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Tracking the College Basketball Stars of the Future

ECU & C-USA Hoops Recruiting Report Saturday, January 17, 2004 By Thad Mumau Special Correspondent

Stock of ECU targets on upswing

©2004 Bonesville.net

Everybody wants to know about Edwin Ofori Attah.

Yes, he did score 71 points in one game. And, yes, he has taken an official visit to East Carolina. But his destination after high school is far from decided.

The 6-4, 205-point wing guard came to the United State from Berlin, Germany, a couple years ago and played his junior season for Stu Vetter at Rockville (MD) Montrose Christian School, averaging about 16 points per contest.

Not an eye-popping number, but not bad, either, for a team normally loaded with Division I prospects. But his performance didn’t provide any clues to what he would do this season.

Playing for Coach John Jordan at Statesville (NC) Christian School, Ofori Attah is averaging 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists through 15 games (10-5). That includes a game in which he scored only two points, leaving after two minutes because of a virus.

His 71-point explosion came against Hickory Grove Christian in early December and broke the North Carolina high school single-game record of 70, held by Eddie Lau.

Lau, ironically, is the adopted son of Jordan. His 70-point outing came in 1994 for Concord (NC) First Assembly with Jordan as his coach.

Ofori Attah nailed nine three-pointers in his record-setting showing which was sandwiched between two other outstanding games. It came after he erupted for 42 points in the second half against always tough Durham (NC) Mount Zion. His offensive clinic rallied Statesville Christian from a 28-point halftime deficit. He finished with 45 in an 18-point loss.

The game following his 71-point outing, Ofori Attah threw in 54 against the Italian Junior National team that included three players on loan from an Italian professional club.

"Edwin was on such a roll," Jordan said, "that he was destined to break the record on someone. He was scoring just about at will for a stretch there.

"He is a prolific scorer and a very good athlete with a vertical leap of at least 35 inches. Against Mount Zion, he stripped the ball from Brandon Rush at midcourt and went in for a 360 dunk. Edwin is a scorer, not just a guy who shoots a lot."

Ofori Attah, who is making an average of four three-pointers per game, is hitting 35 percent of his shots behind the arc, but his overall field goal percentage is barely over 40. He sinks 81 percent of his free throws.

He had 44 points vs. North Charleston High in the Bull City Classic at the start of the season, scored 37 vs. Winston-Salem Calvary Baptist and got 35 against a fine Elizabethtown (NC) East Bladen team.

"Edwin is the real deal," Jordan said. "He hits the weights hard and is very strong. That’s one reason high-major coaches are looking at him. They also like the fact that he has a mid-range game. He uses a nice ball fake and a bounce or two, then takes and makes jumpers from 12-15 feet.

"He also has a quick first step and attacks the rim well. If you come out on him, he drives by you; if you don’t, he hits the jump shot. His individual offensive skills are really good, and he finds open teammates when he is double-teamed. He is a pretty good man-to-man defender, but is learning to play zone. "

Ofori Attah, who has a grade-point average over 3.0 and has scored above the required 820 on the SAT, took an official visit to East Carolina in the fall. His only other official trip was to Minnesota. Scholarship offers have been made by ECU and Davidson. Vanderbilt, Clemson, Providence and Oklahoma are also involved. Charlotte showed interest, but dropped out.

"I think he likes Minnesota," Jordan said, "and I think he would commit if they offer. He wants to go high-major, and unless he gets that kind of an offer, he would probably go back to Germany and play pro ball while going to college. He turned down a pro contract in Berlin to come back to the United States this year."

Jackson in action

Cedric Jackson, the guard who almost committed to East Carolina during the fall only to go unsigned in November, is enjoying a superb senior season.

Ranked No. 193 by Prepstars.com, the 6-2 wing guard recorded a triple-double in Columbus (NJ) North Burlington’s win over Pemberton. He had 29 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and eight steals.

Jackson scored 31 points, grabbed 16 boards and handed out seven assists in a victory over Moorestown and got 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a win over Rancocas Valley with a Connecticut assistant in the stands.

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02/23/2007 02:41:42 PM