ShawneeDispatch.com

With a wide array of local NCAA Division I schools recruiting him, it looked to be a sure bet that Shawnee Mission Northwest basketball senior forward/post Steve Carver was going to be playing basketball at a place where Cougar fans could make a daytrip to see one of their alums play college ball.

Now, Cougar fans better make that a long weekend.

Carver, one of the Cougars’ leading scorers and rebounders from the 2008-2009 season, has agreed to play college basketball for the Holy Cross University Crusaders in Worcester, Mass. He signed his national letter of intent Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Holy Cross, a member of the Patriot League with schools such as American, Army, Bucknell and Navy, has seen success at basketball in recent seasons. Last season, the Crusaders finished second in the Patriot League and many in the local area might remember the scare the Crusaders threw into heavy favorite (and No. 1 seed) Kansas University when the two schools met in the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

Carver, who was being recruited by the likes of Colorado State, Iowa, Kansas State, Missouri, Missouri State and Rice, set his choice on the school from the northeast because of his personal experiences and interactions on the Worcester campus.

“They’ve been recruiting me for a couple of months,” Carver said in recounting his recruiting experience. “So, I went up for a visit with an open mind. I connected really well with the coaching staff and players. The way coach (Sean) Kearney coaches with his motion offense is a lot like what he did at Notre Dame, so it’s not too much different for me to learn. They really needed a four-man; a kind of taller small forward or a power forward/big man who can shoot the three.”

Though Carver hasn’t yet settled on a specific direction he wants his college education to take, he noted Holy Cross’s business program as a contributing factor in his decision. His choice of the Crusaders also fulfills one of his lifetime goals.

“Ever since I can remember, maybe 3 or 4 years old, I’ve always wanted to play Division I basketball,” Carver said. “My dad (Brad Carver) played for K-State (1982-83) as a small forward. He was definitely happy with my choice. He and my mom are just glad that I’m happy with my decision.”

With his college decision now complete, Carver plans to head into his final campaign as a Cougar with a clear focus on the potential of the 2009-2010 season. Together with junior A.J. Spencer, the Cougars look to have one of the most foreboding front lines in the Sunflower League and are aiming at a second consecutive state tournament appearance. His college coaches also helped in making this senior season stress-free.

“It’s definitely a big weight lifted off my shoulders,” Carver said about his college choice. “With my senior season, my college coaches just told me to go out and play my best. I’m definitely going to need to get a lot stronger at the next level.”

Carver’s coach of the past three seasons at SMNW, Ben Meseke, knew immediately what attracted the Crusader recruiters to his senior post.

“He’s a great kid, for one,” Meseke said, “and I’m not talking basketball. His basketball skills speak for themselves. He’s one of our leaders. He’s an inside-outside guy. He has height, which is one thing you can’t coach, and he has the ability to play with his back to the basket. He’s a pretty intelligent kid and, no matter what type of offense they run, he knows what to do.”

Like Carver’s parents, Meseke was happy with his player’s college choice because of the joy it brought his star player. However, he did have at least one reservation.

“My first reaction was a selfish one,” Meseke said. “He’s going to be so far away I’m not going to get to see him play but a little bit. The main thing, though, is ‘who are you going to be around, and are they going to be quality people?’ and he found that. He seems very happy with Holy Cross.”

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