Columbians' Cataldo headed to Portland State
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/09/24/sports/preps/doc4abad6eb1e29c956930959.txt
RAINIER — The opportunity to play for a Division I school while staying close to home were the main reasons why Rainier’s Brandon Cataldo recently gave a verbal commitment to play men’s basketball at Portland State University beginning in the fall of 2010.
“I really like the coaches and it’s a good program,” the 6-foot-10 1/2 Cataldo said. “I’ve been to several of their open gyms, and they seem really excited to work with me. The coach did say that I’d be a good fit into their program.”
Coaches aren’t allowed to talk openly about potential recruits until the early signing period on Nov. 11 when Cataldo officially inks his letter of intent. PSU is coached by first-year head coach Tyler Geving, a former associate head coach under Ken Bone, who left the program at the end of last season to coach at Washington State University.
Bone guided the Vikings to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and ’09 after PSU captured Big Sky Tournament titles both seasons.
Cataldo, who averaged double-digits in scoring and rebounding as a junior to earn Lewis and Clark 3A League Player of the Year honors, had also piqued the interest of Montana State, the University of Montana, Boise State, Seattle University, Eastern Washington University, Washington State, Loyola Marymount and St. Mary’s College in California.
“This takes a lot of pressure off me because I was getting an average of a phone call a day from college coaches,” Cataldo said. “It was hard to pick one, and I didn’t really know if I wanted to stay close to home or not.”
Cataldo has also attracted the attention of several Internet college scouting sites, which have him ranked among the top three post players on the West Coast.
Insider.espn.go.com ranks Cataldo third in the west behind San Diego High School’s Jeremy Tyler and Kentwood High star Josh Smith. Scout.com lists Cataldo as the second-best post prospect in the west behind Smith.
Scout.com’s West Coast recruiting analyst Greg Hicks had a chance to watch Cataldo play during the summer, and felt he was in the running as the second-best center in the West behind Smith.
“Brandon’s commitment to Portland State is the biggest surprise of the 2010 recruiting season so far,” he said. “He’s a high-major prospect.”
Scout.com ranks its prospects in three categories — high-major plus, high-major and high-major minus. High-major plus prospects are considered to make an immediate impact on a national program with potential for early entry into the NBA.
A high-major prospect has the potential to significantly contribute as a freshman for most national programs, could be a three- or four-year starter, and have an opportunity for all-league honors.
A high-major minus prospect has potential to significantly contribute to a national program as a freshman, a four-year contributor, and have the opportunity to start at some point in their career.
Insider.espn.go.com had good things — and some not-so good things — to say about Cataldo and his future in Division I basketball.
“He has a huge frame with long arms that is physically ready for the Division I level, but there doesn’t appear to be much upside,” according to the ESPN analysis. “He has terrific hands and the savvy to play this game inside and out.”
Cataldo chuckled when he heard that many scouting Web sites had him listed as anywhere from 6-9 to 6-11, and weighing anywhere from 230 to 280 pounds.
“I’m 6-10 1/2 and weigh 275 pounds,” he said. “As a junior, I weighed between 285-290, but during the summer I weighed between 265-270 while playing for the Portland Hoop Kings traveling team. Sometimes I get lazy and don’t work out like I should, so I keep losing and gaining weight.”
Also according to the Insider.espn.go.com analysis, “He doesn’t have much lift and doesn’t run very well, but his skills are pretty solid for a young big man. He is more of a finesse center-type than a blue-collar banger. He’ll block shots and grab rebounds, but on the offensive end his back-to-the-basket game needs polishing. He has a very soft shooting touch out to the elbow and should be dynamite in a pick-’n-pop offensive set at the next level.”
Cataldo, who plans to study either athletic training or business, won’t be the Vikings’ lone big man when he arrives in camp next year. Former Marysville-Pilchuck standout Nathan Lozeau, who played last season at the University of San Diego and has to sit out the 2009-10 season, will be a junior when Cataldo begins his freshman campaign.
“They told me I’d be battling for a starting spot with that other guy,” he said. “I’ll need to work extra hard if I want to stay ahead of him.”
