When 6-foot-11, 255-pound sophomore Kenny Frease got his first taste of varsity basketball last year he felt like he was ten steps behind the action. Frease, from Perry High School in Massillon, Ohio, has caught up to the pace of the game as a sophomore and colleges are taking notice.

Averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, Frease has a lot to do with Perry High Schools 13-5 record.

"We are having a pretty good year," said Frease. "Three of our losses have been by a combined four points, and we are playing tough competition like McKinley and Canton South.

"One of the best things I'm doing is rebound. I'm leading the county in rebounding, and that means a lot to me with players like Raymar Morgan, Kosta Koufos and Ricky Jackson in this county. I'm also scoring better than last year. I'm a lot more comfortable now. When I first started playing varsity last year after playing middle school basketball, I felt like I was ten steps behind the action."

Frease's numbers against strong competition and his size have caught the attention of some top basketball programs.

"I have offers from Xavier and Cleveland State," said Frease. "Ohio State is on me hard. Michigan is recruiting me. Duke has called a couple times. North Carolina and Michigan State have watched me play. Connecticut is sending letters, and Wake Forest is recruiting me also."

Frease has already taken a couple unofficial visits, and the two schools he visited standout as favorites right now.

"I really like Xavier and Ohio State, mainly because those are the two schools that I have seen," he said. "I visited Xavier over the summer, and last Sunday I went to Ohio State for the Illinois game.

"I'm not set on staying close to home, though. I've grown up liking Wake Forest and I also like North Carolina. I just haven't seen those schools."

As a skilled big man with good hands, a soft touch and a feel for passing the ball, Frease is constantly working to expand his game.

"One thing I am working on is my ball handling," he said. "My coach gives me the freedom to bring the ball up the court after a rebound, but against a quick team like McKinley, I'm not yet comfortable enough to bring the ball up. I'm also improving my outside shot. So far this year, I'm shooting over 40 percent from three."