27144577
Sometimes all it takes is the right words to feel at home.
Neumann-Goretti senior forward Jamal Wilson liked what the University of Rhode Island coaching staff had to say so much he verbally committed to the Division I school in late August without seeing the campus.
"As the summer went on, I saw how much they liked me," Wilson said of the Rhode Island coaching staff. "It’s somewhere I can shine."
The 6-foot-5 athlete said he took the advice of Neumann-Goretti teammate and 2007 grad Antonio "Scoop" Jardine, who is a freshman guard at Syracuse University. He committed to the Big East Conference school in fall ’05, his junior year with the Saints.
"He was telling me to go where you’re wanted and don’t wait," Wilson said. "He said to go where you think you can shine your best at."
Wilson is a returning Second Team All-Catholic and Honorable Mention All-City selection who averaged 11 points and seven rebounds a contest as a junior. His scoring average ranked third on the Saints behind ’07 grads Jardine (20.2) and Rick Jackson (16.8), who also is a Syracuse freshman.
Neumann-Goretti basketball coach Carl Arrigale said Rhode Island’s style is a good fit for the resident of 25th and Moore streets.
"He wanted to go somewhere there was not a whole lot of distractions, so he could concentrate on school and basketball," Arrigale said of Wilson. "He kind of wanted to wait [to pick a school] so [Rhode Island] had to feel right for him."
Boston College, Michigan, West Virginia and runner-up Providence were given serious consideration, but the Rams maintained the edge. Wilson said he has really taken a liking to Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron, who has seen Wilson play on the Amateur Athletic Union summer circuit as well as at July’s Reebok U basketball camp, at Philadelphia University. The five-day event was for the nation’s top high school basketball players who were selected by a panel of national coaches.
"[Baron] has been around the game a lot and sees something in me that he can really bring out," Wilson said about his future college coach. "I will go there and let [the coaches] groom me."
Rhode Island plays in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which includes regular visits to Philadelphia to face Temple, St. Joe’s and La Salle. The league championship tournament is in Atlantic City in the spring for the second-straight year, and the Jersey Shore could become its regular home. These frequent stops to the Delaware Valley didn’t factor into Wilson’s decision.
"I am not the type of person who is scared to go away," he said. "I don’t get homesick. [Playing in Philly] will just be a plus."
Wilson has played in national tournaments with the Saints as well as his Philly Elite AAU squad, where the summer tour included stops in North Carolina and Las Vegas. With the Saints, he has hit the court in tournaments in Massachusetts, Texas and North Carolina, among other spots. The 17-year-old said he is excited about attending the New England-area school.
"Rhode Island is little and secluded," he said. "I’ll be alone and be able to do stuff to get to the [professional] level."
With his college decision behind him, Wilson can focus on leading his Saints to their third Catholic League title in four seasons. In ’07, they were eliminated by rival Roman Catholic in the championship match.
"I want to leave high school with a nice little resume as far as basketball stuff," Wilson, who played on the squad’s ’05 and ’06 Catholic League-title teams, said.
He didn’t expect to lose the most recent contest, where Neumann-Goretti held a 10-point advantage early in the fourth before dropping the 59-56 decision.
"I was real hurt that we lost that game because I couldn’t send Rick and Scoop off with a championship," Wilson said.
Being the star senior, the forward knows it is his time to fill a leadership role. This includes pushing star sophomore Tony Chennault, who is already drawing Division I interest, as hard as he can.
"I am making practices hell for him," Wilson said of his younger teammate. "At the same time, I know that sophomore will help me win a championship. His potential is sky-high.
"He can go play in any conference he wants."
Having a young group, Wilson is ready to assist his teammates in reaching their full potential.
"When we do our open gyms, I try to be a role model," Wilson said. "I look forward to being a role model to the younger guys."
More importantly, the athlete is looking to graduate from 10th and Moore streets with his own mark on the program.
"[If Neumann-Goretti] doesn’t win the title this year people will say it’s all because we didn’t have Scoop and Rick," Wilson said. "If we win, they can say I really won it."
Before the upcoming season starts, Wilson plans on making an official visit to the Rhode Island campus to get a taste of the college life. He’ll have a weekend to bond with his future teammates and coaches and check out a class or two.
"They tell me as a freshman that I am going to be needed in all aspects of the game," Wilson said. "I want to fill the stat sheet and do everything I can."
