Boston College Athletics
Eagles Add Three During Early Signing Period
November 17, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Graves, Popovic and Sagay to become Eagles
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College men's basketball has signed three players in the early signing period: guard Ty Graves (Greensboro, N.C.), forward Nik Popovic (Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina) and forward Mike Sagay (Bloomfield, Conn.).
"These three players, along with last year's class, give us a really solid foundation," head coach Jim Christian said. "As we move forward, one of the focuses at Boston College will be to have more of a presence in New England. We are playing in the best basketball conference in the country. Recruiting is the life line of the program and we have to continue to attract the very best student-athletes that we can. All three players in this class come from very good families. They are high quality guys that are serious about basketball, getting a degree and excelling after leaving Boston College."
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Led Page High School to the NCHSAA Class 4-A semifinals as a sophomore … played his junior season at Montverde Academy in Florida, which won the national championship that year … will play his senior season at High Point Christian Academy, ranked No. 12 in USA Today's Super 25 … played AAU with the Karolina Diamonds … chose Boston College over Virginia, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Harvard and others.
Kevin Schneider, Vice President/National Recruiting Director at Big Shots: "Ty Graves is one of the better gets in the 2016 class. He has been a star in our Big Shots events since he was 15. He is a top 100 talent and he is the type of guard that you compete for ACC titles with. He is a coach's son that strives to get better every day. Ty has gotten stronger and he shoots the lights out. I think he's as good as any guard out there. He is one of the biggest sleepers in the country in this class. Ty doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves nationally, but he soon will. Ty is a very confident player who will have a tremendous career at BC and beyond."
High Point Head Coach Brandon Clifford: "Ty is a phenomenal player and an even better person. The way he approaches the game at his age is uncommon. He isn't caught up in rankings or other people's opinions; he just wants to get better and win games. He is one of those guys that you can look at and tell his best basketball days are ahead of him. He has a 'Steph Curry' vibe in that I think he will really shine at the college level. His skill level is very high and he is a much better athlete than some might think. His game is very suited for the college level. He is very underrated now by most media outlets, but I think over the next couple of years folks will see what type of heist Boston College pulled off when they were able to get Ty Graves off of Tobacco Road."
Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian: "Ty is one of the most dynamic guards you will see anywhere in the country and he epitomizes everything that we want in our student-athletes here at BC. He is unbelievable with the ball in his hands and can play either guard slot. His ability to take and make difficult shots will separate him from other guards in this class. He is a man with unbelievable character raised by two disciplined, athletic parents. He is the type of kid that will be extremely successful at Boston College over the long haul."
Played for the U18 Serbian National Team at the 2015 European Championship … played in six of seven games for the U17 team that won the bronze medal at the 2014 FIBA World Championships … member of the Red Star junior team last season … will play his senior season at The Sagemont School in Florida, which produced Syracuse's Fab Melo … chose Boston College over Georgia, Notre Dame, Providence, Vanderbilt, Richmond and others.
Sagemont Head Coach Adam Ross: "Nik is a very skilled, dynamic power forward. He creates mismatch issues for opposing teams because at 6-10 and 225 pounds, he can step away from the basket and make threes. He can also take his man off the dribble and create for teammates. If you defend him with a smaller player, he will bury them on the block and score with his back to the basket. He is a terrific player who will surely impress at Boston College."
Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian: "Nik is a very skilled forward/center. He has a unique skill set where he has the ability to shoot the three, beat you off the dribble and score in the low post. He had great success in Serbia where he played alongside Arizona's Dusan Ristic at Red Star. He has played against very good international competition and the fact that he is spending his senior year in the United States will give him the opportunity to catch up to the speed of the game here, and to apply his skills to this system once he gets to Boston College. We're counting on him to get here and bolster our front court immediately."
Ranked as the fifth-best prospect in Connecticut and the 14th-best prospect in New England by New England Recruiting Report … named All-NEPSAC Second Team as a junior at Watkinson School … played AAU for Game Elite … chose Boston College over Villanova, LSU, Seton Hall, St. Bonaventure and others.
St. Thomas More Head Coach Jere Quinn: "Mike is a wonderful athlete and gifted shooter with a high level of potential. His quickness and length (he has a 6-11 reach) should offer him the opportunities to become an excellent defender. He is also a very nice young man from a nice family."
Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian: "Mike was an under the radar recruit in New England. We stumbled upon him at an open gym at St. Patrick's in New Jersey where he started the year. He instantaneously caught my eye as a very long, athletic, highly skilled athlete that is the combo forward that we are looking for. His mother was a world-class sprinter for Jamaica. His father played on the Nigerian national basketball team. He is a converted football quarterback and just recently got serious about basketball. His skills make him a perfect fit for that combo forward position."
