Friday, 01 October 2004
 Kevin Rogers, the 6'9 240 pound power forward prospect from South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, has decided to end the recruiting process and has chosen to become a Baylor Bear. On Thursday evening he notified head coach Scott Drew that he would be bringing his talents to Waco, and will be signing with the Big 12 school in a few weeks during the early fall period in November.
Rogers had an interesting summer, to say the least. While his on the court play was strong enough to generate serious interest from Baylor and many other colleges in powerhouse conferences including Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and others, the constant recruiting shuffle at those schools(including some programs which were on again, off again with him) caused Rogers to continue working through his options until finally selecting the one which offered him the right combination of geography, playing time, and the environment that he was looking for.
"I just like everything about it," said Rogers. "Baylor has good academics, a good Christian atmosphere, and it’s close to my family."
Rogers marks the third blue chip commitment for Baylor, all of whom are high schoolers in Texas, and all of whom have appeared in the top 75 national rankings in various recruiting services during the year. In addition to Rogers, Baylor now has secured commitments from the jet quick point guard Curtis Jerrells out of Del Valle, Texas, and also the ultra explosive scoring guard Henry Dugat out of Dayton, Texas. With this third piece of the puzzle, Baylor is now closing in on what looks to be an outstanding 2005 recruiting class.
"I really like the coaches at Baylor a lot," Rogers said. "Mainly because of their honesty. While some of the coaches at other schools may tell you different things, those guys have been straight with me all the way through."
One thing that makes Rogers so effective on the court is his ability to score from both inside and outside. In addition to possessing a nice spot up jumper with solid range out to 15 feet, he also has some nice post moves, including a seemingly unstoppable left handed baby hook shot which he is able to get off to with ease against post defenders. His ball handling and passing skills both rate very well for a big man, he runs the floor very well, and knows how to play unselfishly.
His mother Rhonda Rogers told Elite Preps that she is also very excited about her son’s commitment to the Bears. "I am very happy that my son committed to Baylor," she said. "It’s a great Christian atmosphere there, the coaches are great, and he’ll have a chance to excel on the basketball court with them. I also like the fact that the school is so close to Dallas, that we can just go watch him play whenever we want, and then come right back home and get ready for the next day."
Rogers said that he is very solid with his commitment to Baylor, and will no longer be considering any other colleges. "Oh, it’s solid. It’s real solid. I’m definitely going to be there next year." |
