Seton Hall Prep guard Anglin weighs St. Joe’s offer

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Seton Hall Prep guard Anglin weighs St. Joe’s offer

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By AARON BRACY

On Twitter: @philahoops

                Dallas Anglin (pictured) likes Saint Joseph’s recent history of producing outstanding guards.

                Starting, of course, with Jameer Nelson and Delonte West, the Hawks have had some notable guards in coach Phil Martelli’s 16 seasons. Players like Rashid Bey, Terrell Myers, Tyrone Barley and Pat Carroll are a few who come to mind.

                Anglin could be a name to add to the list. A 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J., Anglin has been offered a scholarship for 2012-13 by the Hawks. He took an unofficial visit to the campus last week, and spoke to Philahoops Saturday night about his visit and his thoughts on possibly joining St. Joe’s.

                “You can definitely tell they’re a guard school, they let their guards be the coach on the court,” Anglin said. “It seems like a great school for guards. That’s going to be a big plus.”

                In addition to St. Joe’s, the Jersey City native has offers from Richmond, Boston University, St. Peter’s and George Washington. Additionally, he said there is interest from Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Florida, Georgetown, Oregon State, Providence, Xavier and Marquette.

                Many of the schools want Anglin as a point guard, a position he is learning to play after spending his career as a shooting guard. St. Joe’s, however, doesn’t label him as strictly a point guard, which is good considering Martelli has all but handed the reins to incoming freshman point guard Chris Wilson.

                “Coach Martelli calls me a guard,” said Anglin, who averaged 16.3 points and 2.3 assists in 30 games last season. “He doesn’t call me a point guard or shooting guard. He thinks I can be more than one thing and doesn’t want to define me as one position.

                 “I’ve been a (shooting guard) my whole life so I’m trying to have both in my pocket so when I get there if they want me to play (point guard) I can play (point guard). If they want me to play off the ball, I can play off the ball.”

                 Anglin plans on making a verbal commitment sometime this fall, prior to beginning his senior season at Seton Hall Prep.

                 “I’ll probably commit after this summer during the fall before my senior season so I don’t have to worry about schools and stuff during my basketball season,” he said. “That’s a special last year for me so I don’t want a lot of pressure on me mentally while I’m going into the games, worrying about where I’m going. I just want to get that done.”

               And he’ll look within when it’s time to decide, and pick a school that offers him the best chance to succeed – on and off the court.

              “Basically my gut, whatever my gut feeling is,” the well-spoken Anglin said, when asked how he’ll decide. “I want to be in a situation where I’m comfortable on and off the court. Basically, (I want) a second home. It’s not going to be just the next four years of my life. It’s basically the next 40 years of my life.

               “I need to be in a situation where it’s going to benefit me because the ball’s going to stop bouncing one day. I’m going to need to be in a strong academic situation and athletic situation.”

               Anglin has the inside scoop at St. Joe’s from Hawks freshman Ronald Roberts, who teamed with Anglin for a year at St. Peter’s Prep where Anglin attended before transferring to Seton Hall prior to last season.

              “Basically (Roberts said) just be ready to do work academically and athletically,” Anglin said. “The support there on and off the court is great. It’s just a mental aspect when it comes to college. They know you can play basketball, but there are other elements basketball-wise and socially. So mentally you have to be strong and be ready to put the work in.”

                Of his visit last week, Anglin said, “It was a great campus. I loved the atmosphere on campus. It’s not that big. It’s a good size. The people there are nice it seems like. (The current players) seem to like it. What I saw so far I like it. It seems like a good school.”

                Besides Roberts, Anglin also could lean on Barley, a former Seton Hall Prep standout, for information. Anglin said Hawks coaches compare him to Barley, a lock-down defender, meaning Anglin must play some defense.

                “I lock up,” Anglin said. “I play the guard 90 feet.”

                 Anglin will spend the summer competing for Sports University Team Izod on the AAU circuit, and then reassess his options before finalizing his decision.

                Right now, he says he’s not leaning any way.

                “I’m keeping an open mind. I’m not turning anyone down. You don’t want to burn bridges because you might have to cross it again one day.”

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For highlights of Anglin, click on this“> YouTube link:

3-pointers at :23 and 1:41.

Dunks at :49 and 3:09.

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Aaron Bracy covers Philadelphia college basketball for Philahoops.com. Reach him at philahoops@gmail.com