Pettway Chops List to 10; Mulls Visits
Aaron Pettway, a 6-10 center from Hutchinson C.C. in Hutchinson, Kan., has pared his list to just 10 colleges this fall.
JUCO Junction caught up with Hutch Asst. Coach Eric Duft this week, and he informed us where things stand with the developing big man from Mobile, Ala.
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The 10 finalists on Pettway's list include Florida, Florida State, Mississippi State, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Georgetown, Oklahoma State and Howard.
Duft said that Pettway isn't sure if he will ink early or late, but that a decision could be made sometime this week about his signing plans.
"Aaron wants to take five visits, but he won't be able to get that done before the [early] signing date," Duft said. "He hasn't decided for sure, but he will probably wait until the spring to sign."
There is a chance that Pettway could take a few visits early and then save the remainder for the spring. Hutchinson will start practice on Oct. 1, so it will be difficult for Pettway to squeeze in an official visit once practice gets under way, Duft said.
Even though he's from Alabama originally, Pettway has spent much of the past few years in the Washington D.C. area, fulfilling a military obligation. In fact, college coaches passed through D.C. this summer to take a look at Pettway, who didn't attend any of the mainstream J.C. evaluation camps.
Duft expects several of the finalists to make the trek to Hutch over the next several weeks, as the NCAA fall evaluation commences on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Mississippi State is slated to come in on Sept. 9, Alabama on Sept. 11 and Florida on Sept. 17.
It might seem to be quite a fuss over a player who put up modest numbers as a freshman last winter at Hutch.
Pettway averaged 4.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for the Blue Dragons in 2002-2003, shooting 42 percent from the floor.
But the basketball upside Pettway possesses is just the tip of the iceberg. By all accounts, Pettway is a very affable young man and a terrific student. When he entered the military, his athletic pursuits were put on hold, suggesting that he could be a very different player in another year or two.
"He's gotten a lot better and a lot of people would like to have him," Duft said. "He is just weighing the pros and cons of signing early."
JUCO Junction will stay on top of the situation, and keep you informed of Pettway's plans. Stay tuned.