Basketball: Klinewski to Lafayette

By Phil Anastasia

Matt Klinewski didn't hear from coaches at Lafayette until April 29.

A little more than two weeks later, the Eastern High School junior committed to attend Lafayette on a basketball scholarship.

"It just felt right," said Klinewski, a 6-foot-8 power forward who averaged 18.4 and led Eastern to a 21-7 record last season.

Klinewski was a second-team All-South Jersey selection.

Klinewski said he was approached by Lafayette coaches after playing in a tournament in Pittsburgh for his AAU team, Team Speed.

Klinewski visited Lafayette on May 7. He made a decision on Tuesday night, telling his teammates during a Team Speed practice in Cherry Hill.

"I loved the campus and the mix of basketball and academics is top-notched," Klinewski said. "Coach (Fran) O'Hanlon is a great guy. He reminds me of (Eastern coach) Joe Murphy."

Klinewski also was considering New Hampshire, Davidson, Buffalo, Holy Cross, Colgate, William & Mary, Binghampton, Sacred Heart, Columbia, Bucknell, Penn, Navy, Martist, Monmouth, Rider, Delaware and Hofstra.

He thanked his workout coaches Omar Wellington of Nexxt Level and Tony Decker of Adapt2Win as well as Murphy for helping him into position to earn a Division I scholarship.

"I look up to them and they have been my biggest supporters," Klinewski said.

-- Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com. Follow @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.