Five-star center
DaJuan Coleman of
Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.) announced Tuesday afternoon that he would be continuing his basketball career in the Syracuse area, giving a verbal commitment to Jim Boeheim and the Orange during a press conference.
Coleman, a 6-foot-8, 280-pound center, is ranked No. 9 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100. He was a strong contender for the No. 1 spot on that list early in his career and owns one of the glossier high school resumes in the country. Since Coleman's arrival, Jamesville-DeWitt is 75-7 with three Class A state titles.
DaJuan Coleman
Photo by Lonnie Webb
"If Coleman focuses on streamlining his body and staying in shape on a consistent basis, he can be a dominant force in the Big East – and ACC," CBSSports.com college basketball writer and recruiting analyst Jeff Borzello said. "He is one of the best low-post players in the country, with the ability to carve out space on the block and make plays with his back to the basket.
"His offensive game is more advanced than most of his peers, and he continues to improve his face-up game and passing skills. Once he slims down – and he will – he is going to be a big-time inside scorer for Syracuse."
As a junior, Coleman posted 24.5 points and 14 rebounds per game to earn All-American honors from MaxPreps. He was tabbed the nation's top sophomore two years ago after leading the Red Rams to a 25-1 record and posting similar numbers.
Coleman picked Syracuse over fellow finalists Kentucky and Ohio State. Jamesville-DeWitt High School is less than 10 miles from the Syracuse campus, long giving the Orange a perceived edge in the race for his services. Kentucky seemed to be the biggest threat to Boeheim's hometown advantage. John Calipari has been a regular at Coleman's games over the past several years and recently had him on campus for Big Blue Madness.
Syracuse also has a 2012 verbal commitment from 6-7 forward
Jerami Grant of
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).
