‘It’s a tough year for a basketball player to be graduating high school.’ Here’s why.

Every year, on average, Dade and Broward counties produce 80 to 100 Division I football signees.

In baseball, 40 to 50 baseball players sign with D1 schools, with many more going to junior colleges, NAIA and lower levels of the NCAA.

But boys’ basketball?

This school year?

Zero in November’s early signing period, and there have been no commitments yet from Dade and Broward with the next signing date opening up on April 14.

“It’s a tough year for a basketball player to be graduating high school,” said Jim Crutchfield, coach of Nova Southeastern University, an NCAA Division II program.

NSU signed a local player this year, 6-8 guard Jonathan Pierre of Hallandale High.

Dade/Broward girls’ basketball this year has produced five high-major signees, and at least three more are set to go Division I.

But why the lack of boys’ basketball D1 signees this year?

There are several factors:

1: According to VerbalCommits.com, roughly 1,200 men’s college basketball players are in the transfer portal, a record number. Last year at this time, there were 600 players in the. portal.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said last week that a proposed rule that will allow players to transfer once without sitting out a year is expected to pass. That helps explain why 25 percent of college players have put their names in the portal.

For college coaches, the thought process goes like this: “Why take a risk on an unproven high school freshman when I can go into the portal and sign an experienced collegian?”

2: Due to COVID-19, all college players are being granted an extra year. Most seniors are opting to stay in college basketball, leaving far fewer open roster spots for high school freshmen.

3: This year’s senior class for Dade/Broward basketball players is not a strong one.

The Class of 2022, for example, is much better with stars such as 6-7 forward Gregg Glenn (Calvary Christian); the 6-4 Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar Thompson (Pine Crest); 6-10 forward Taylor Hendricks (Calvary Christian); and 6-11 forward Ben Middlebrooks (Westminster Academy).

4: Due to COVID, college coaches haven’t been able to travel to recruit prep players in person, complicating the evaluation process.

But, as bad as the situation looks right now for Dade/Broward ballers, it should get better in the coming weeks.

Columbus, for example, has a pair of senior prospects in 6-foot-5 wing Reggie Luis and 6-1 shooting guard Hubertas “Hubie” Pivorius.

Luis averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals while making 75 percent of his free throws and 58 percent on two-pointers. Pivorius averaged 16.7 points while shooting 43 percent on three-pointers and 71 percent on free throws.

“I encouraged both of them to commit early,” Columbus coach Andrew Moran said. “Hubie had an offer from Cal State Bakersfield in the fall, and he didn’t commit. By the time Hubie called back to commit, that offer was officially gone. Reggie didn’t commit when he got an offer from Northeastern.

“The problem is that colleges are now recruiting college players — guys with experience — and it’s hard for college coaches to evaluate [prep] players just off of video.

“If not for COVID, Reggie would have five or six offers. High school players are getting hit hard, and it’s unfortunate.”

Luis said he still has a chance to sign with Northeastern next fall, in which case he would go to a prep school first.

“It’s tough,” Luis said of the scholarship situation. “But it’s going to come.”

Pivorius, who believes he is the best three-point shooter n South Florida, said he will represent his native Lithuania in the Under-19 World Championships in July.

He is hoping his play there will generate scholarship interest.

“Some days you have doubts, ‘Maybe I should have done this or that’,” Pivorius said. “But I think my skill set will stand out.

“I got that [scholarship] offer [from Cal State Bakersfield] before the season started. I wanted to see how I played, wait for better opportunities.

“It was a risk. But I’m happy how it’s playing out. I’m getting interest.”

Other local seniors who could sign D1 in the coming weeks:

▪ James Henderson, a 6-8 center at Westminster Christian, averaged 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks. He has offers from Hampton and IUPUI and interest from schools such as New Orleans and Pepperdine.

▪ James Nichols, a 6-5 wing at Westminster Academy, averaged 14.8 points and 6.8 rebounds and has interest from Stetson, New Orleans and others.

▪ Arturo Dean, a 5-11 guard at Calusa Prep, averaged 25.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals. He has an offer from Stetson.

▪ Desmond Romer, a 6-1 guard at Coral Gables, averaged 23.4 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 steals.

▪ Justin Neely, a 6-5 wing formerly of Miami High and now at Orlando’s West Oaks, expects to sign D1 in the coming weeks.

This story was originally published April 7, 2021 at 10:15 AM.