"These three players, along with last year's class, give us a really solid foundation," head coach Jim Christian said. "As we move forward, one of the focuses at Boston College will be to have more of a presence in New England. We are playing in the best basketball conference in the country. Recruiting is the life line of the program and we have to continue to attract the very best student-athletes that we can. All three players in this class come from very good families. They are high quality guys that are serious about basketball, getting a degree and excelling after leaving Boston College."
Â
Led Page High School to the NCHSAA Class 4-A semifinals as a sophomore … played his junior season at Montverde Academy in Florida, which won the national championship that year … will play his senior season at High Point Christian Academy, ranked No. 12 in USA Today's Super 25 … played AAU with the Karolina Diamonds … chose Boston College over Virginia, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Harvard and others.
Kevin Schneider, Vice President/National Recruiting Director at Big Shots: "Ty Graves is one of the better gets in the 2016 class. He has been a star in our Big Shots events since he was 15. He is a top 100 talent and he is the type of guard that you compete for ACC titles with. He is a coach's son that strives to get better every day. Ty has gotten stronger and he shoots the lights out. I think he's as good as any guard out there. He is one of the biggest sleepers in the country in this class. Ty doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves nationally, but he soon will. Ty is a very confident player who will have a tremendous career at BC and beyond."
High Point Head Coach Brandon Clifford: "Ty is a phenomenal player and an even better person. The way he approaches the game at his age is uncommon. He isn't caught up in rankings or other people's opinions; he just wants to get better and win games. He is one of those guys that you can look at and tell his best basketball days are ahead of him. He has a 'Steph Curry' vibe in that I think he will really shine at the college level. His skill level is very high and he is a much better athlete than some might think. His game is very suited for the college level. He is very underrated now by most media outlets, but I think over the next couple of years folks will see what type of heist Boston College pulled off when they were able to get Ty Graves off of Tobacco Road."
Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian: "Ty is one of the most dynamic guards you will see anywhere in the country and he epitomizes everything that we want in our student-athletes here at BC. He is unbelievable with the ball in his hands and can play either guard slot. His ability to take and make difficult shots will separate him from other guards in this class. He is a man with unbelievable character raised by two disciplined, athletic parents. He is the type of kid that will be extremely successful at Boston College over the long haul."
Played for the U18 Serbian National Team at the 2015 European Championship … played in six of seven games for the U17 team that won the bronze medal at the 2014 FIBA World Championships … member of the Red Star junior team last season … will play his senior season at The Sagemont School in Florida, which produced Syracuse's Fab Melo … chose Boston College over Georgia, Notre Dame, Providence, Vanderbilt, Richmond and others.
Sagemont Head Coach Adam Ross: "Nik is a very skilled, dynamic power forward. He creates mismatch issues for opposing teams because at 6-10 and 225 pounds, he can step away from the basket and make threes. He can also take his man off the dribble and create for teammates. If you defend him with a smaller player, he will bury them on the block and score with his back to the basket. He is a terrific player who will surely impress at Boston College."
Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian: "Nik is a very skilled forward/center. He has a unique skill set where he has the ability to shoot the three, beat you off the dribble and score in the low post. He had great success in Serbia where he played alongside Arizona's Dusan Ristic at Red Star. He has played against very good international competition and the fact that he is spending his senior year in the United States will give him the opportunity to catch up to the speed of the game here, and to apply his skills to this system once he gets to Boston College. We're counting on him to get here and bolster our front court immediately."
Ranked as the fifth-best prospect in Connecticut and the 14th-best prospect in New England by New England Recruiting Report … named All-NEPSAC Second Team as a junior at Watkinson School … played AAU for Game Elite … chose Boston College over Villanova, LSU, Seton Hall, St. Bonaventure and others.
St. Thomas More Head Coach Jere Quinn: "Mike is a wonderful athlete and gifted shooter with a high level of potential. His quickness and length (he has a 6-11 reach) should offer him the opportunities to become an excellent defender. He is also a very nice young man from a nice family."
Boston College Head Coach Jim Christian: "Mike was an under the radar recruit in New England. We stumbled upon him at an open gym at St. Patrick's in New Jersey where he started the year. He instantaneously caught my eye as a very long, athletic, highly skilled athlete that is the combo forward that we are looking for. His mother was a world-class sprinter for Jamaica. His father played on the Nigerian national basketball team. He is a converted football quarterback and just recently got serious about basketball. His skills make him a perfect fit for that combo forward position."
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