Palmers Picture Cloudy; Schoolcraft Update
He might have been one of the best offensive talents at the Mullen Camp this past July, but the future of 6-7 forward Anton Palmer is a bit cloudy at this stage.
Palmer, a versatile post and midrange scorer, is at his third junior college in as many years. He enrolled at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich., last spring after stints at Butler County C.C. in Kansas and Vincennes College in Indiana.
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"He can shoot, slash and score at 6-7," Briggs said.
Palmer is eligible to play this winter at Schoolcraft, but whether or not he'll be eligible to enroll at a Division I program next year is uncertain.
He may be a D-II/NAIA gem if he gets caught up in the 60 percent rule. As a third-year full-time junior college student, he must have 60 percent of his degree work completed before enrolling at a Division I school in the fall of 2004.
In addition to Palmer, Schoolcraft will also feature a pair of highly recruitable freshmen.
One of those two players, 6-9, 220 pound power forward/center Wes Wilkins, is a high school qualifier from Waldron, Mich. If Wilkins maintains a 2.0 GPA and earns 24 credit hours, he will be able to leave Schoolcraft College with three years of eligibility at a four-year school.
Briggs said that Cal-Riverside and Detroit have expressed early interest in Wilkins.
"Wes has some face up skills, but he needs to work on his back to the basket game," the coach added. "He runs well, has good hands and is a tough kid."
Another freshman of influence could be 6-4, 190 pound point guard Antwi Atuahene from Toronto, Ont. Atuahene signed with Rutgers last spring but failed to qualify academically. He will need to spend a minimum of two years at the junior college level before moving on to the D-I ranks.
"He's a 6-4 point guard who shoots it pretty good," Briggs said. "He can get to the basket and finish, but above all, he's a true point guard."
JUCO Junction plans on catching Schoolcraft early in the 2003-2004 campaign, so we will keep you posted on the development of all the Ocelot players throughout the winter months.