HAMPTON, Va. – Post depth is not a strength in the 2018 class, but that is no fault of David McCormack.
A 6-foot-9 center who has lost some of his excess weight and is now in the best shape of his basketball playing career, the Norfolk native has steadily improved his stock. The tone setter for the Team Loaded VA 17-under team this spring, McCormack’s motor, toughness, and production have impressed.
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
A tremendous back to the basket scorer and rebounder, the top-60 recruit has seen his recruitment take off to the point that it is nearly impossible to single out one school sticking out.
“After the first two live periods, it is really hard to tell,” he said. “My recruitment just skyrocketed and I just hope it continues to go in that direction as long as I keep playing hard.
“I am starting to branch out to the West Coast with schools like USC, California, UCLA, and Gonzaga. I also picked up an offer from Duke, Oklahoma State, Virginia, and all of those schools.”
The Oak Hill center broke down some of the schools making a push.
Duke: “Great program with great history but I still have to develop a better relationship with Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff before I can make any type of decision.”
Virginia: “It is right in my backyard so I know if I were to play there, I would have a lot of family support and fan support. I know the way that they play and how fundamentally sound they are, and the way they are coached, it is something to look into.”
Georgetown: “Not too long ago, I was talking to Coach (Pat) Ewing about his plans in developing their big men. He wants me to get back onto campus to get a tour again.
“It is Big Man U; Georgetown has such a history with their big men. I just want to see if Coach Ewing is going to follow in JT2’s footsteps with his bigs or how he will do anything different.”
Kansas: “It is a great program and Coach (Bill) Self is a great coach; they are great at developing relationships. I haven’t had the chance to get out there on a visit, but I heard their campus life is great. I hope to learn more about them.”
Louisville: “Rick Pitino is a great coach, a legendary coach. Their program is really good. They are more focused on not my type of big men but more skilled guys that you see overseas type, but I think it would definitely help my ball handling, skill and shooting.”
WHAT'S NEXT
McCormack is not quite sure on when he might commit, but he does hope to narrow things down soon.
“We are not sure what number we want to get it down to or when, but we do we want to trim it down by the mid to late summer,” he said.
RIVALS' REACTION
Thanks to the dearth of quality big men in the 2018 class and McCormack's consistent production and improved abilities, the four-star center has become as valuable as ever. While he still does have some more fine-tuning, the Team Loaded star has the chance to immediately stabilize an interior once he hits a college hardwood. Duke, Virginia, Kansas and a handful of others sit in a good spot for the top-60 recruit.
