NYC Metro Hoops

After twenty-six years at Fairleigh Dickinson, head coach Tom Green was fired on Thursday. In an article by the Bergen Record's Tim Leonard, Green voiced his displeasure over the timing of FDU's decision while noting that the Knights' failure to qualify for the last two NEC conference tournaments was the reason behind the decision. "This decision kills my career. To get fired in June of year 26 kills a career," said Green.

Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen received another spring commitment, signing 6-foot-11 center Kevin Laue. You'll hear quite a bit about Laue's story given the fact that a birth defect left him without a left hand, but don't think that Rohrssen signing him is an act of charity.

John Dunne's program added a talented guard on Friday, with point guard Blaise Ffrench transferring to St. Peter's by way of UTEP. The 6-1 Queens native played sparingly in his one season under Tony Barbee, averaging less than five minutes per game. Ffrench will have three years of eligibility remaining, beginning with the 2010-11 season.

St. Francis (PA) picked up a commitment on Wednesday, signing 6-8 forward Tony Peters (Seton Hall Prep). Peters averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Pirates in 2008-09, and he has a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation for the Red Flash. Outside of Devin Sweetney, the frontcourt had a tough time and was a significant reason for their last place finish in the NEC.

The following MAAC schools received commitments from Class of 2009 recruits:

Loyola (MD): Julius Brooks, 6-9 forward (Greensboro, NC)

Manhattan: George Beamon, 6-5 guard (Roslyn, NY)

Sunday was a good day for head coach Tommy Dempsey and his program. According to Jay Gomes of NJHoops.com, DeShawn Mitchell (Newark, NJ/Monmouth Academy) will return to his home state to play for the Broncs after one year at UNLV.

Head coach John Dunne and his staff picked up a solid commitment on Friday, signing guard Steve Samuels for the upcoming season. Samuels, who stands at 6-foot-5, led Windsor (CT) High to a 26-1 record and a Class LL state title. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game and was named state Player of the Year by the Hartford Courant.

Thursday was a productive day on the recruiting front for area schools, with St. John's, LIU and NJIT all grabbing commitments for the upcoming season. 6-7 forward Justin Brownlee (Tifton, GA/Chipola JC) receives the final scholarship for the Red Storm heading into the 2009-10 season. In the press release Jerry Mullen of Mullen's Roundball Review is quoted as saying that "St.

Head coach Chuck Martin had two rosters spots open up in recent weeks, with Lawrence Williams transferring and the MAAC ruling that David Devezin was out of eligibility. On Wednesday night the Red Foxes inked a guard and a forward from Edison (NJ) Prep. Guard Devin Price, a 6-fot-1 native of Los Angeles, and forward Rob Johnson (a 6-foot-7 native of Atlanta) signed letters of intent to attend Marist.

According to NJHoops.com editor Jay Gomes, Rutgers swingman Earl Pettis has decided to transfer. A native of Philadelphia, Pettis averaged 4.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in thirty-one contests as a sophomore. In the article head coach Fred Hill stated that "Earl and I had a meeting in which he expressed his desire to return home to Philadelphia." Pettis will have two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.

While the majority of attention has been focused on Lincoln HS star Lance Stephenson, other area schools have snapped up quality prospects for the upcoming season. Truth be told there really isn't a set date for Stephenson's announcement, but with Xavier Henry choosing Kansas you have to think that the top options are St. John's and Maryland. The Red Storm could be a decent team next year with Omari Lawrence joining an experienced roster, but a Big East rival could be recruiting its way back into the NCAA Tournament.