong as he was one of the reasons the Warriors reached the championship round of the Nike Main Event's Gold Division in in Las Vegas, before they lost a close title game to the San Antonio Rohawks.

"Vince gave us everything in that tournament," said Bessolo, head coach and founder of the Bay Area Warriors. "He scored the ball, provided a solid defensive presence, rebounded the ball well."

During this past offseason, Legarza was a regular at San Francisco City College with famed retired JC coach Brad Duggan, working on his shooting, conditioning, footwork and overall game. He fine tuned his skills to become a better basketball player.

"A lot of colleges noticed his improvement over the spring and summer and he had a lot of alternatives," said Bessolo. He believes Miami of Ohio is a good fit for the Redhawks.

"Vince's passing skills, perimeter shooting, knowledge of the game and his versatility as a player will go well in the Redhawk system," added Bessolo.

Mike Legarza, former junior college basketball coach at Canada College and Vince's father, believes Miami of Ohio fits the bill in all of the areas his son wanted.

"I am thrilled he is going there," said the elder Legarza. "Miami of Ohio wanted Vince. They liked the fact that he could shoot from outside. They felt that Vince had some of the skills they were seeking in a post player."

Legarza was attracted to the collegiate atmosphere at the Miami (OH), as well as the basketball program's winning tradition. Last year, the Redhawks lost in the NCAA tournament to Oregon in a very close game in the first round. They have played in post-season play the last three years. Legarza was also impressed by Miami's strong academic support system for its student athletes.

"They just built a huge building dedicated to student athletes. Part of it is a weight lifting facility and the other part is an academic center," said Legarza. "They have a very good academic support team. Miami of Ohio ranks second in the country behind Navy for student athletes being on track to graduate. I want to study business and they have the 17th best business department in the country."

With his selection over, Legarza can now concentrate on St. Ignatius basketball and the start of basketball practice, which begins for all Central Coast Schools on October 20. SI won the CCS Division III section last year with the help of Legarza, who scored 13 points in the final and he held forward Rob Jones, now at the University of San Diego, in check for most of the game. The Wildcats return much of its core team and Legarza believes they have a shot to contend for the league and sectional titles.

"Now that the recruiting process is over, I can now really focus on our team," said Legarza. "Our goal is to win another CCS championship in Division III, get to the big state tournament and see what happens after that."