Unlike most college basketball hopefuls, Chris Ortiz didn’t go to prep school to reclassify or get his academics in order.
He was fully qualified out of Christ the King. The 6-foot-8 power forward opted to do a postgraduate year at South Kent (Conn.) to make sure he was fully prepared for the next level.
“I definitely needed this before I head off to college,” he said. “It’s definitely a different type of game than high school, much more phsyical. … It’s gonna help me a lot. At times they may need me to step up; at times they may need me to be a role player. It’s gonna make me better.”
His future is all set. Ortiz signed his National Letter of Intent with Kent State on Wednesday, and actually feels better about his decision now than when he verbally committed.
“Now that I know it’s official, I have nothing to worry about,” he said. “There are no doubts in my mind. I’m going to go out there. The coaches want me there.”
Ortiz said he picked Kent State because he liked everything about the program. The Golden Flashes’ up-and-down style fits him and he felt a family atmosphere about the program.
Thus far, South Kent coach Kelvin Jefferson has been impressed by Ortiz’s versatile skill set. He can bang down low but has also developed an improving 3-point shot. He will start for a team that includes top prospects Chris Thomas and Ricky Ledo.
“He’s doing terrific, on and off the court,” Jefferson said. “He works his tail off, he wants to get better. He spends a lot of time in the weight room and he pushes himself to improve. He’s bought and he’s taking full advantage of this year.”
He later added: “His recruitment would’ve taken off if he wasn’t signed.”
‘Blessed’ Sidibe signs with Fairfield: Cardinal Hayes power forward Amadou Sidibe has come a long way in a short period of time, from first picking up a basketball four years ago to landing a Division I scholarship with Fairfield. He made it official on Wednesday, signing his National Letter of Intent with the Stags.
“I just feel blessed,” he said. “It feels great, a lot of pressure is off. I was thinking about all the hard work I’ve put in. I feel happy my father doesn’t have to pay for my college tuition.”
The 6-foot-8 post presence from the Ivory Coast chose Fairfield over Boston University, Hofstra, Drexel, Fordham, Iona, Quinnipiac, St. Peter’s and Delaware because of the opportunity to contribute immediately and the bond he developed with the coaching staff, notably head coach Sydney Johnson and assistant Brian Nash, and his future teammates.
“I felt the coaches were good people, they had my best interest in mind,” said Sidibe, who averaged 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks last year. “I never questioned my decision. It felt right when I committed.”
Before college, Sidibe is hoping to go out with a bang. Hayes reached the CHSAA Class A finals each of the last two years, only to fall short. Now the Cardinals have moved up to the ‘AA’ league and have a loaded roster featuring forwards Jalen Jenkins and Fadil Yacoubou and guards Tyler Wilson, Nassir Williams and Shavar Newkirk, who transferred in from Rice, which closed for financial reasons.
“We’re going hard every day,” he said. “We can’t wait.”
Other signings: Brooklyn native Kamari Murphy of IMG Academies (Fla.) signed with Oklahoma State; Harlem’s Melvin Johnson of St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) signed with Miami; Harlem’s Kareem Canty of Westwind Prep (Ariz.) signed with Marshall; Xaverian’s Brian Bernardi signed with SMU; Xaverian’s Dillon Burns signed with C.W. Post; Christ the King’s Omar Calhoun signed with Connecticut; and Brooklyn native Jimmy Hall of St. Anthony (N.J.) signed with Hofstra.