Originally posted at www.greenbaygazette.com on March 5.
When the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team had to play without Keifer Sykes, its offense sometimes bogged down.
That might not be a problem next season.
Coach Brian Wardle’s latest recruit, Carrington Love, is expected to provide backup at the point guard position and possibly could play alongside Sykes next season. The senior point guard from Milwaukee Pius XI High School was just what Wardle was looking for with perhaps his last remaining scholarship for the 2012 class.
“Carrington is a winning kid; his high school coach will tell you that,” said Ike Wilson, who coached Love’s AAU team, Playground Elite. “With him and Sykes together, you’ve got two guys that really break people down and pick you up defensively 94 feet.”
Love, who expected to sign his letter of intent next month, wasn’t heavily recruited and was labeled as a late-bloomer. But Wardle and assistant coach Jimmie Foster, a Milwaukee native, had been watching Love closely when it became apparent they needed another point guard. Wardle watched Love score 17 points in a win over Wisconsin Lutheran on Saturday night and then told Wilson he wanted to offer Love a scholarship.
“Carrington told me he wanted to go there, and that was that,” Wilson said.
Love was an AAU teammate of fellow Phoenix recruit Jordan Fouse of Racine (St. Catherine’s) and became the third member of Wardle’s recruiting class from in state, joining Onalaska’s Nick Arenz.
Love averages 19 points per game for a team that is 21-3 and still alive in postseason play.
“He has some explosiveness but what I’m impressed with is Carrington knows every single position in every set that we run, and we run a ton of sets,” Pius coach Joel Claassen said. “The last couple of weeks, he’s been carrying us, and I think we’ve got a real shot because of him.”
Love wasn’t scared off by the fact that with Sykes, the Phoenix likely has its starting point for the next three seasons.
“Hopefully, I’ll get to play alongside Keifer,” Love said. “I would love that. He’s a wonderful player.”
NCAA rules prohibit Wardle from talking about Love until he signs. Wardle will have an additional scholarship available for that class if he chooses to use it because redshirt sophomore Clayton Heuer has decided to transfer. The Wisconsin Rapids native, who played sparingly in his first two seasons, will likely go to a Division II school where he can get more playing time.
“Clayton’s a great kid who worked really hard, and we’ll miss him,” Wardle said. “He wants to play more, and I completely understand that.”
Wardle may need that scholarship if Jarvis Williams decides to return after missing most of his senior year because of a foot injury. That scholarship also could go to Cole Stefan, the shooting guard who transferred from La Salle.