Vaughn is a household name in New York City basketball circles. Linzell Vaughn Sr. was a playground legend, nicknamed “Predator.” His daughter, Kia Vaughn, enjoyed a standout career at Rutgers and plays in the WNBA.
Dimencio Vaughn, a junior at Thurgood Marshall Academy, is keeping the family tradition alive. After a big summer on the AAU circuit, he has emerged as one of the city’s jewels, a left-handed shooting guard known for his defensive intensity and rebounding acumen.
“He has some real big shoes to fill, on her end and his father’s end,” Thurgood Marshall coach Abdu-Allah Torrence said. “[People would always say], ‘That’s Kia’s brother’ or ‘That’s Predator’s son.’ He’s handled that real well. He’s carving out his own identity. Now it’s Dimencio Vaughn.”
Vaughn played baseball growing up, before he dropped a lot of weight, shooting up in height and suffering a serious right arm injury. He decided to give basketball a shot, using his non-dominant left arm while his right healed.
After a solid sophomore year, Torrence advised his star pupil he needed to expand his game to play Division I basketball. The 6-foot-3 Vaughn worked tirelessly on his perimeter skills, and is off to a fine start this year, averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds in five games.
“I’m motivated,” he said. “I grew up. I used to not take the game real serious. As you grow up, you see it, and I see my talent has improved.”
Said Torrence: “It’s just the tip of the iceberg. Now people will see he can play in the backcourt and be a guard. It will change the perception of who he is.”
Vaughn says his sister and father give him helpful tips on everything from nutrition to his workout regimen to his overall game. He doesn’t feel pressure to live up to their accomplishments, however.
“Basketball is just a sport I really love,” he said.
Vaughn has landed scholarship offers from George Mason, Hofstra, Drexel, Iona, Quinnipiac, Monmouth, Norfolk State and Fairfield, while Villanova, Miami, Temple and Cincinnati have expressed interest.
“As hungry as I am, I expected it to come,” he said. “I felt I could do better than last year. I put the work in.”
One college coach familiar with Vaughn described him as a good athlete and hard worker with a relentless motor.
“He’s a poor man’s version of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from Arizona,” the coach said.
- Rutgers landed Georgetown transfer Greg Whttingham, a skilled but troubled forward. The 6-foot-8 standout was dismissed from the Hoyas basketball team in late November after tearing his ACL over the summer. He averaged 12.1 points and seven rebounds through the first 13 games last season before he was ruled academically ineligible.
- Stanford sent three coaches to see Iona Prep junior sharpshooter Matt Ryan on Friday against St. Raymond.
- Central Connecticut State offered Long Island Lutheran junior point guard Chris Atkinson.
Football
- Former two-way Christ the King star Jordan Fuchs, currently doing a post-graduate year at Milford Academy (N.Y.), has de-committed from Rutgers and committed to Indiana, where he will try to walk-on to the basketball team.
- Lincoln cornerback Khendell Puryear said he has a top five of Marist, Wagner, Delaware State, New Haven and Albany.