Dai-Jon Parker/courtcred.comBy Paul Seaver (TheArenaPulse) DePaul has found themselves amongst the worst in the Big East for a number of years now. With the hiring of new head coach Oliver Purnell, who came over from Clemson this past spring, the Blue Demons have begun to string together a solid class for next season in an effort to rebuild the program.
On Friday, Purnell received the news that his class of 2011 had grown by two.
With the addition of their fourth and fifth recruits, DePaul and Purnell have the made some solid steps in helping the program move forward in terms of recruiting.
Canadien prospect Braeden Anderson and Mississippi big man Derrell Robertson both offered their verbal intentions to join the Blue Demons in 2011.
Anderson, a 6-foot-8 power forward, is a well-built big man with a great mid-range game. He is a native of Calgary, but currently play his ball at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts.
Anderson chose DePaul over Temple, Cincinnati, UConn, and Hawaii.
Robertson will join Anderson and previously committed prospects Shane Larkin, Macari Brooks, and Jamie Crockett.
Labeled as a 6-foot-9 center, Robertson, along with Anderson, give Purnell's class of 2011 some inside presence. According to ESPNU, the five man class now covers all five positions on the court proving the Blue Demons will be looking to add talent at all positions in terms of rebuilding.
Moving south into SEC territory, another Top 100 prospect is off the board. Dai-Jon Parker, the 46th best prospect in the class, has verbally committed to Vanderbilt.
Parker, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard out of Milton H.S. (GA), has great explosiveness and is one of the best shooters in the class of 2011. Parker should give Vandy an instant scorer beginning next season and his commitment gives head coach Kevin Stallings three verbals, two of which are considered amongst the top 100 in the country.
Parker chose Vanderbilt over Oregon State, Oklahoma State, URI, and Georgia, joining top prospect Kedren Johnson and 6-foot-8 power forward Shelby Moats in the class.
In other news, a pair of "former" Big 12 teams, Nebraska and Colorado, have both scored verbal commitments of their own.
David Rivers, a 6-foot-6 forward out of Little Rock, Arkansas will head to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, who pledged to head to the Big Ten this past spring, pick up their third commitment for next season.
Rivers, who chose Nebraska over Arkansas-Little Rock, UTEP, Tulane, Wichita State, and South Florida, will join Corey Hilliard and Josiah Moore in Omaha.
Just a week after picking up a verbal commitment from Askia Booker, Colorado has now added their second recruit from the class of 2011. Spencer Dinwiddie has offered his verbal intentions to join the Buffaloes.
Dinwiddie, a 6-foot-3 California product, had interest from Oregon, Harvard, UCLA, and UNLV, but decided his greatest fit was with head coach Tad Boyle and Colorado.
*Photo: Dai-Jon Parker *Credit: courtcred.com
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