AIC’s Late Steal Completes Great Class

August 7th, 2008
NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com

Holding an open scholarship is risky business for division II coaches, considering they have no more than 10 per year (as opposed to 13 on the division I level).  But for the coaching staff at American International College the risk proved to be well worth it.

Coming into the month of July, the AIC coaching staff might have felt uneasy about still having an open scholarship.  But good things come to those who wait, and it couldn’t have gotten much better for AIC than landing Isiah Wallace. 

Coming out of Sabis Charter (Springfield, MA) in the spring of 2007 Wallace already had division II scholarship offers on the table.  But he nevertheless decided to head to prep school for an extra year and wound up at Bridgton Academy.  Upon arriving at the NEPSAC powerhouse, Wallace proved himself to be a division I player.  The swingman was the team’s most consistent player, seemingly scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds every time he stepped on the floor.  His tremendous season resulted in a scholarship to Central Connecticut State University. 

But after recently completing a summer session at CCSU, Wallace and the Blue Devils have had an amicable parting of ways.  Consequently, the Springfield native was again looking for a home.  With less than a month before the start of the fall semester, you can bet AIC was happy to oblige.

Not only does AIC land a player who was capable of making an immediate impact on the division I level, but they also get a player who could be a four year starter and potentially an all league player for them down the road.  Wallace’s Achilles heel has always been his conditioning.  But if he can maintain the same levels he showed last spring at Bridgton, then he could end up having a tremendous college career right in his own backyard. 

But Wallace is just the tip of the iceberg in what has turned out to be a terrific recruiting class for AIC head coach Art Luptowski and assistant Andy Burkholder.  Also headed to Springfield are Adrian Hynes-Guery and Travis Nichols.  Similar to Wallace, Hynes-Guery is another division I level player who comes to Springfield with four years of eligibility after transferring from Drexel University, where he received a medical red-shirt.  Nichols is a 6’4” forward from Food & Finance High School in New York.  He will have to sit this year, but looks to be an instant contributor upon entering the Yellow Jacket line-up in the 2009-2010 season.