Foster’s recruiting journey finally ends

Seton’s Alex Foster is a prime example of just what a wild journey the college recruiting process can be, even for the genetically gifted.

He was a child basketball prodigy, entering high school on a wave of hype. He was one member of the “Big Three” that included Simeon’s Jabari Parker and former Young player Tommy Hamilton Jr.

“I’m just happy to be signing,” Foster said. “[The Big Three stuff] seems like a long time ago, I haven’t thought about that recently.”

Foster is the only member of the Big Three that signed on Wednesday (with Minnesota).

Parker is considered one of the top players in the country and is waiting until the late signing period in April. Hamilton has left Young and has enrolled at IMG Academy in Florida.

Foster played for three years at De La Salle, where he never really seemed to catch his stride. He transferred to Seton over the summer and will be part of a Sting squad expected to compete for the Class 2A state title.

“Recruiting was an experience,” Foster said. “Back in fifth grade I knew I would go to college but I had no idea it would be like this, with all the calls and interviews. I’m just glad I’m going to a school I know will take care of me.”

Twenty-five local players signed with Division I schools Wednesday. The 2013 class is widely considered to be considerably better than last year’s group.

“It’s kind of a breath of fresh air after what we had in 2012 in terms of the potential impact of these guys at the highest level,” recruiting analyst Joe Henricksen said. “I don’t think it’s as good as 2011, but it’s close. It’s also a pretty deep class when it comes to really quality mid-major players.”

The majority of the class waited until the summer before their senior years to make college choices.

“More than in other years, more college programs got legitimate steals for their respective levels of play,” Henricksen said. “For whatever reason, this group of players found great fits.

“There is no reason why Kyle Davis couldn’t have wound up in a high major conference. But it’s a great fit for him at Dayton. A lot of them chose the right level.”