A pair of prep school players are off the table.
Brewster Academy (N.H.) 6-7, 200-pound power forward Chris Cornelius committed to Southern Illinois and Bridgton Academy (Maine) 6-3, 205-pound guard Courtney Beasley pledged to Larry Eustachy and Southern Mississippi, according to Bridgton coach Whit Lesure.
Cornelius was, at one time, ready to commit to Illinois State – but head coach Porter Moser and his staff weren’t ready to take the Illinois native. So Cornelius waited a little while before committing to the Salukis.
``Southern Illinois had offered way back in the fall,” Brewster coach Jason Smith said. “Chris was always interested, but he didn’t want to make a knee-jerk reaction. Southern Illinois was the most aggressive school in pursuing Chris.”
Cornelius, who was also being recruited by Auburn, Charleston and LaSalle, is averaging 9.5 points and 8 boards for Brewster this season. He was also recruited by Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Loyola (Ill.) and Boston University.
As for Beasley, the strong guard from Huntsville, Ala., should help bolster a struggling Southern Mississippi program. He’s been somewhat inconsistent at times this season, but he can get to the basket and also knock down the 3-pointer.
Beasley, a one-time signee to Jacksonville State, scored 17 points, grabbed 8 boards and had 6 assists in a victory against IMG this past Saturday.