Seton Hall added to its best recruiting class in more than a decade Monday night, picking up a verbal commitment from Brooklyn small forward Desi Rodriguez.
The 6-foot-6 senior joins Lincoln High School teammate Isaiah Whitehead, one of the top prospects in the nation; Bishop Loughlin shooting guard Khadeen Carrington; power forward Angel Delgado of Puerto Rico; and New Jersey wing Ismael Sanogo in a class ranked among the top 10 in the nation by multiple scouting services.
The athletically gifted Rodriguez also is expected to join Lincoln coach Tiny Morton, whom The Post reported in September will become part of head coach Kevin Willard’s staff next year.
Rodriguez transferred to Lincoln last year from FDA III in The Bronx and helped the Railsplitters win a city championship. He excelled over the last week in Florida, as Lincoln finished fifth at the City of Palms Classic, one of the most prestigious high school tournaments in the country. Against top-ranked Montverde (Fla.), a high school basketball factory known for churning out some of the nations’ top prospects, Rodriguez scored 25 points, and Morton said the forward averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in four games in front of Seton Hall assistant Fred Hill.
“He proved to me this week he has the heart to play in the spotlight,”
Morton said of Rodriguez. “He’s really getting better. He came back this year lighter, he’s hitting 3s. He plays so big. He’s going to be solid.”
“I called the coaches up [at Seton Hall], and said, ‘You better do something. This kid is about to get recruited [highly].’ ”
Morton said Rodriguez was ready to commit to Hofstra in the fall, but the Pride backed off. There was some thought Rodriguez would go to prep school, as he is only 17 years old, but the plan is for him to play at Seton Hall next year, a source said.
Upper-echelon mid-major programs such as Drexel and Duquesne were interested in Rodriguez, and Morton said Penn State wanted to bring Rodriguez on a visit after watching his performances in Florida. But the opportunity to team with Whitehead — a likely McDonald’s All-American and good friend — in addition to staying relatively close to home made the decision easy.
“It was basically a no-brainer,” Morton said.
One college coach involved with Rodriguez said he “loved” him at the Atlantic-10 level, but said he needs to work on his perimeter skill set to make a difference in the Big East.