25-plus Division I programs are showing interest in 2021 Neumann Goretti (PA) forward Blaise Vespe.
As a junior, he played for the No. 1 team in the state, and played a championship role for a program that was rolling through the competition. Vespe believes that some coaches have only gotten a glimpse of what he can truly do. So it’s important to pay attention to his senior season.
“I had to play a certain role last year because I played for the No. 1 team in the state and we had so many talented seniors, and I had to take a little bit of a backseat to them,” Vespe explained. “I had to play a certain role for us to win and [coaches] realize that next year I’m not going to have to play a role. I’m going to be able to score a lot more stepping into a whole new role.”
Without a summer, he’s been utilizing his time to work on his game, and improve his skill set within the half court.
“I’m just really working on my footwork and my handles,” he said. “My handles are already pretty solid but it can always get better. I’m working on limited dribbles in a half court set, coming off screens, shooting and then also making players better.”
“I’ve just been working on everything but mostly for me, I already have the athleticism so I’m just trying to sharpen up my shooting, ball handling and footwork a little bit more.”
Vespe has also spent some time playing against some of the top prospects from last years college season that are preparing for the NBA draft and some professionals that are already playing in the NBA.
“I’v been playing three on three, and I’ve kind of been a floor general with high school and college kids,” he said. “I’ve been playing with a lot of pros like Obi Toppin, Myles Powell and Kevin Knox, and I’ve been getting some real good competitive pick up games.”
All of this will help him in his new role that he will step into as a senior. But, if you ask him, he was ready yesterday.
“I’m ready already,” he said. “I feel like I competed with [pros] and I held my own against them. So when I go against high school kids it’s going to be nothing because they are so much more physical, taller, faster and stronger. So when I go up against high school kids it should be no problem.”
So far, IUPUI is his only offer but Valparaiso, Niagara, Fairleigh Dickinson and Mount St Mary’s, among others, have reached out to show interest, and more offers could fly in the next few days.
Mount St Mary’s had a virtual visit with Vespe recently, and Fairleigh Dickinson has one scheduled with him in the next few days.
His recruitment is still open and more programs should get involved, so he has no intention to narrow down or decide soon.
“I don’t want to be recruited off of a role. I want to be able to lay everything out there,” he said. “I probably only laid out 50-percent of my game. There is still another 50-percent that no one knows about. So before I start narrowing down my colleges I want to lay everything out there and see what I get.”
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