Catching Up With...Aaric Murray

Aaric Murray continues to move up in the recruiting rankings and gather offers from schools across the country – but the rising senior is in no rush to make a decision.

“I’m not really sure of a time,” Murray told the NBE Basketball Report recently. “I want to make sure that I won’t be mad or regret my decision.”

However, the 6-10, 230 lb. center did add that he would like to choose before the start of his final high school season. When asked what schools were recruiting him, Murray gave a laundry list of Big East and Atlantic-10 teams.

“West Virginia, Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, Marquette, Temple, La Salle,” he said. “Do you want me to keep going? Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Connecticut, Kentucky. . .”

While he says he does not have a current favorite, various recruiting outlets point to West Virginia as his likely destination. It will be interesting to see whether the new additions of Dalton Pepper and Dan Jennings to the Mountaineers’ recruiting class will affect his decision.

Murray said the most important thing he is looking for at a school is its coach and how well Murray gets along with him.

“The coach is really the only thing,” he said. “I need to have a good relationship with the coach and find a coach I can relate to. I want to see how the coach treats his players.

“I listen a lot, so what you say stays with me. I want a coach who will tell me something new.”

Murray added that academics will play a role when choosing a destination. “I also want to find a school where I fit in, can get my degree and keep up and graduate,” he said.

Murray was one of the most impressive players at the Reebok U All-American Camp at Philadelphia University in early July. He was named to the All-Star Game and was widely considered a top big man prospect at the camp.

The first thing you notice about Murray is his enormous size and length. Still, he is well-built and extremely athletic. He can finish effectively around the rim, and threw down multiple monster dunks. The lefty also has some nice post moves around the basket. He moves well without the ball and is solid at cutting to open spots on the court. Defensively, he gets in front of his man and denies the ball very well, but he is also a solid shot-blocker. Murray grabbed several offensive rebounds and also did well at the other end. According to Murray, his biggest strengths are defense and talking on the court.

Despite his outstanding performance in Philadelphia, Murray said he will continue to practice and train in the offseason, trying to improve his footwork and strength.

“I always say don’t ever be satisfied; I need to work hard at everything,” said Murray, who is ranked as the No. 41 recruit and No. 6 center in the Class of 2009 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.

“I’m never satisfied.”