If NBA Must Wait, Where Will Brumbaugh Go

A lot has been written about Keith Brumbaugh's quest to become a NBA draft pick this summer. The quest will continue for Brumbaugh on April 16, when he participates in the (Michael) Jordan Classic high school all-star game at Madison Square Garden in New York.

"The NBA is still what Keith is thinking, but I don't know," DeLand High School coach John Zeoli said about his star. "Right now NBA and some college scouts are saying he probably isn't even on the chart, but you never know. Keith could go up there on the 16th and absolutely have a great game."

Great games are Brumbaugh's specialty. On a chronically young DeLand team, Brumbaugh put up big numbers all season long. The 5-star Rivals 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward averaged 30.3 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game as his team finished 16-10. Despite those credentials, however, it was universally felt that Brumbaugh's NBA dreams took a hit when he was recently bypassed for selection to the annual McDonald's All-American game.

"If the team around him was more developed, Keith probably would have had something like nine assists a game," Zeoli said. "They simply couldn't handle some of the passes he was serving."

Zeoli considers Brumbaugh the total package.

"His main strength is his outside shot and he just has great touch for a big man," he said. "He runs the floor well and, more importantly, sees the floor well. His passing ability is just really developed. Beyond that, he's the guy you want taking the last shot. He hit some big ones in the final seconds for us this year – clutch shots. The only real portion of his game that, as a coach, I think could use some targeted development is his footwork on defense."

Despite the NBA dreams, Brumbaugh is still talking to coaches. Florida appears to be the frontrunner, but Florida State, Southern Cal and South Florida are in the running.

"He hasn't decided on a college, but I think it might be Florida. He seems to want to stay in-state. Although some weeks it is FSU and then others he's Florida," Zeoli said. "He's also talked about Southern Cal. No interest in Miami, but the South Florida guys stay on him."

Is South Florida really a realistic option for the 5-star player?

"Well, they are in the Big East and they definitely have more to sell. (USF assistant coach) Frank Burnell has just been in constant contact with him and Frank has some strong personal and professional ties in Daytona Beach and DeLand being from over this way (Burnell was the head coach at Daytona Beach Community College for 10 seasons)," Zeoli said. "You just never know. Keith is a real private guy and when he makes his decision it will be his decision."