Penn wins with Rivals150 big man Max Lorca
Penn made a big move on Saturday by landing a pledge from a member of the Rivals150, 6-foot-9 big man Max Lorca. One of the hardest playing frontline players in America, Lorca is a tremendous addition for the Ivy League program, giving the Quakers a ready-made contributor in the frontcourt.
Lorca discussed his feelings for Penn which led to his commitment.
“The biggest things for me was the education aspect of it in getting an Ivy League education, but also to have the chance to play with guys that I know from NMH. They have all been very successful and knowing that they all came from the same place where I came from and I just have always had a good relationship with them off of the court, too, getting the chance to spend another year or two with them was something that interested me," Lorca told Rivals.com.
"The coaching staff has really been on me hard since last summer and I just felt like I could do a lot better with them in the future. I also really appreciated having my parents support me through this all along with my PSA family and Coach (John) Carroll and the Northfield Mount Hermon program."
Selecting Penn over Georgetown, Princeton, Vanderbilt and a slew of others, Lorca’s pledge gives the Ivy League program a rim-running presence with tremendous instincts around the basket. A product of the Northfield Mount Hermon program, Lorca should not struggle to transition into the into the high-academic restraints that Penn affords. The prep program has had a tremendous track record of success in continually producing Ivy League standouts, sending a graduate to each of its league members in the past five years alone.
Running with the PSA Cardinals program, Lorca becomes another player to join the Ivy League realm, following Bryce Aiken, a 2016 grad, who is currently solidified at the point guard position at Harvard.
A giant win for the Quakers, Lorca should immediately impact the program thanks to his energy, production around the basket and evolving 12-foot-and-in game that makes him worthy of inclusion within the Rivals150.
He becomes the fourth members of Penn’s 2019 class and the most highly touted so far. Jonah Charles and Max Martz take up perimeter positions as Lucas Monroe, a 6-foot-6 active wing-forward, could work his way into the small-ball power forward role for the up-and-coming program led by Steve Donahue.