by Peter DalmasyWith less than a month before the Mount St. Joseph’s basketball season opener versus Glenelg High, Gael senior Justin McCoy committed to play for legendary head coach Fang Mitchell at Coppin State University. His decision was made official Wednesday when he signed a national letter of intent on national signing day.
The four-year varsity player, and starting point guard since last season, chose Coppin over Boston University, High Point and Norfolk State.
“I committed to Coppin because I thought it would be a good experience to go to a historically black school,” said McCoy, a native of Columbia, Maryland. “My father played at Morgan State, where he still is #1 in assists and #10 in scoring, and my mother went to Coppin, and they are now both successful after graduating from [historically black] schools.”
"Justin felt very comfortable when he went up to visit Coppin," said Justin's father Jason, who was a three-year starter at Morgan from 1988 to 1991. "It was a good fit. It's a level where he can play and play well. I think that's important when a kid is selecting a school."
Justin praises Mitchell’s style of play as coherent in terms of his style of play: “He’s a defense first type of coach… his defense dictates his offense and that is how I like to play.”
As for committing early, the 5’10” McCoy is relieved with having the decision done before the season.
“I spent a lot of time talking to Chase Adams who also committed early. After his senior year he was getting looks from bigger schools but we both agreed that it is better to play the season without recruitment in the back of your mind,” said McCoy.
Adams, also a Columbia native, is currently a sophomore guard at Centenary College in Louisiana, and is a 2006 St. Joe grad, where he was the starting point guard on a Gael team which went 38-1 and broke the state record for wins. McCoy was a sophomore on the team that year and the backup to Adams.
With teammate Henry Sims also signing with Georgetown tomorrow and fellow senior Ryan Kemp going to St. Joseph’s on a baseball scholarship, McCoy will be the third athlete to sign tomorrow from Mount St. Joseph.
The Gaels, headed by Pat Clatchey, looks to contend for another championship before Sims and McCoy graduate.
“My goals this season are to sweep the BCL and the ‘A’ Conference, and [hopefully] with All-Metro or All-BCL honors,” said McCoy, who is eager to play his final season of his varsity career, highlighted by a game with nationally-ranked Oak Hill Academy (VA) at the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is looking forward to face off against Arizona-bound Brandon Jennings, as well as with his close friends Sal Schittino (Loyola Blakefield), Troy Franklin (Mt. Carmel; Towson), and Larry Bastfield (Towson Catholic; Toledo) “for the last time.” McCoy averaged nine points per game and four assists per game as a junior last season.”
High school seniors may sign national letters of intent accepting
athletic scholarships from NCAA institutions during the November early
signing period, which began Wednesday and lasts through Nov. 21.
The November signing period includes most sports, such as basketball, lacrosse, baseball, golf, softball,
swimming and wrestling.
DigitalSports
lists all of the athletes who are committing to schools for sports
whose early signing period has been designated for November, regardless
of whether or not the institution is division I, II or III, or whether
or not it offers athletic scholarships.
Many division I and division II schools participate in the signing of national letters of intent.
However,
America's service academies, such as Navy and West Point, and Ivy
League Schools, such as Princeton, and Harvard, do not offer
scholarships or participate in the practice.
Some Patriot League schools also do not participate in the early signing program.
Sports such as football, field hockey and soccer have their own signing period in February.
The
early signing periods in track and field and for cross country have
been eliminated, and water polo also no longer has an early signing
period, according to www.national-letter.org.
