On Saturday, basketball coaches at High Point University offered Jacob Iati his dream, a scholarship to play Division I basketball.
On Monday, the York Catholic star accepted, offering a verbal commitment to attend the North Carolina school in the fall of 2008. He can’t make his commitment binding until he signs a letter of intent in November.
By deciding Monday, Iati is out of the recruiting game before July, when many star players announce their destinations. He’s OK with that.
“Say every school in the country were to offer me a scholarship,” Iati said. “It’s not going to happen, but I still don’t know if I could find a better opportunity. I can play at a mid-major and have the chance to start all four years.”
High Point, which plays in the Big South Conference, doesn’t have a true point guard on its roster. The Panthers’ coaches see the position as a natural fit for a freshman Iati, who spends his summers playing the point for his AAU team.
The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 20 points per game last season, leading York Catholic to the District 3 Class AA title. He was named to the Associated Press all-state Class AA first team.
In three years as a starter for the Fighting Irish, Iati has 1,788 points, already among the top-10 career scores in YAIAA history.
- Jeff Frantz
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