Big man in 2020 class lists UD in final five
A 6-foot-10 forward DAYTON — in the 2020 class put the Dayton Flyers in his final five on Friday.
Christian Fussell, a senior at Greenforest McCalep Christian Academy in Decatur, Georgia, also will consider Virginia Commonwealth, Florida Gulf Coast, Charlotte and Middle Tennessee State.
Georgia Tech and Mississippi State offered Fussell scholarships earlier this summer, and many other schools were recruiting him. He’s three-star recruit, according to Rivals.com.
“I’m a versatile player. I can shoot it, I can put the ball on the floor,” Fussell told 247Sports.com in June. “I’m also versatile defensively; can guard most positions, can rebound, I can block shots and alter shots at the rim. I always had a jump shot on me but as I got taller, I was able to use it more because I was able to shoot over people more. I feel I can shoot it from NBA range, I have confidence that I can pull it from that range and make it.”
Dayton has one commitment from the 2020 class. Lukas Frazier, a 6-foot-4 guard from Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, announced his verbal commitment in June.
Dayton has two scholarships open in 2019 and two opening in 2020, one of which Frazier will fill.
Another offer: Rafael Pinzón, a 6-foot-5 guard in the class of 2021, announced he received a scholarship offer from Dayton.
Pinzón, who’s from Puerto Rico, attends Lincoln Academy in Suwanee, Georgia. That’s the same school Dayton freshman center Moulaye Sissoko, who committed last October, attended. Xavier was the first school to offer Pinzon a scholarship in May 2018.
The 2021 class will be an important one for Dayton. If the roster doesn’t change next season, the Flyers will lose five seniors from the 2020-21 team: Jalen Crutcher, Jhery Matos, Ibi Watson, Rodney Chatman and Jordy Tshimanga.
Alumni update: Former Dayton guard Charles Cooke will play in Germany this season for Medi Bayreuth.
This will be the first time Cooke has played overseas since graduating from the UD in 2017. He signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2017. He spent most of the season in the NBA G League but played 13 games with the Pelicans.
Last season, Cooke played in 40 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League. He averaged 14.4 points. Contact this reporter at 937244-7400 or email David. Jablonski@coxinc.com.