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Seven foot center Kyle Rowley of Lake Forest Academy has shaken up the Illinois high school recruiting world today by deciding to commit to nearby Northwestern University as a class of 2008 recruit. Rowley was one of the most sought after post players in the country for the class of 2009 but the native of Trinidad and Tobago decided he was college ready, and since he was eligible to graduate early he opted to reclassify so that he could attend Northwestern next year.

”Northwestern was the best fit for me,” Rowley said. “Both the academics and the opportunity to play Big 10 basketball are great. There is not a much better conference in the country, and with Northwestern you can’t go wrong academically. I have visited the campus like five times, and there is an overall great feel to it. Since I stepped on the campus for the first time last fall I felt at home. I also have a great relationship with the players.

”I guess it seems like it was a good choice because I would develop more in college than I would from another year of high school,” said Rowley of his decision to reclassify to 08. Rowley has also been talked about as a red-shirt candidate for next year, and it is something he is considering. “I’m thinking I am going to go in there and work hard and when November comes what ever the coaches decide I will go with.”

Rowley came to America two summers ago, in 2006, and was very raw and unskilled. Now weighing in at 280 lbs, Rowley is a very mobile, skilled post presence. He is a good rebounder and adequate shot blocker, is a very good passer for a big man and has great moves around the basket. Rowley is also a good free-throw shooter and has a good mid-range jumper. The skilled big man is also a gym rat, and it is easy to see that his long hours on the court have paid off, as he has improved a vast amount over each of the past two years.

”It was a lot of hard work to improve as much as I have,” Rowley said. “I owe it to Steve Pratt, my high school coaches, and Dickey (Simpkins). I owe them for all my development. Steve helped me with becoming a more complete player and Dickey helped me a lot in the post.”

While playing with Full Package so far this spring, Rowley has had some ups and downs. After a great showing at the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish, Rowley played average at the Pitt Jam Fest and had some good games at the King James Classic. Regardless of how well he plays, Rowley is a terrific prospect and it is easy to see that he will be a special player one day. Rowley also has a number of talented teammates on his Full Package team, including a number of NU targets. 6-3 SG Matt Vogrich of Lake Forest High School is one player in particular that is being heavily pursued by the Wildcat staff.

”Full package has a great group of really talented guys. All the guys are great teammates and are great at finding me when I’m open. All great individuals. It would be awesome to get a chance to maybe play with Matt (in college). He plays hard and it rubs off on the rest of team,” stated Rowley.

Northwestern assistant coach Tavaras Hardy was responsible for the recruitment of Rowley, and the former Wildcat post player is proving himself to be one of the elite recruiters in the nation. Rowley joins wing Nick Fruendt (Batavia), 6-8 forward John Shurna (Glenbard West), 6-9 Davide’ Curletti (St. Mary’s, Michigan) and 6-11 Luka Mirkovic (La Lumier, Indiana) in what is Northwestern University’s best recruiting class to date under Head Coach Bill Carmody. There were talks of the current staff possibly being on the "Hot Seat" after they won just one Big 10 game this season, but it is clear now that they are here to stay. With Coach Hardy and Coach Mitch Henderson's recruiting and Coach Carmody's on-court expertise, Northwestern has a chance to be a contender.

  ”Tavaras is not only a great coach, but he has been a support system for me. I can go and talk to him about stuff whenever, and I built a good relationship with him,” said Rowley of the Northwestern assistant. “He made me feel more comfortable with the program and people there. I am also really excited about the great class coming in… This class can be a major program changer and hopefully we can make the NCAA tournament soon.”

Rowley chose Northwestern, over interest, and offers, from some of the elite schools in the nation. Like Mirkovic before him (who chose NU over Louisville, Marquette, and DePaul), Rowley chose NU over a number of elite basketball programs. Georgetown, Indiana, Ohio State, Pittsburg, and Oregon St were all being considered when the decision to commit was made.

”It was a tough decision to make but I feel confident about the one I made,” Rowley stated.

Finally, I would like to say congratulations to Northwestern University and to Kyle Rowley. As the publisher of this website I have gotten to know Kyle well over the last two years, and there is not a better kid playing the game today. The modest big man also has great work ethic, really cares about the game of basketball, and will be an great member of the Northwestern community.