An old coach once told me, "If you do one thing in life, I
suggest you be in demand."
Truer words were never spoken and in the case of Cory Stanton (Springfield) being in demand had its
perks.
A couple of official visits, being lauded as the next
freshman of the year and such showed that the 5'11 speedster was certainly in
demand.
In the end all the fawning was exciting but a decision on
where to spend the next four years loomed and took precedence.
Stanton
ended all speculation on Sunday night and gave his pledge to the Raiders of
Wright State.
What led up to Stanton
being on the most wanted list was simple, he earned it.
Playing in basically his first summer on the circuit, the Springfield rocket gave everyone from Cincinnati
to Orlando
cause for enrichment with his aggressive style of defense and his ability to
lead a team without scoring a point.
Running with the Tennessee Tigers, Stanton made believers out of a great deal of
coaches who took the time to observe his play at the various venues he graced
in July.
After the conclusion, his phone and mailbox began an
onslaught that most assuredly caused his mail carrier to file for some sort of workman's
compensation claim for his strained back after having to lug all that
correspondence.
Cory took a few official visits but was enamored with the
rich basketball tradition and the rising expectations of the Horizon League
stalwart.
The Horizon League was voted as one of the top 12 conference
in the nation and the Raiders program under coach Brad Brownell, has finished with
three straight 20 win seasons, including last years 20-13 mark.
Brownell, who is always mentioned as one of the top up and
coming coaches in the nation, will love the intensity and leadership skills of
his newest commitment. Stanton
has a knack for making those around him better and is one of the best kids I
have met in all my years of covering this state.
With his commitment, Stanton becomes the 13th member of the Class of 2010 to pledge for a D1 school.
