Putney commits to U-Mass
Raphiael Putney will play for the University of Massachusetts.
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By Dave Fawcett
Published: October 13, 2008
But he wanted to make sure he was on the same page with his parents.
So he took an official visit to George Washington and considered lining up trips to other Division I men’s basketball programs.
Finally on Saturday, it became clear that the choice was made after Putney’s father Richard asked his son if he had made his mind up.
“I didn’t want him thinking my wife and I were pushing him into making a decision,” Richard Putney said. “He said he was waiting on us.”
Putney’s parents liked U-Mass and supported their son’s choice. From there, it was time to let people know.
Messages were passed along to three of the coaches who had helped Putney get to this point.
And then finally, Richard Putney called U-Mass’s head coach Derek Kellogg and told him his son wanted to speak with him.
“[Kellogg] was in disbelief,” Richard Putney said after his son told the coach he was committing to the Minutemen.
Putney was a late-bloomer on the Division I recruiting scene. Up until this summer, he had received no Division I offers. But after a breakout performance at the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia in July, where he played in the upperclassman all-star game, Putney was a player in demand.
By the start of September, the 6-foot-8, 165-pound forward had received seven Division I offers.
“After all the hard work the last four years, it’s nice to see the results like this of a quality student athlete,” Woodbridge coach head coach Chad Anderson said. “Raphiael exemplifies the type of kid we’re trying to produce here.”
It’s uncertain whether Putney will enroll at U-Mass next fall or spend a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy and then enroll in college in 2010.
Richard Putney said Hargrave remains a possibility because it would give Putney a chance to improve his game and bulk up physically so he can withstand the rigors of playing Division I basketball.
One college, George Mason, cancelled an official visit by Putney last month because it said they didn’t want to recruit a player that may not enroll in school for another year.
“They were looking to fill needs for the class of 2009,” Richard Putney said.
U-Mass knows Putney could head to Hargrave, but was still willing to recruit him. Putney also made an official visit to George Washington University and was trying to schedule a visit to St. Joseph’s before cancelling after making his decision to attend U-Mass.
Putney will sign his national letter of intent during the early signing period, which begins Nov. 12.
Putney is one of three commitments the Minutemen have received for the class of 2009, joining Riverdale Baptist guard Javorn Farrell and xxx.
Putney first attracted interest from U-Mass after his play at the Reebok camp. He struck up a good rapport with Kellogg, a former Minuteman player who spent the last eight seasons as an assistant at Memphis under John Calipari.
“Kellogg was very honest in the recruiting process,” Richard Putney said. “All the college coaches were, but Kellogg had another quality that Raphiael liked.”
A member of the Woodbridge varsity since his sophomore season, Putney averaged nine points per game last season. An outside shooting threat who hit 19 3-pointers last season, Putney is expected to play small forward for U-Mass and be a weapon for them from the perimeter.
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