Monroe College Late Spring Updates
While junior college players from around the country have been signing at a feverish pace over the past weeks, things have moved a bit more slowly at Monroe College of the Bronx, N.Y.
Fresh off last month's fifth place finish at the NJCAA Tournament, only one of the Mustangs' three Division I capable sophomores have signed.
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That distinction belongs to high scoring and athletic 6-1 combo guard Kingsley Edwards. Monroe Head Coach Jeff Brustad told JUCO Junction that Edwards has signed with Central Florida.
Earlier this spring, the Knights signed Schoolcraft's Gary Johnson to play the point, meaning that Edwards will likely slide over and play the two next season for UCF.
An opportunistic offensive player who thrives in transition, Edwards averaged 15.8 points and 4.9 assists in 2002-2003 for Monroe.
Two other Mustangs -- 6-4 power forward Ryan Williams and 6-2 point/combo guard Kevin Bell -- are still sorting through their options this spring.
Coach Brustad said that Eastern Michigan and Buffalo have offered Williams. He visited Eastern Michigan from Apr. 18-20, and could visit Buffalo in the near future.
The other school consistently linked with Williams, St. John's University of the Big East, has not yet offered the ultra athletic power forward a scholarship, Brustad said.
Two reasons might explain why the Johnnies haven't offered. First, Williams has some work to do to graduate this spring. Second, there may be questions about Williams' ability to play his power game in a conference like the Big East.
There's no questioning Williams' athleticism and ability to finish plays above the rim and beyond. The Queens native averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 53 percent from the floor as a sophomore.
Bell, another key cog in the Mustangs' 2002-2003 attack, is slated to take an upcoming official visit to Florida A&M. Other schools such as East Carolina, Manhattan, Binghamton and West Virginia are keeping an eye on the New York City native, Brustad said.
Bell averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 assists per game for Monroe. Although he shot just 31 percent from beyond the arc, Bell has a knack for making dagger type shots late in games and can score points in bunches.
Like Williams, Bell has some graduation issues to tackle this summer, so it could be a bit longer before he makes a decision on a four-year college.
JUCO Junction will keep you posted on both Bell and Williams' recruitment, and when they arrive at decisions, we'll let you know via an article.