Lewis Says No to 2004 Opportunity

Recruiting late into the summer has become a trend this year. Several players have accepted scholarship offers late in August and will play as college freshman when the season tips off in the winter. After shining at the ABCD camp, Cameron Lewis could have been one of the many late signees. But he decided to turn down an offer from a Big Ten program so he could focus on his season at Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

Lewis, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound center from Silverspring, Md., was one of the top rebounding and shot-blocking big men at the ABCD camp. After the all-star event, he had a number of high majors on his list. Indiana’s Mike Davis fought hard to get Lewis in this season but to no avail.

“He said they had an offer for me about two weeks ago for the class of 2004,” Lewis said. “I considered it but I felt that Exeter was the best route for me. They invested a lot of time in me already and I felt like I needed to honor that. I’m still interested in (Indiana) though but I told them that I’d love for them to keep recruiting me for 2005.”

Indiana wasn’t the only school to try and bring Lewis in for the 2004-05 school year. He said UTEP, Boston University and several of the Ivy League schools did as well.

Lewis said he’s now hearing from Clemson (offer), George Washington (offer), Richmond (offer), Stanford, Georgetown, St. John’s, Southern Cal and Maryland since the summer had ended. He even has trips planned.

On Weds., Sept. 1, Lewis will unofficially visit Georgetown. He will then move to N.H. for school on Sept. 7. Two weeks after school begins, Lewis will officially visit Penn (Oct. 1) and then Columbia (Oct. 8). Even with three visits, Lewis says there is no leader at this point.

“They are all pretty much even. I like the mix of schools I have right now,” he said. “I might end up signing in the spring. But right now, I’m ready to get to work and start playing.”

Start playing at Exeter.