At Least Someone Still Wants To Play Sports At Syracuse

Not everyone is jumping ship today.  The Orange are still receiving commitments from athletes who want to actually, you know, play sports.  Mike Waters reported today that 2011 basketball prospect Michael Carter-Williams has verbally committed to Syracuse.

St. Andrew's coach Mike Hart confirmed Carter-Williams' decision this morning.

"He's been up there for the past two years at their elite camp,'' Hart said. "He fell in love with the place. He absolutely loves. I thought he was going to commit in August.''

Carter-Williams is a 6-foot-5 combo guard. He averaged 13 points per game for St. Andrew's as a sophomore last season.

Carter-Williams apparently chose the Orange over Providence, Notre Dame, Virginia and Virginia Tech.  Suck on that, Friars.

Before he made his final decision, C-W gave Mike Hopkins a call to discuss some remaining issues:

Carter-Williams said he called Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins on Sunday..."I know they have guards; me, Dion and Triche,’’ Carter-Williams said. "I asked Coach Hop if I’d get a fair chance to play and he said ‘Definitely.’ He said if anyone said I was going to play right away, they were probably lying to me or willing to lie to another player.’ That’s all I needed to hear.’’

Scout has him rated the #16 best PG available and gives him three stars.

NBE Basketball Report has a rundown of C-W's high school career up through February.

The most appealing facet of Carter-Williams’ game is his ability to score the basketball. He can dial in from downtown, shake opponents off the dribble, and use his quickness to permeate the teeth of the defense. At 6-foot-3 and a generously listed 170 pounds, however, packing muscle onto a spindly body that’s still growing is crucial.

Don’t hold Carter-Williams to go-go-guy status. He can operate the offense, distribute pin-point passes, and make teammates’ better. His basketball IQ makes up for his lack of size. The true definition of a combo guard, Carter-Williams is similar to two players, one former high school player and one current.

ESPN thinks Carter-Williams has the chance to be a special player, as long as he continues to grow and get bigger.

He is a combo-guard who has incredible vision and sees the floor very well. He possesses a high basketball IQ and plays with a winning attitude and desire on the court. He is very long and can flat out fill it up from the outside when he gets going.