Who says nothing good ever happens with the basketball team? Stan Heath got some great news to end this week as the Bulls received a verbal commitment from JUCO SG Musa Abdul-Aleem. The 6'5 wing chose USF over an offer from Memphis.
Abdul-Aleem was the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Freshman of the Year, scoring 14.6 points and 5.5 rebounds a game for the Jaguars last year. Adam Adkins of the Tampa Tribune was the first with the news and GPC Assistant Coach David Dennis said having family close to Tampa was a big factor for Musa.
“There were some smaller factors, some intangible factors, that probably pushed the visit and pushed his decision over the edge. The fact that his dad lives in Orlando, and Musa actually grew up in Tampa. Being a devout Muslim and following Islam, a lot of the people at the mosque and those things like that that he knew when he was a kid. It makes the transition for him a lot smoother and a lot easier.”
Greg Auman at the St. Pete Times asked Coach Dennis what Abdul-Aleem will bring to the table at USF, and Dennis raved about Musa's scoring ability.,
"He's one of the better scorers you'll see. Not only can he score, he's a shooter as well, a rare combination. You may have guys that shoot the ball well, or score with the ball. He does both very well. Excellent mid-range game. He can post up, put it on the floor and get by guys on the bounce. He's as complete as you want to be as an offensive player.
Abdul-Aleem was lightly regarded in high school due to being home schooled and focusing on his Muslim faith rather than playing on the AAU circuit. After taking a couple years off to take his pilgrimage to Mecca, Musa enrolled at GPC last year and was noticed after playing in two JUCO showcase events this summer.
Musa will have 2 years of eligibility left when he enrolls at USF next year.
With Abdul-Aleem's commitment, Heath will have three scholarships remaining for the 2011-2012 recruiting class.