Ironic twist involving Pueblo player playing in New York City
by Javier Morales on Jul. 14, 2010, under Sports
Pueblo guard Mike Perez, who averaged 29 points a game as a senior, is bound for St. John's after it appeared that he would either walk on at UTEP or attend Central Arizona College (Tucson Citizen file photo)
Before the spring signing period started in April, UA coach Sean Miller entertained Rivals.com 5-star recruits from New York City and Baltimore on official visits to the Tucson campus.
Those two players — Josh Selby, a point guard from Baltimore, and Doron Lamb, a combo guard from New York — went elsewhere.
Meanwhile, two players from Tucson who play the same positions — point guard Terrell Stoglin of Santa Rita and off-guard Mike Perez of Pueblo — are headed to Maryland and New York to play Division I college basketball. Stoglin will play for the Terrapins and Perez with St. John’s, which offered him a scholarship after coach Steve Lavin saw him play Monday night in the Full Court Press All-West Camp in Los Angeles.
Funny how things work out.
Stoglin and Perez are not recruiting losses for Miller, however. If that was the case, this would be cause for alarm with the program.
The fact is Miller and his staff did not not recruit either thoroughly over the last couple years either at Xavier or in their transition from Xavier to Arizona. Although fans never want to see homegrown talent leave, Miller must be applauded for not going after a recruit simply because that player happens to be from Tucson and is capable of Division I status.
Miller has shown now in his second recruiting season with Arizona that he will only pursue those prospects that either he or a staff member have watched for a considerable amount of time (some dating back to their Xavier days).
They did not actively recruit two players that former assistant Reggie Geary practically secured before Miller was officially named head coach — Victor Rudd and JUCO player Tremayne Johnson. Rudd has transferred to South Florida after an unsuccessful freshman season with ASU and Johnson will finally be eligible for Eastern Washington next season.
Stoglin offered a strong verbal commitment to Maryland before Miller’s arrival in April 2009. Miller, a coach’s son who plays by the book, is also not one to tamper and try to sway Stoglin out of his commitment.
According to Andy Morales’ blog at TucsonCitizen.com, Perez was either headed to UTEP as a walk-on for Tim Floyd and former UA assistant Phil Johnson, or he was bound for Central Arizona College.
Lavin and former UA assistant coach Mike Dunlap, now on the St. John’s staff, did unto Tucson what Miller and assistant coach Book Richardson have done unto New York City with the signing of Kevin Parrom and Lamont “MoMo” Jones. Miller and Richardson figure to continue recruiting into Lavin’s territory because of Richardson’s AAA New York Gauchos background.
The next Division I talent to come out of Tucson? It appears to be Marana Mountain View center Demetrius Morant, a Class of 2012 prospect who is originally from Tallahassee, Fla. Miller and his staff are already heavily recruiting Morant.
