Shaker alumnus and University of Louisville basketball recruit, Terry Rozier, decided to put his Louisville scholarship on hold to attend a year of prep school at Hargrave Academy in Chatam, Virginia. “Louisville and I thought this what would be best for me,” said Rozier describing his decision.
Hargrave is a private boarding school for high school students and post-graduates. Rozier now attends Hargrave to improve his high school academic record and to further train to play at Louisville. He will play at Hargrave for the year, and will attend and play at Louisville next year. When asked if his decision had any drawbacks, Rozier said, “No drawbacks . . . When I get to Louisville next year there won’t be a point guard, so I’ll get playing time right away.”
Rozier is attending Hargrave to redeem his scores from high school, to become eligible to compete in college. Hargrave’s educational belief is that students who are physically, morally and mentally fit are in a better position to make sound decisions, establish personal goals and become productive citizens.
Not only will Terry acquire the grades for the game, he will play at Hargrave as a combo guard alongside many Division 1 recruits. Hargrave basketball is highly noted for its great talent and hard work during the offseason.
Rozier is not the first to take the prep school route; in fact, many players take a year off before college in hopes of earning a bigger or better scholarship, or just to gain experience against other elite competition. Rozier is one of fourteen recruits on the Hargrave team; four of them are committed to other Division 1 schools. Hargrave’s starting small forward is committed to Virginia Tech, their shooting guard is another Louisville commit, and they have one bench player committed to Wake Forest. The other 10 recruits remain undecided. This year, Hargrave will play 45 games against other prep schools, junior varsity college teams and junior college teams.
Many great NBA players such as Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony have opted to attend prep school before continuing their promising careers. Likewise, many college recruits take a year off and attend prep school to redeem their grades and train themselves for their road ahead. For post-graduate athletes, prep school serves as a gateway between high school and college. “You’re more independent at prep school,” said prep school product Chris Evans in an interview with the Connecticut Post. “It’s definitely tougher; no one is holding your hand. But also it’s not college.” Evans now plays as a guard for Sacred Heart.
Many prep schools are known for their athletic prominence as well as their academics and discipline. Durant and Anthony are few of many great prep school products, hopefully the future will prove to be promising for Rozier.
A version of this story appeared in print on 19 September 2012, on page 12 of The Shakerite
