PREP SCHOOL EXIT INTERVIEW: VINCENT COUNCIL

Written by Pat Stevens
http://www.patstevensbasketball.com/

Providence get another from Brooklyn, N.Y., in former Lincoln H.S. guard Vincent Council who prepped at Patterson School in North Carolina.

This summer…

I get there (Providence) May 26th for the first session of classes. I’m back in New York. I’ve been working out hard right now on my jump shot and strength.

Picked Providence over…

Rutgers, Central Florida, Arkansas, and South Florida.

Positives from Prep School…

Learned how to play against older kids, how to be a leader, how to win, how to be off the court and on it.

Got better or different opportunity this year…

I got better, stronger, and more patient.

On playing next year with fellow Providence guard recruit Johnnie Lacy…

I think it’ll be fun. He’s somebody I never knew about. It’s nice because we’re from different places.


Best game of the year…

Against Hargrave for No. 1 in the country (in December). In the first half I had foul trouble but the second half I took over the game.

Toughest matchups…

Guarding me - Yves Jules (Hofstra/Winchendon). We know each other’s games from back home and he was talking a lot of junk before the game. Who I had to guard would be Freddie Riley (UMass/Hargrave). He can really score.

Thoughts on November’s National Tip Off…

We were one of the top prep schools in the nation and wanted to prove a point and we showed that. Everyone was excited. There were a lot of coaches there. Everyone came in prepared.

On January’s Hoop Hall Classic…

We lost to Winchendon. We had been on break and all came from home out of shape. We weren’t ready for that game.

On February’s National Prep School Invitational…

We wanted to play everyone we hadn’t played that would make the playoffs. We wanted to get revenge and not lose like the last tournament.

On the National Championship Tournament…

Even though we were down 20 (vs. Bridgton Academy), we came back and showed a lot of character and just lost at the end.

Regrets…

Not winning the championship.

On other prep school Big East recruits…

Omari Lawrence (St. John’s/South Kent): Strong, explosive, smart

Dan Jennings (West Viriginia/St. Thomas More): Strong, powerful, left-handed

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati/Notre Dame Prep): Can really score

James Southerland (Syracuse/Notre Dame Prep): Athletic, long, can shoot.

Pat Stevens has been around the basketball recruiting and reporting scene for several years. Since 2004, Pat has covered the Prep School ranks, New York City AAU events, and the top All-American camps primarily for Hoopmasters.com. He launched CSTV.com’s recruiting coverage in 2006 as its Recruiting Editor and has additionally contributed to Scout, Rivals and MaxPreps. You can also see more of his recent reporting at Pat Stevens Basketball in anticipation of his launching a new national site in the coming weeks.