Rutgers After Ratliffe

One player Rutgers is looking at is Ricardo Ratliffe, a 6-8 senior power forward out of Hampton (Va.) Kecoughtan High.

Ratliffe scored 23 points and missed just one shot to lead Boo Williams to the title at the Boo Williams 17U tournament last weekend.

Ratliffe is also considering Virginia Tech, Old Dominion and VCU, although none of the schools have yet offered, according to Kecoughtan coach Joel Hines.

"He's kind of wide open right now," Hines said Wednesday by phone. "His recruiting is picking up because he got MVP this past weekend."

Hines said there was also a possibility that Ratliffe could prep next year.

"He's trying to finish the year strong academically," the coach said.

A natural four, Ratliffe could develop into a small forward at the next level.

"He's a very skilled post player," Hines said. "He's very raw at this point. He can hurt you inside. He has range to the 3-point line. He's a fierce competitor. He was our school's all-time leading scorer and he was the state Player of the Year."

As for where Rutgers fits in, Hines said:

"Rutgers fits in the mix. He's been dealing with Coach (Jim) Carr and at this point, in my honest opinion, I think many coaches are aware of his potential to just blow up. At this point, some schools want him to know that they're first in line before other schools hop on. There's nothing wrong with that. Ultimately, it's going to be his decision."

Hines said he expected Ratliffe to hit the summer circuit before possibly deciding on a school later in the year.