Eustace guard Puriefoy says academics are a priority in college choice

Carson Puriefoy III gets it.

As an undersize point guard, the Bishop Eustace junior realizes his future probably won't include a lucrative NBA contract.

That's why the 6-foot, 165-pound speedster is interested in schools with high academic reputations over basketball factories.

"My dad went to Bucknell. So academics are really important," said Puriefoy, whose father, Carson Puriefoy Jr., was a three-year starting point guard for the Bison in the early 1980s.

Puriefoy also wants to go somewhere where he'll play as a freshman and that has a stable coaching situation.

The 16-year-old, who carries a 3.3 grade-point average, has plenty of options.

Lafayette College has offered a scholarship. Vermont is expected to offer Puriefoy soon, according to his South Jersey Gymrats AAU coach, Rick Barrett.

Puriefoy is also being recruited by Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Alabama-Birmingham, and Davidson, along with Ivy League schools Penn, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth.

"I want to go through this AAU season and see how many more looks I can get," said Puriefoy, who averaged 21.4 points and posted South Jersey's single-game high for this past season with 42 against Woodrow Wilson.

"Probably before the [upcoming] season, I will pick a school," added The Inquirer's All-South Jersey selection.

Temple update. Norristown High's Brandon Shippen and Daquan Stewart of Mountain View (Va.) both made oral commitments Monday to play football for Temple.

The junior defensive backs are the Owls' third and fourth commitments for the 2012 class. They join St. John's College High (D.C.) quarterback Ben Onett and Archbishop Wood running back Brandon Peoples.

Big men invade campus. Center Devontae Watson of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School (Midland, Pa.) and Peddie School (N.J.) center Blaise Mbargorba met with Temple basketball coach Fran Dunphy and his staff during recent on-campus visits.

Mbargorba, a 7-foot junior from Cameroon, is considered a project. He reclassified to the class of 2012 after transferring from St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) last summer. His stock, however, is on the rise.

Watson, a 6-10 junior, averaged 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 12 blocks last season for the Class A state runners-up.

Austin the Great? Imhotep Charter's Brandon Austin could develop into the best college prospect in school history.

The 6-6 sophomore combo guard already has scholarship offers from Temple, Villanova, Syracuse, Rutgers, St. Joseph's, and Drexel.

"We haven't had a player with the potential that Brandon has at his height and athleticism," Panthers coach Andre Noble said.

Austin is a good ball handler and slasher to the basket. Versatile, he has the ability to play point guard, shooting guard, and wing.

Pangos recap. Academy of New Church junior forward Savon Goodman and Constitution junior point guard Daiquan Walker both had impressive outings at Friday and Saturday's invite-only Pangos All-American Camp in Long Beach, Calif.

Goodman, a Villanova recruit, was regarded as the eighth-best player among the 119 campers, according to Hoop Scoop. Walker, a Temple target, was ranked 25th by the recruiting service. The rankings are based on players' performances at the camp.