Top Prep Guard Forced to Reschedule Visit

This is an update to a story originally posted on Sept. 25.

Jesus Verdejo, one of the top high school wing guard prospects in the class of 2003, has been forced to reschedule his official recruiting trip to South Florida.

Verdejo was set to visit campus on Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 23-24) along with Art Alvarez, his coach at Miami Christian High School, but Alvarez's mother had to undergo emergency quadruple bypass heart surgery, forcing postponement of the trip.

Reached Friday, Alvarez said his mother's surgery was successful and he, Verdejo and Verdejo's mother will instead travel to USF next Friday (Nov. 1).

"I was supposed to speak at Coach (Seth) Greenberg's coaching clinic this week and Jesus was coming with me, but I obviously had to cancel that," Alvarez said. "We'll be there next week. Jesus really likes South Florida."

The visit will be the first of Verdejo's five alloted official recruiting trips.

Verdejo (6-foot-4, 190 pounds), a native of Puerto Rico, averaged 22 points per game as a junior last season at Miami Christian and was named second-team all-state in Class 1A. His stock continued to rise over the summer when he led the Puerto Rican team to the gold medal with a 5-0 record at the Men’s Junior (Under 19) World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela. Verdejo then put together impressive showings at the NIKE and McDonald’s All-American camps.

“I think he proved to everyone during the summer that he’s a high-level Division I player. He averaged something like 18 or 19 points per game at the McDonald’s camp,” Alvarez said. “Of all the players I’ve had at Miami Christian, he’s the complete package. He’s a scoring machine. He’s a good transition player, a great finisher, he has good range, he’s good defensively – and he won’t be 17 years old until next year.”

Verdejo moved with his mother to Miami from Puerto Rico, and Alvarez said Verdejo would prefer to play his college basketball in Florida. He already has scholarship offers from USF, Florida State, Memphis, Marquette, Alabama, UConn, Florida Atlantic and Florida International.

South Florida will be Verdejo’s first on-campus visit, but he also plans to trip to Memphis, Florida State and Marquette. The fifth visit remains open, but Alvarez said it’s likely to be to Connecticut.

“Having a chance to play right away as a freshman is one of the most important things we’re looking at. That’s pivotal and both Seth (Greenberg) and Cal (Memphis Head Coach John Calipari) are known for playing freshmen,” Alvarez said. “Looking at it right now, the South Florida situation could be a good one. The staff has done a real nice job recruiting him. Seth Greenberg was the first coach in front of him and the first to offer. Jesus is a loyal guy and that goes a long way with both of us. If you ask me today, I’d say South Florida and Memphis definitely have the leg up.”

Alvarez also said it’s likely Verdejo will make a commitment during the early signing period in November.