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As Donte Greene, a recent graduate of Towson Catholic High School, earns recognition by ESPN for his role as a freshman basketball player with Syracuse, another Towson Catholic player signs with a different Division I school.

Larry Bastfield, a senior point guard on Towson Catholic’s team, committed in October to the University of Toledo. Many college coaches have recruited him and his teammates. Larry believes playing on the right high school team gets good players more exposure. “The public school league can’t do a lot of out of state tournaments. Private schools can travel a lot more and play in tournaments.”

To improve his abilities, Larry started working with Athelites during his freshman year of high school. “Athelites will condition you and give you motivation,” he explains. To be in top condition, Larry suggests, “During the off season, working out on your own. Work game speed until you’re tired.”

Athelites also helped Larry improve his ball handling skills. “Ephraim had us doing a lot of dribbling drills. As a point guard I needed to focus on being a better ball handler. The average right-handed player goes right almost every time. If you can go right and left, then they have to work really hard to stop you.” It’s harder to guard someone who can move in any direction.

Because Larry has talent, skill, and drive, coaches sought him out early. “The college recruiting process started when I was a freshman,” Larry says. He received a lot of letters of interest from colleges. “It’s against NCAA rules for colleges to call you before your junior year,” he explains.

As a junior, Larry started getting text messages. “They ask you how you are, what’s going on, and other keeping in touch stuff,” he says. Early in the season during his junior year, Loyola College in Maryland made him an offer. Larry decided to wait before committing.

The summer after his junior year, colleges began suggesting ways Larry could play on their teams. “They started saying, ‘We’ll show you how you can fit in next year,’” says Larry. This past summer, the University of Toledo made him an offer. He visited their campus, talked to the coaches, and looked at their facilities before committing to them in October.

Larry suggests that basketball players who want college recruiters to seek them out work on their game and plan more. “Everybody can play ball. Try managing your game,” he says.

Written By Terri Pilcher

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