While college football dominated the nation's sporting attention over the weekend, several college basketball programs were busy garnering key verbal commitments.
Ricardo Ledo
Photo by Nick Koza
The biggest news came Monday as multiple media outlets reported that
Ricardo Ledo, a 6-foot-6 guard rated No. 10 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100, gave a pledge to Providence.
Ledo – a Providence, R.I., native who plays at
Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.) – was previously committed to the Friars under former head coach Keno Davis. He opened things back up only to rejoin the fold under new head coach Ed Cooley.
Ledo's commitment is significant for the Friars, especially in light of four-star point guard
Kris Dunn's verbal to the program two weeks ago.
More weekend basketball recruiting newsMontay Brandon, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) to Florida State: Brandon is a unique 6-6 guard that can play the point. He will run alongside super sophomore
Theo Pinson this season at Wesleyan and don't be surprised if he garners Top 100 honors before heading to Tallahassee.
L.J. Rose, Westbury Christian (Houston, Texas) to Baylor: Rose made a surprising announcement Saturday via Facebook, joining five-star 7-footer
Isaiah Austin in Baylor's 2012 class. The point guard is rated No. 63 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100.
Shavon Shields, Northwest (Olathe, Kan.) to Nebraska: Shields, the son of former NFL star Will Shields, will follow his father's path to Lincoln. This Shields will be taking to the hardwood instead of the gridiron, however. He plays with Top 100 7-footer
Willie Cauley at Northwest.
Skylar Spencer, Price (Los Angeles, Calif.) to San Diego State: Big pickup for Steve Fisher and the Aztecs. Spencer, a 6-8 forward/center, has found a place on just about everybody's Top 100 list at some point. He's been a bit slow to deliver on the promise and some have cooled on the big man but expect Fisher to bring out the best in him.
Brandon Taylor, Trenton Catholic Academy (Trenton, N.J.) to Penn State: Nittany Lion fans will love Taylor, a burly and rugged (albeit slightly undersized at 6-6) power forward willing to do the dirty work. Along with Massachusetts wing
Akosa Maduegbunam, new Penn State head coach Pat Chambers is quietly off to a nice start on the recruiting trail.
Devin Thomas, Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pa.) to Wake Forest: Thomas is one of the most underrated talents in the country and joins a Demon Deacon class that could help the program take a big step toward stability once it arrives next fall. Thomas, a slender 6-8 forward, averaged 21.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game as a junior at Central Dauphin to earn first team Class AAAA All-State honors.
