Spring signing period opens for men’s basketball

Jim Swing
Assistant Sports Editor

With the VCU men’s basketball team’s historic run to the Final Four firmly in the past, the time has come for head coach Shaka Smart and his staff to begin looking ahead to the future.

With the NCAA basketball spring signing period starting last Wednesday, the focus for Smart and his group is repeating the accomplishments they achieved in the 2010-2011 season.

2011 Commitments
Briante Weber, SG, 6-3, 170 lbs.,
Fork Union Military Academy (Va.)
Weber joins VCU in 2011 having turned down the likes of in-state rival Old Dominion along with Virginia, Creighton and Marshall.
Scoring an 88 scouting grade on ESPN.com, the Chesapeake, Va. native poses a dominant defensive presence along with the ability to drive the lane.
With Smart’s patented “Havoc” style of play, Weber claims the Rams method was the main factor that drew him in.

Treveon Graham, F, 6-4, 200 lbs.,
Saint Mary’s Ryken (Md.)
After a spectacular junior year of high school, Graham became the interest of major schools such as Cincinnati, Clemson and West Virginia.
The Leonardtown, Md. natural earned four stars from Rivals.com after leading St. Mary’s Ryken to a school-record 18 wins behind his 18.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per night.
Graham verbally committed to VCU in August of 2010.

2011 Considering
Jamari Traylor, F, 6-8,
IMG Academy (Chicago, Ill.)
A strong and relentless competitor, Traylor has earned the interest of schools such as Kansas, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Indiana, St. John’s and Minnesota.
Comparable to the likes of Jamie Skeen, Traylor poses a dangerous threat in the paint along with being able to step outside and shoot from the perimeter.
Scoring an 89 on ESPN.com’s scout’s grade, Traylor’s only weakness is his overall fundamentals.

Keith Coleman, C, 6-9, 240 lbs.,
Lee Academy (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Gaining interest from the likes of La Salle and Seton Hall, Coleman has made a name for himself in the post as a dominantly physical player.
The hefty center earned a scouting grade of 88 from ESPN.com for his ability to finish strong at the rim along with providing a viable presence on the defensive end.
Despite Coleman’s positive abilities, he lacks a complete understanding of the game and may not be 100 percent ready to play at a college level.

Junior Fortunat, C, 6-8, 205 lbs.,
Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Fortunat is active and lengthy, very reminiscent of former Florida State forward Chris Singleton in his demeanor.
He is pugnacious around the rim and does not back down easily.
His ambidextrous abilities allow him easy accessibility to the basket when he gains a favorable position in the paint.
While his shooting range may be limited, he is there to clean up any loose ends for his teammates, providing a dominant rebounding force.

2012 Considering
Jordan Roper, G, 6-0, 160lbs.,
Irmo (Irmo, S.C.)
Roper brings another small guard option to the table, to which VCU has become well accustomed.
The Irmo, S.C. native plays the point with a quick sense of urgency and a scorers mentality.
Earning a 90 on ESPN.com’s scout’s grade, Roper has received offers from VCU, Clemson and Tulane.
Hailing from South Carolina may have him leaning towards the ACC power Tigers, but his decision has yet to be made.

Jordan Burgess, F, 6-5, 200 lbs.,
Benedictine (Richmond, Va.)
Does the last name Burgess sound familiar?
That’s probably because he is the brother of VCU standout Bradford Burgess who may look to follow in his big brother’s footsteps.
Posting a score of 89 on ESPN.com’s scout’s grade, Jordan will most likely fill out to about the same size as his older brother.
Playing small forward, he likes to operate on the wing, along with utilizing the baseline to his advantage.
Along with VCU, Jordan has received an offer from another CAA school in George Mason, however Smart has hinted at the advantage the Rams gain in recruiting Jordan due to location and family ties.

Reggie Dillard, G, 6-2, 200 lbs.,
Dudley Senior (Greensboro, N.C.)
Unselfishness is the name of the game when it comes to Dillard.
The Greensboro, N.C. native plays hard on both ends of the floor and will do anything to help out his team.
While not particularly a great shooter from outside, he possesses an uncanny ability to slash hard to the basket, much like current VCU guard Darius Theus.
Scoring an 89 on ESPN.com’s scout’s grade, Dillard has received offers from VCU, Tulane and UNC Greensboro, along with interest from Florida and just about every power school in the ACC.

After recently signing a new eight-year contract with the Rams, it is clear Smart is dedicated to the continuance of success for VCU basketball.

While many have called VCU’s magical run to the Final Four a “once in a lifetime” deal, Smart believes the future holds bigger and better things for his program.

While some of the players listed above may not be committed to VCU yet, there is one factor of commitment that stands true: Smart’s commitment to excellence for VCU basketball.