Sooners land New York guard Isaiah Cousins
March 28, 2012 by OUHoops
Filed under Featured, Latest News, Recruiting
According to a report on OUInsider.com, Oklahoma has landed a commitment from Mount Vernon, N.Y. guard Isaiah Cousins.
Cousins visited Norman this past Monday and Tuesday, and OU coach Lon Kruger had made multiple visits to New York over the past month to recruit the Mount Vernon point guard.
He chose the Sooners over offers from UConn, Virginia Tech, Villanova, Rhode Island, Xavier, Dayton and South Carolina.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard is from famed Mount Vernon High School, which produced Lew Alcindor, Ben Gordon and others. Mount Vernon was also home to OU assistant Lew Hill, who no doubt was a key factor in this recruitment.
He was recently named the Section 1 Mr. Basketball in New York, averaging 16 points and eight assists per game on a balanced team that went 10-11 deep and lost in the state championship game this year.
In a recent article on lohud.com, Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino said this about his star player suddenly becoming a hot commodity:
“I’ve never had a senior explode like this,” said Bob Cimmino, who has coached Section 1’s “Mr. Basketball” the last seven seasons, including Cousins. “He’s been recruited as high as any player I’ve ever had. With Jabarie (Hinds) it was a gradual climb. Ben (Gordon), it was a gradual climb. With Isaiah, it was overnight.”
“People slowly started to notice,” Cimmino said. “It’s not that he’s a freak, but there aren’t many 6-foot-4 point guards who can dribble as well as him, shoot as well as him and who are gym rats. He’s the complete package.”
Cimmino also said this about Cousins in an article today on maxpreps.com regarding his players’ decision:
“Coach (Lon Kruger) kind of said he was going to give him the basketball,” Cimmino said of OU’s drawing card. “He was very impressed with Coach Kruger and I think getting away from New York was appealing to him.”
Cousins’ visit to Norman was his first and only official visit. The first day he can sign a letter of intent with Oklahoma is April 11.
