Sapp to play in Big East

One of the best unsigned guards is now off of the board. Jessie Sapp, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound shooting guard from National Christian Academy in D.C., picked his future college home back in December but when his mother and sister came to the campus, it was a done deal. Sapp is headed to the Big East. For more information, come inside the Ultimate Ticket to find out where he'll be at next season.

Sapp, the No. 55 ranked player in the country by Rivals.com, officially committed to Georgetown on Thursday but he knew in his heart nearly a month ago that he wanted to be a Hoya.

"I wanted to wait until my mother and my sister got a feel for the school and after they saw it, I knew it was time to get it out there," a beaming Sapp said.

In the middle of a successful senior season where he's averaging 26 points a game, Sapp decided to announce his intentions the minute his mother gave her blessing. He had offers from St. John's and Virginia Tech. A New York City native, Sapp knows he'll have a chance to return to the Big Apple on road trips but his time spent in the D.C. area for the last two years helped him get familiar with the surroundings of Georgetown.

"It's like my second home now," Sapp said. "Me already living here helped a bit but I knew I could play in the Garden and close to home so that helped. It's the Big East and Georgetown will give me a great education, too. I know they are a good program and Coach (John) Thompson III is making it an up and coming program again."

He joins guard Josh Thornton, small forwards Octavious Spann and Marc Edgerson in the 2005 recruiting class for the Hoyas. Current freshman Jeff Green is already talking to Sapp about the days of old Georgetown fans are used to.

"He told me that we all play hard and that I would fit in with everything no problem," Sapp said. "I kind of knew that. I've always felt I had that Hoya spirit in me."