Devoe to Montverde; college decision next
Hot basketball prospect
has a college choice to make over the next several months. He’s already made one major decision.
Devoe, a two-time AllArea guard for Oak Ridge, confirmed on Thursday that he will play his senior season for national powerhouse Montverde Academy.
He leaves an Oak Ridge program that went 66-20 in his three seasons as a starter and is again projected to be a Class 9A state championship contender.
“I think going to Montverde is best for me to develop and become a great college player,” Devoe said. “They play a national schedule and the history of development (of players) over there is great.”
Devoe is a 6-4, 175-pound floor general who averaged 22.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists as a junior for a region runner-up Oak Ridge team. He was an honor-roll student with a 4.5 GPA and a leader for the Pioneers.
Devoe said the change had nothing to do with the Oak Ridge coaching change that saw interim coach
dismissed in late May and named new head coach a week later.
Reece, also the director of the Each 1 Teach 1 travel team program, has coached and trained Devoe often since he was an eighth grader.
“Coach Reece is a great coach. He’s a great friend of mine. He’s one of my great guys that I truly have a great relationship with,” Devoe said. “This is just what I believe is the best next step for me individually.”
Reece said he believes the transfer was a done deal even before he was announced as the Oak Ridge coach.
“Anytime you lose a kid like Mike Devoe it’s tough because of everything he brings to the table and our relationship,” Reece said. “Mike still comes and gets in the gym with us.
“We always want our kids to make their own decision and do what their heart tells him to do. Mike is a great basketball player, but he’s even a better kid. We wish him the best.”
Devoe holds more than 30 major college scholarship offers on a list that stretches from UConn to Stanford. That tipped off with an offer from Miami in October of 2015 in his sophomore season and has expanded of late as the crafty lefthander excelled in the spring travel ball circuit with his Nike South Beach team.
“The ones that keep in contact me with every day are probably Wake Forest, Florida, Southern California, West Virginia, Ohio State and Virginia,” Devoe said.
ESPN recently elevated Devoe to No. 89 in its national top 100 seniors prospect list. That is the highest he has been ranked within the 2018 class.
“Me and my mother talked about that the other day,” Devoe said. “I’ve been working for this my whole life and it’s truly becoming a dream. I’m definitely happy about it.”
E1T1 United 2021, a towering team comprised of area players heading into high school this fall, breezed through pool play and is in the Sweet 16 in the AAU boys basketball 8th grade national championship tournament at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports.
The Orlando-based squad, coached by former Lyman player
won its pool games with victories by scores of 59-43, 69-44 and 93-30. It opens bracket play on Friday at 5 p.m.
The quarterfinals and semifinals are Saturday, leading to a Sunday 1:50 p.m. final. Top E1T1 players include
a point guard who played varsity ball for Faith Christian as an eighth-grader last season; 6-foot-7
who is expected to enroll at Orlando University; and two 6-4 incoming ninth-graders for Wekiva: and
The core of the team has been together since third grade and has achieved improved finishes at AAU nationals each season – with a third place showing last year in the 13U age group.
“We’ve progressed every year,” Eaton said. “We are one of the teams that has a chance to win this.”