Omar Calhoun (Middle Village, N.Y./Christ The King), an ESPNU 100 shooting guard with no relation to the coach, committed to Connecticut on Friday morning after considering North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, West Virginia, Villanova, Seton Hall and Rutgers.
He recently visited the Huskies and it didn't take long for him to pick up on the UConn vibe. He's the program's biggest New York pull since it signed Kemba Walker, the point guard who led them to this year's national championship.
"After spending quality time with coach [Jim] Calhoun, Kevin Ollie and coach [Glen] Miller, we thought it was a place he could continue with his education athletically and academically," Omar Calhoun Sr. said.
The player's father saw a renewed passion in the Hall of Fame coach and it rubbed off on his son. It was the head coach's approach that swayed him into making a decision before the summer.
"It was the passion that coach Calhoun demonstrated, an excitement that he brought to the table," Calhoun Sr. said. "It was the energy level that he spoke with and the determination that you saw in his eyes to win another championship. You felt like he was in it for the long haul."
Ranked 38th overall in the class of 2012, Omar Calhoun is the type of player who can score in bunches. An ever-improving shooter, he's a strong kid who doesn't mind the responsibility of carrying a team. He's a proven commodity and someone who embraces shouldering the scoring load.
Calhoun is UConn's first commitment for the 2012 class, but the Huskies have their sights set high by targeting No. 1 prospect Andre Drummond (Middletown, Conn./St. Thomas More), No. 18 power forward Jarnell Stokes (Memphis, Tenn./Central) and No. 23 small forward Devonta Pollard (DeKalb, Miss./Kemper County).
Dave Telep is the senior basketball recruiting analyst for ESPN.com. His college basketball scouting service is used by more than 225 colleges and numerous NBA teams. He can be reached at espndt@gmail.com. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter.