Todd O'Brien, Garden Spot's 6-11 senior center, gives a verbal commitment to play for the Bison.
By Jason Guarente
Published Sep 12, 2006 13:24
The Garden Spot basketball star found a place where he can do both. He has made a verbal commitment to Bucknell.
“The program has been strong the past couple of years,” O’Brien said.
“They make it to the NCAA Tournament and that excites me. I liked the coaching staff and the style of play. On top of that, the academics are strong.”
Bucknell is located about 100 miles north in Lewisburg. The Bison have won back-to-back Patriot League championships and earned automatic bids into the NCAA tourney.
O’Brien will become the first Lancaster-Lebanon League player to join a Division I program since Manheim Township’s Clay Scovill, who walked on at Penn State last fall.
The 6-11, 225-pound senior averaged 15.3 points and scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games as a junior. He was named a Section 2 All-Star by the league’s coaches.
O’Brien helped Garden Spot finish 12-11, its first winning record since 2001, and qualify for the District 3 Quad-A playoffs.
Since March, the senior has worked hard to add muscle and improve his all-around game. He works out at 6 a.m. three days a week and attends open gym every night.
With O’Brien in the middle, Garden Spot is expected to contend for the section title this winter.
“That’s what I hope,” he said. “I’ve put in a lot of time in the offseason. I’ve been playing every day. I shoot every night. I’m ready.”
O’Brien is a four-year varsity player who has steadily improved since he was a freshman. After making his first section All-Star team last season, he’ll try to make the jump to All-League this season.
Garden Spot coach Ryan Landis believes the Patriot League will ultimately be the perfect fit for his center.
“When I’ve had a chance to watch him play with other college-level players on his team, he’s a different player,” Landis said.
“I think that’s why he’ll be successful at the next level. A lot of people don’t understand that in high school he gets double- and triple-teamed every game.”
St. Joseph’s, La Salle, St. John’s and West Virginia also showed interest in O’Brien, who committed early because he wanted to end the recruiting process before the upcoming season.
Instead of going for a higher-profile conference, such as the Atlantic 10 or Big East, O’Brien opted for a league where he should compete for playing time immediately.
“Some kids tend to peak during their junior or senior year of high school,” Landis said. “People who know Todd, or understand 6-11 kids in particular, know Todd isn’t near his potential.”
O’Brien will try to reach that potential at Bucknell.