Boys Basketball
St. Frances: Sean Mosley, Maryland
John Carroll: Jakub Kusmieruk, Univ. of Central Florida
Josh Weigand, Loyola
Towson Catholic: Larry Bastfield, Univ. of Toledo
Mount St. Joseph: Henry Sims, Georgetown
Mount Carmel: Troy Franklin, Towson
Randallstown: Johnny Higgins, Duquesne*
Kim English, Missouri
**Both attending Notre Dame Prep Academy, Mass.)
Girls Basketball
Dulaney: Danielle Parker, Delaware
Towson Catholic: Tyler Hale, Drexel
Seton Keough: Ayana Lee, Drexel
St. Frances: Kandice Green, Seton Hall
Baseball
Mount St. Joseph: Ryan Kemp, Saint Joseph
Boys Lacrosse
Boys' Latin: Mark Feild, Princeton
Charlie McComas, North Carolina
Justin Radebaugh, UMBC
Eric Smith, Ohio State
Tom Thibeault, Bucknell
Aaron Verardi, UMBC
Broadneck: Caleb Holt, UMBC
Broadneck: Eric Keppeler, Notre Dame
Gilman: Tyler Kimball, Navy
Loyola: Mike Brooks, Manhattan
Joe Cummings, Maryland
Alek Ferro, Pennsylvania
Anthony Golden, Mount St. Mary's
MJ Leonard, Maryland
Steele Stanwick, Virginia
McDonogh: Tyler Fiorito, Princeton
Adam Paterakis, Salisbury
Pat Sartory, Gettysburg
KC Woods, Towson
Sam Greenberg, Dickinson
Severn: Mark Staines, North Carolina.
Severna Park: Andrew Gvozden, Hofstra
St. Mary's: Matt Bell, Villanova
Joe Bonanni, Ohio State
JP Dalton, Loyola
Dana Frye, Lehigh
Matt Lamon, Towson
Taylor Rosseau, Marist
St. Paul's: Jake Fradkin, Rutgers
Cliff Larkin, Princeton
Scott Matthews, Johns Hopkins
Peter Smyth, Princeton
Girls Lacrosse
Dulaney: Ana Heneberry, Loyola College
Cailin Colegrove, Duquesne
Joy Oberlin, George Mason
Blair King, Delaware
Hereford: Jackie LaMonica, Towson University
Taylor Lange, Vanderbilt University
Pikesville: Rebecca Kreshtool, George Washington
Megan Seidman, George Washington
Glenelg Country: Jackie Heck, Univ. of Oregon
John Carroll: Casey Ancarrow, James Madison
Ally Carey, Vanderbilt
Grace Gaeng, Maryland
Ali Luongo, Lehigh
Tori Pyzik, Oregon
McDonogh:Kira Paterakis, North Carolina
Rachel Serio, Johns Hopkins
Annie Politch, Boston College
Mercy: Dana Cahill, Penn State
Caitlin McHugh, James Madison
Notre Dame Prep: Brigit Milching, Limestone
Laura Zinkand, Cinncinnati
Danielle Friji, Villanova
Mackenzie Hanley, Virginia Tech
Anna Boeri, Stanford
Emilie Boeri, Stanford
Meghan Ryan, Louisville
Roland Park: Courtney Kirk, Vanderbilt
Cathy Hebert, Cinncinnati
Liz Hamilton, Maryland
Severn: Alex Priddy, Vanderbilt
Golf
Gilman: Brad Miller, Richmond
Swimming
Fallston: Courtney Kalisz, Southern California
Roland Park: Erin O'Donnell, Georgia Tech
Wrestling
Glenelg: Danny Bichner, Maryland
Chris Stinnett, Cal State-Fullerton
Signing
Dates for the 2008-2009 Academic Year
Do not sign prior to 7:00 a.m. (local time) on the following
dates
or after the final signing date listed for each sport.
| Sport |
Initial Signing Date |
Final Signing Date |
| Basketball (Early Period) |
November 14, 2007 |
November 21, 2007 |
| Basketball (Regular Period) |
April 16, 2008 |
May 21, 2008 |
| Football (Midyear JC Transfer) |
December 19, 2007 |
January 15, 2008 |
| Football (Regular Period) |
February 6, 2008 |
April 1, 2008 |
| Field
Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field/Cross Country, Men's Water Polo* |
February 6, 2008 |
August 1, 2008 |
| All Other Sports(Early Period) |
November 14, 2007 |
November 21, 2007 |
| All
Other Sports(Regular Period) |
April 9, 2008 |
August 1, 2008 | |
Source: www.national-letter.org/dates/
