[Muck]

Dunbar's Pogue leaning toward USC

The Wolverines' powerful post player says phenom Mayo will go to Southern Cal, too.


By Kyle Nagel
Staff Writer

Thursday, November 16, 2006

DAYTON - Aaron Pogue hasn't officially made his college choice. But he's leaning.


"I have to say I like USC," said Pogue, the Dunbar High School center who helped the Wolverines to the Division II boys basketball state championship last season.

At Dayton Public Schools basketball media day Wednesday, Pogue also said he is also considering Tennessee and Florida, but the powerful post player said USC "plays my style of basketball. I fell in love with it."


There's also a potential teammate helping his decision. Pogue said O.J. Mayo, the two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball who led North College Hill to the past two D-III state titles before transferring to Huntington, W.Va., has told Pogue he will play basketball at USC.


Pogue should follow a line of highly recruited Dunbar players, which includes Daequan Cook, a freshman at Ohio State, and Wolverines junior Josh Benson, who has given the University of Dayton a verbal commitment to begin playing there in 2008.


Peter Pullen, the Dunbar coach, said point guard Norris Cole could either play basketball at NAIA power Walsh University in Canton or Robert Morris near Pittsburgh, among other choices. Pullen said Pogue has his choice of Division I schools "as long as he follows our game plan in the classroom."
Other coaches said Dunbar's success on the court and in the recruiting arena can help their teams.


"They have inspired my kids to work hard as well," said Billy Brooks, the Belmont coach. "In the past there's been a stigma about Dayton Public kids with discipline and other problems. Now, as they're paying more attention, (college coaches) know that's not true."


Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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