Torres Recruitment Gaining Steam
Austin Torres is a name that has gone relatively unnoticed in the Division 1 basketball recruiting world, that is, until recently. The 6-foot-6 200 pound forward and high school teammate of WMU verbal commit Leo Svete, is starting to get some looks himself.
"Well, I wasn't really getting recruited by any D-1 schools during my varsity season with Penn," explained Torres. "I wasn't on the grid at all."
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Torres currently holds offers from Indiana East, Indiana Wesleyan, and Northwood. He's received interest from Alabama-Huntsville, Central Michigan, Davidson, Eastern Kentucky, Elon, Lafayette, South Dakota, St. Bonaventure, and Western Michigan. However Austin Torres is looking for a school with more than just a good basketball program.
When asked what the most important factor was in choosing a school, Torres didn't waste much time thinking about his answer.
"Academics." Torres said without hesitation. "That's basically my future beyond college basketball."
"Coaching staff and players are probably the next most important. Bonding together is key because you're going to be together all of the time for four straight years, and that's critical."
Impressively enough, Torres just completely courses in Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics and AP Calculus. He's also a math tutor at Penn High School. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Torres has also earned a spot on the school's Honor Roll.
Torres averaged 10.6 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, 2.1 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game, and 2.4 blocks per game during his junior year at Penn High School. His numbers have continued to improve at the AAU level. This season, he is averaging 14.8 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 2.7 assist per game, 1.6 steals per game, and 2 blocks per game for MBA Select (Mishawaka).
Torres is scheduled to play in the Adidas Invitational (Indianapolis) this weekend, the Kentucky HoopFest (Louisville) July 18-22, and the Gym Rats Basketball Association (GRBA) National Championships in Ft. Wayne, Indiana July 26-29. Torres said the Central Michigan coaching staff plans to come down and watch him play in the Adidas Invitational this upcoming weekend.
As far as Western Michigan goes, Torres is still trying to get to know the program and get a better understanding with what his potential role could be with the Broncos.
"I don't really know where I stand," said Torres when referring to the Broncos' lone left scholarship available. "I don't know what they are looking for."
Torres doesn't have any official or unofficial visits scheduled to Western Michigan right now, but has been in contact with Coach Kool the most, recently.
"I've been in contact with the coaching staff," said Torres.
"I had a half-hour conversation with Coach Kool the other day about coming up and seeing everything. He was telling me all about his playing days at Western Michigan and had so many great things to say about Coach Hawkins and the program. Coach Kool knows exactly what he's looking for in terms of playing style," Torres explained.
Torres has yet to name a top group of schools, but admits that Central Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, and Northwood have been in contact with him the most. He has also made visits to all three schools. Torres is hoping to make a commitment before the beginning of next season.
"I'd like to take visits and see what everyone has to offer and see how they all compare. Athletics isn't everything. Academics is a big thing for me. I want to see what schools have to offer academically too. I know WMU is a great academic school."