by Alex Schwartz

Charlton Young got a big-time commitment today when 6'3 combo guard Jelani Hewitt '10 of Northeast (FL) selected the Eagles of Georgia Southern. Hewitt, ranked #119 in Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125, is the second superb guard in the class of 2010 to select the SoCon school, along with Eric Ferguson of Winchendon School (MA).

"I picked Georgia Southern because of the great situation that is there for me. [There are] great people, [it is a] great school, and also a great coach. Also, in going to Georgia Southern, I know that I will have a huge impact on the team and [I am] going to start for them," said Hewitt of how he made his choice.

UAB, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, and Tulane were the other schools that the Sunshine State standout considered. Those four are all in more highly-regarded conferences, but clearly that was not an issue for Hewitt, who had also garnered varying degrees of interest from schools such as Auburn, Charlotte, East Carolina, Georgia, Jacksonville, James Madison, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tulsa, and UCLA.

Asked if there was anything in specific that made Georgia Southern stand out over the other four finalists, Hewitt replied, "Yeah, Coach CY [Charlton Young]. I love his attitude and the way he recruited me and I know he loves my game and is only going to make me a better player."

Hewitt said that he officially visited the school "last weekend" and that it was the only trip he took. "I felt like that was the right place and I didn't have to see anything else," said Hewitt on why he did not take any other officials.

How does the talented scorer feel now that his decision is behind him? "It feels good. Now I get to focus on other things, like what I need to get better at in the next level."

As far as goals for the next level are concerned, Hewitt has some lofty aspirations. "Win the SoCon, lead my team to the NCAA Tournament, lead my team in scoring and assists, and after [college], hopefully make it playing professional basketball," Hewitt said.

Regarding what he brings to the table for the Eagles, Hewitt remarked, "A different attitude towards the game. With my game, I'm always aggressive. That way I keep people on their toes, so I'm going to bring that same attitude and aggressiveness to Georgia Southern with me."

Hewitt will not be the only player from the Miami area headed to Georgia Southern, as Miami Norland (FL) big man Marvin Baynham is also going to be playing for Charlton Young. Hewitt said that Baynham is the only incoming recruit that he currently has a relationship with, but that while it is not that strong now, he expects it to grow.

"He told me that it would be a good situation," said Hewitt when asked if Bynum recruited him to Georgia Southern. "[We are] not that close. We say wassup to each other, but after the commitment we are going to get closer due to the fact that he is a hometown guy."

Jelani Hewitt is, according to Scout, the third member of Georgia Southern's recruiting class, joining the aforementioned Ferguson and Baynham. Watch out for that trio to down the road, as they have a shot to make some major noise in the SoCon.

Note- photo is from http://www.maxpreps.com/national/national.htm