Though senior guard Brian Grandieri won't be around past the 2008-09 season, the Penn basketball team might have found the right guy to fill his shoes.
Rob Belcore, a 6-foot-5 guard from Loyola Academy in Chicago, has become the second high school senior known to commit to Penn, joining 6-1 point guard Zack Rosen of St. Benedict Prep in Newark, N.J.
Belcore declared his intent to come to Penn just before making another visit to campus last weekend, which included a stop at the Penn-Lafayette football game.
Though he attracted attention from several major Division I programs, including a scholarship offer from La Salle, he had recently narrowed down his list to Penn and Southern Illinois.
"I said from the very start that Penn was the only Ivy League I'd ever go to because they're the only one that ever wins," Belcore said.
In the past few weeks, Belcore and Rosen have talked to each other almost every day and, according to Belcore, are hoping to help the Quakers break their losing streak in the NCAA Tournament.
Belcore's mother, Deb, was very impressed with the Penn coaching staff throughout the recruiting process, especially in its ability to recognize Belcore's selflessness on the court.
"He's not the type of player that dunks and draws attention to himself; he comes in there and does what's right for the time," she said. "He shoots the three like none other," she added.
With Belcore in hand, coach Glen Miller can begin to focus more attention on locking up a few big men to complement his new incoming backcourt.
