Men's basketball: Coleman lands full scholarship to Portland State
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Terry Coleman didn't think he showed much in his workout with the Portland State men's basketball team last Friday and Saturday. Head coach Tyler Geving thought otherwise.
Geving offered Coleman, a 5-foot-10 point guard, a full athletic scholarship on Saturday night. Coleman verbally committed Monday, and will sign his national letter-of-intent on Thursday.
Coleman, who starred this winter at Sullivan County Community College, will have two years of eligibility remaining. He also is a 2007 Newburgh Free Academy graduate and becomes the third Division I college player from that team.
Coleman tore ligaments in his right ankle during the national junior college tournament in March, and he said he still isn't 100 percent. But Portland State wanted to see him, and the coaches told him they were looking for a point guard with talent and toughness.
"That was the first time I played on it since I got hurt," Coleman said Tuesday. "We were running full court. We played seven games. I thought I was playing bad. I couldn't cut, or do the things I like to do. But they loved me."
Coleman got the offer Saturday night at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. He planned on making it an early night, because he had an early flight back home Sunday. Until that point, he had little interaction with Geving, only his coaches.
"He told me, 'We would love to have you in our program, and would like to offer you a full scholarship,'" Coleman said. "He said, 'We need a point guard, and you fit into our system.'"
Geving is not allowed to comment on Coleman until he receives Coleman's written acceptance.
Coleman already had a full scholarship offer from Youngstown State. After the weekend, he canceled scheduled official visits with Robert Morris and Sacred Heart.
Coleman joins former Newburgh teammates Justin Rutty (Quinnipiac) and Jeff Ryan (Longwood) as Division I college players from that 2007 squad. Rutty and Ryan went right out of high school.
"It just took me a little longer," Coleman said. "I had to get my grades up. I really messed up at Gray's."
After high school, Coleman attended Gray's Harbor College in Aberdeen, Wash., but left after one year. He enrolled at Sullivan in 2008 but didn't play basketball. He credits Sullivan coach Kevin DeVantier for pushing him "harder than anybody ever did" academically. Coleman played there this year.
"His thing was he wanted me to graduate," Coleman said, "and I'm going to do that."
Coleman averaged 16.4 points at Sullivan, shooting 47 percent from 3-point range, along with 8.1 assists and seven rebounds. Portland State, which competes in the Big Sky Conference, went 13-19 this year.
"Terry is a freak athlete," DeVantier said. "He really worked hard to develop his skill set. I think he's going to be a high-level player out there."
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100421/SPORTS36/4210342/-1/SITEMAP
Terry Coleman didn't think he showed much in his workout with the Portland State men's basketball team last Friday and Saturday. Head coach Tyler Geving thought otherwise.
Geving offered Coleman, a 5-foot-10 point guard, a full athletic scholarship on Saturday night. Coleman verbally committed Monday, and will sign his national letter-of-intent on Thursday.
Coleman, who starred this winter at Sullivan County Community College, will have two years of eligibility remaining. He also is a 2007 Newburgh Free Academy graduate and becomes the third Division I college player from that team.
Coleman tore ligaments in his right ankle during the national junior college tournament in March, and he said he still isn't 100 percent. But Portland State wanted to see him, and the coaches told him they were looking for a point guard with talent and toughness.
"That was the first time I played on it since I got hurt," Coleman said Tuesday. "We were running full court. We played seven games. I thought I was playing bad. I couldn't cut, or do the things I like to do. But they loved me."
Coleman got the offer Saturday night at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. He planned on making it an early night, because he had an early flight back home Sunday. Until that point, he had little interaction with Geving, only his coaches.
"He told me, 'We would love to have you in our program, and would like to offer you a full scholarship,'" Coleman said. "He said, 'We need a point guard, and you fit into our system.'"
Geving is not allowed to comment on Coleman until he receives Coleman's written acceptance.
Coleman already had a full scholarship offer from Youngstown State. After the weekend, he canceled scheduled official visits with Robert Morris and Sacred Heart.
Coleman joins former Newburgh teammates Justin Rutty (Quinnipiac) and Jeff Ryan (Longwood) as Division I college players from that 2007 squad. Rutty and Ryan went right out of high school.
"It just took me a little longer," Coleman said. "I had to get my grades up. I really messed up at Gray's."
After high school, Coleman attended Gray's Harbor College in Aberdeen, Wash., but left after one year. He enrolled at Sullivan in 2008 but didn't play basketball. He credits Sullivan coach Kevin DeVantier for pushing him "harder than anybody ever did" academically. Coleman played there this year.
"His thing was he wanted me to graduate," Coleman said, "and I'm going to do that."
Coleman averaged 16.4 points at Sullivan, shooting 47 percent from 3-point range, along with 8.1 assists and seven rebounds. Portland State, which competes in the Big Sky Conference, went 13-19 this year.
"Terry is a freak athlete," DeVantier said. "He really worked hard to develop his skill set. I think he's going to be a high-level player out there."