Hoyas Get Oral Commitment From Another Top Recruit

Vernon Macklin , a 6-foot-9 forward who is considered to be among the top high school seniors in the country, made an unofficial commitment to the Georgetown men's basketball team. Macklin, who averaged 22.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots as a junior at I.C. Norcom High in Portsmouth, Va., is rated as the 12th-best prospect by Rivals.com.

"I like the tradition at Georgetown, and I want to get better on and off the court," said Macklin, who transferred to Hargrave Military Academy over the summer.

Macklin chose the Hoyas over Wake Forest and North Carolina.

He said that a member of the Georgetown coaching staff was at every game he played this summer, and that attention factored into his decision.

"Coach [ John Thompson III ] is a straight-up and forward guy; I like the way he talks and coaches," Macklin said. "They play the game I play, running up and down."

Georgetown has now received three unofficial commitments for the 2006-07 season: Macklin, forward DaJuan Summers and guard Jeremiah Rivers (the son of Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers ). Summers, who was named the Baltimore Sun All-Metro player of the year as a junior at McDonogh, also is considered to be among the top 25 players in the country.

-- Camille Powell