An East Carolina football recruiting target is also an
outstanding high school basketball player, but it is unsure if he would play
both sports in college.
Brandon Setzer is a 6-6, 260 pounder from Thomasville (NC)
High. A defensive tackle in football, he plays center on the hardwood and is
averaging about 20 points and 15 rebounds.
"I don’t know if he is a Division I prospect in basketball,"
said Thomasville hoops coach Woody Honeycutt, "but he has been very good for
us. He dominates the backboards."
Setzer, who once grabbed 30 rebounds in a game as a junior,
is in a four-game stretch with at least 20 boards in each contest. He pulled
down 26 in Thomasville’s 66-56 win over Reidsville. He scored 24 points that
game, including four dunks in which he left the floor from a flat-footed
start.
"Brandon is real agile," Honeycutt said, "and he runs well.
He catches the ball — has good hands — and has good post moves. He can shoot
the ball, too, and has made four of 11 three-point shots. If people leave
him open, he doesn’t mind shooting it out there, and we don’t mind him doing
it.
"Of course, the way he rebounds, we prefer that he stay
close to the basket. He has long arms and plays big.
"Brandon could probably help a college basketball team
coming in and hitting the boards. He is good enough, but he would have to
put more time into the sport to be a D-I player. I don’t know if he has any
thoughts of playing football and basketball in college.
"A lot of junior colleges have shown interest in him for
basketball," Honeycutt said. "East Carolina is real serious about him for
football. N.C. State, North Carolina and Tennessee have talked with
him."
Messy makes grade
A combination forward who was recruited by East Carolina
last year and again during the fall has qualified academically. The Pirates,
however, were not among schools listed recently to be courting 6-7 Emmanuel
Messy.
This is the second straight year Messy is not playing
basketball. He sat out his entire high school senior season with a stress
fracture in his foot. He was planning to attend Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster
Academy this year, but did not. Instead, he went home to Ottawa, Ontario, to
work toward achieving the required SAT score of 820.
That done, he can start sorting through interested schools
that include Penn State, Wichita State, George Washington and Buffalo. The
220-pound power forward/small forward signed with Fordham last year, but
didn’t qualify. East Carolina was in the hunt then as were Arkansas,
Rutgers, Massachusetts, LSU and New Mexico.
A native of Cameroon, Messy has been practicing with the New
Jersey Demons, an AAU team. A 220-pounder who has some perimeter skills, he
averaged around 12 points and seven rebounds at Winchendon (MA) School as a
junior.
ECU not listed
There have been reports that the Pirates are recruiting Dion
Dacons, but that is not the case.
"Not that I know of," said Steve Smith, who coaches the 6-6
small forward at Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy. "Dion hasn’t heard
from East Carolina."
Dacons, an excellent student, is listing Old Dominion,
Boston University, Appalachian and Davidson.
Minter shopping again
Donte Minter, who signed with Appalachian State last year,
is shopping for schools again, and his candidates don’t include the
Mountaineers.
The 6-8, 235-pound center/power forward did not make the
necessary SAT score last year, so he is a fifth-year senior at Fork Union
(VA) Military Academy. He is averaging close to 20 points and 10 rebounds
per game.
Last year, Minter led Mount Ulla (NC) West Rowan to a 30-0
record and the state 3-A championship. He scored 29 points in the title game
against Winston-Salem Parkland.
Minter, who is ranked No. 146 by Prepstars.com, is being
recruited by a pair of Conference USA schools. Marquette and Charlotte are
joined in the chase by Clemson, Virginia, Ohio State and Utah. North
Carolina recently sent an assistant coach to watch him play.
Cook on low heat
Mike Cook, the high-scoring New Hampton (NH) School wing
guard, is staying hot on the hardwood. But he is keeping it a bit cool
regarding his recruitment.
"I think he is waiting until his season is over," New
Hampton coach Jamie Arsenault said. "He is focusing on our games and having
a good season."
The 6-3 Cook is indeed doing that. Playing some small
forward as well as shooting guard, he is taking the ball hard to the basket
and averaging almost 24 points per game.
Cook is also flashing an improved jump shot from the
outside. Against Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy, he nailed five of six
three-point attempts on the way to 35 points.
East Carolina, Marquette, Penn State, West Virginia and
Wichita State have shown the most interest in Cook. He is not ranked in the
Prepstars.com top 200.
