VT Nabs Late Bball Commit
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This time of the year, it's tough to find a quality basketball player. The overwhelming majority of top players commit and sign in the fall and the remainder usually commit early in the year.
Virginia Tech needed another guard, after losing a transfer last month and found a good replacement today. McKees Rock (Pa.) three-star guard Devin Wilson had been looked over by many schools because he couldn't decide if he wanted to play basketball or football.
Today, he made his choice in both, committing to the Hokies for basketball.
"When I got up there, I loved the campus and everything," Wilson said. "I liked the coaches after I got to meet 'em, the players after I met them. I like the direction Coach James Johnson is trying to get the program going and I just felt comfortable there and that was my main thing, to feel comfortable at a place."
Wilson also had offers to play basketball at West Virginia, St. Joseph's, St. Bonaventure, Western Michigan and George Mason. In football, a two-star wide receiver, Wilson had offers from NC State, Temple, Akron and Ohio. But it took him a while to make up his mind on which to play, even when Akron and Miami (OH) gave him the option last fall to play both.
"During basketball season, I just enjoyed practice more," Wilson said. "I felt like I was always trying to work on my game for basketball. That was a little different from football, because I didn't always wanna go to practice and I didn't always wanna work at it as much. I felt like at the next level, basketball would be more of my calling."
After deciding he was set on basketball, Wilson took official visits to George Mason and St. Joseph's. His official visit to Virginia Tech March 30 however, was what stayed with him.
Wilson had been in touch with assistant coach Kurt Kanaskie and on his visit, got to know him more, as well as what the Hokies had to offer him.
"Coach Kanaskie knew my coach from my high school team and they go way back," Wilson said. "My coach just said he's a stand-up guy, a good guy. He knows what he's talking about and stuff like that. I trusted my coach and when I met Coach Johnson, he made a good first impression and I just really liked him after that."
Wilson plans to sign his letter of intent Wednesday, the first day of the spring signing period. He said he's firm in his decision, especially with the opportunity in front of him at Virginia Tech, which was provided when sophomore guard Robert Brown transferred last month.
"(Johnson) told me they definitely need me to start for the starting point guard spot since Erick Green graduated and Robert Brown left," Wilson said. "He said the spot's wide open and it's there for the taking, whoever wants to take it. That was a big eye-opener to me, being a big ACC school and having an open spot like that. That doesn't come around often."