Byline: Keith Marder Staff writer
Pick a college, Scott Fuchs says, and he was contacted by it.
Letters, phone calls, visits. You name it.
That's not a real surprise. A lot of 6-foot-11, 245-pound players are heavily recruited. Especially those who have shown some aptitude for playing basketball.
Fuchs, who has been playing organized basketball for only three years, averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and blocked 120 shots for Susan B. Wagner High School in Staten Island.
The New York Daily News named Fuchs a first-team All-Star from the borough.
He got letters from North Carolina. Took a visit to the University of Connecticut. Who's that on the phone? Oh, Brooklyn College. Take a message.
But after considering his options, Fuchs decided to go to the University at Albany, proving that he cares about far more than basketball.
Fuchs, an honors student with a 90 average, was looking for a school with a good basketball program, good academics and a social life.
He found it right off the New York state Thruway. Now, he will become the tallest player in school history. Pete Gosule, who graduated in 1985, held the distinction of being the tallest at 6-8.
'Playing DivisionI means nothing to me,' Fuchs said. 'I'm going to get a great education and they have a very good basketball program there. I'm looking forward to playing with Doc (Sauers) and tearing down the rim there. I think I can come in and help right away. I want to be a product of the system. I like the way Doc runs things.'
Sauers has never seen Fuchs play, but Fuchs saw two Albany games this past season. For Sauers, there were some precarious moments in the recruiting of Fuchs.
'He said he was definitely, definitely, definitely coming, coming, coming,' Sauers said. 'Then he says he has to get rid of this other coach.'
After committing to Albany, Fuchs did visit Brandeis but decided the school was too small for him.
Fuchs, who will be the tallest college player in the area next season, is getting some exposure playing for an AAU team. He has since been contacted by schools such as South Carolina.
'We're keeping our fingers crossed that nobody steals him away from us,' Sauers said. 'We're hoping he can come in and help the varsity right away.'
Fuchs said there is no chance of changing his mind. He is going to Albany. He wants to study pre-law and sports medicine. End of conversation. He's done visiting and is getting ready for freshman orientation June28. He also promised a lot of victories in the next four years.
Work ethic definitely won't be the problem for Fuchs. He may have picked up the game three years ago, but hasn't taken a rest since.
Fuchs plans to play in six summer leagues.
'I play every day,' he said. 'All my friends used to play baseball, so I played baseball. I played basketball one day and I just loved it.
'The thing I love more than anything is just taking a basketball all by myself and thinking about different situations and what to do in a game.'
Tim Capstraw, head coach at Wagner College, also in Staten Island, has seen Fuchs play. He considers him a borderline DivisionI player - a lot like former Siena and Guilderland High School player Eric Fleury.
'He's a bit of a project, but who isn't that's that big,' Capstraw said. 'He's a great kid. People are going to like him because he wants to be good. He wants to be better and better. That's a great recruit for them. One of the most positive things about Scott is he loves to play.'
