Bob Gibbons All Star Report
The Daily Hampshire Gazette
The Springfield Union-News
niversity of Massachusetts head coach Steve Lappas and his staff have gotten a good jump on recruiting for the Class of 2002 with a mid-July commitment from 6'0 155 lbs. PG Mike Lasme of Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. The 18 year old is an Ivory Coast native.
He selected the Minutemen over interest from USC, Stanford, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, and St. John's. He gave the coaching staff a verbal commitment this past Saturday and then returned home to the Ivory Coast to visit his family.
 Mike Lasme Courtesey: Sportscensus.com |
Mike played with the New Jersey All Stars at the Bob Gibbons Memorial Day Tournament of Champions where he impressed onlookers and often overshadowed his more highly regarded teammate, and Louisville recruit, TaQuan Dean. He also went to both the 5 Star Camp and Nike All America Camp in July. His team plays in Las Vegas at the Big Time Tournament later this week, but it is unknown whether he will return in time from his trip home to participate.
Lasme averaged 21.8 points, 10 assists, and 2 steals per game last season for Life Center. He's an excellent student with a 3.4 GPA.
Massachusetts will now turn their attention to landing some big bodies with their two remaining scholarships.
he University of Massachusetts men's basketball roster will have an even more international look for the 2002-03 season, as the Minutemen received a verbal commitment from Michel "Mike" Lasme, a 6-foot-1 guard from the Ivory Coast.
Lasme spent last season playing for Crispus Attucks in York, Pa., and will be at Life Center Academy in New Jersey this season. That school has had success with international players in the past.
Darryl Gladden, the coach at Life Center, confirmed Lasme's decision.
"He liked the coaching staff," Gladden said. "He felt very comfortable with coach (Steve) Lappas, (assistants) Andrew Theokas and Chris Walker. They recruited him the right way."
After a strong Nike Camp, Lasme's stock skyrocketed as he received interest from several schools, including Mississippi State, Colorado, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Stanford, Seton Hall and St. John's.
Lasme played shooting guard at Attucks, but has played point guard this summer on the AAU Circuit for the New Jersey All-Stars. Hoop Scoop, a recruiting publication, listed his vertical leap at 45 inches.
"He was a scoring, combo guard last year," Gladden said. "But he's been really perfecting the point guard position."
Gladden said Lasme is good enough to be a strong college player now, but could be even better in the future.
"He's good enough to play, but he's still learning the American game somewhat," Gladden said. "He's only going to get better. His potential is unlimited."
While Gladden is praising his own player, some recruiting experts backed up his praise.
"This kid has a burst to the cup that's not in dispute," said Dave Telep of Blue Chip Hoops. "He's a super athlete who will defend. In the game we watched, he looked to score a lot and made some threes and medium jumpers off the pull-up."
"Lasme is an excellent athlete who was on fire offensively at the Tournament of Champions," said Jeremy Tiers of High major Hoops.com. "He was consistent from beyond the arc and used his quickness to attack the basket, where he usually finished the play."
Lasme's parents, who are former basketball players, are still in Abidjan, a city along the Ivory Coast, while he lives with a host family in New Jersey. Lasme has yet to take the SATs, but according to Gladden, Lasme has a strong handle on the language.
"His English is good. There are no communication problems with him," Gladden said. "He hasn't taken the SAT yet, but he should be able to pass it."
According to Gladden, the Minutemen are one of several teams that are also recruiting Jean-Claude Kwame, a 6-5 forward at Life Center, who is also from the Ivory Coast.
Due to NCAA rules, Lappas is not allowed to comment on a recruit until he has signed a national letter of intent. The first signing period is in early November.
UMass has three more scholarships to offer and likely will seek big men to replace departing seniors Kitwana Rhymer, Jackie Rodgers and Eric Williams.