by Alex Schwartz

There have been a number of commitments over the past several days, including seven to high-major programs. Schools from coast to coast have landed commitments recently, some of which have come from players who will be on campus this fall and others who will not arrive until 2012 or 2013. Below is the rundown of the pledges that have come down of late.

The most high-profile player to come off the board was 6'3 shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon of Strake Jesuit (TX). The #33 ranked player in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2012 Top 50, Sulaimon committed to the Duke Blue Devils according to Scout and NY2LA Sports, amongst others.

Sulaimon is the second commitment for Duke in the class of 2012, joining #20 ranked Alex Murphy of St. Mark's (MA). The 6'8 small forward, though, may end up enrolling at Duke a year early and take the floor this fall.

Sulaimon is one of three players from Houston Hoops ranked in the top 35 of the 2012 rankings, along with #13 J-Mychal Reese of Bryan (TX) and #17 LJ Rose of Second Baptist (TX). Rose is a player that Duke has shown some interest in.

Auburn landed itself a 2012 wing who could develop into an impact player for the rebuilding SEC program. Shaq Johnson, a 6'5 small forward from Milton (GA), committed to the Tigers according to the Twitter page of his AAU coach with the Southern Kings, Anthony Hardnett. According to Scout, Johnson is the first pledge for Tony Barbee and Co. in the junior class.

Johnson was not the only Peach State junior to commit a team nicknamed the Tigers in the past few days. Through his Twitter page, Dan McDonald reported that Jaron Blossomgame had pledged to Clemson. Blossomgame, a 6'7 power forward out of Chattahoochee (GA), is the first commitment for the Tigers in the class of 2012, per Scout.

In news first reported by The Wolfpacker, the North Carolina State affiliate of Rivals, Sidney Lowe picked up a 2012 verbal. Josip Mikulic, a 6'11 center at North Broward Prep (FL) by way of Croatia, has popped to the Wolfpack. Still a relative unknown at this point, Mikuluc is the second pledge for NC State in 2012, per Scout, joining Tyler Lewis of Forsyth Country Day (NC).

Illinois-Chicago snagged a junior from one of the most loaded programs in the Prairie. Gabriel Snider, a 6'1 shooting guard from Whitney Young (IL), committed to UIC, per City/Suburban Hoops Report. According to ESPN, Snider is the first commitment for the Flames in the junior class.

Brian Snow of Scout reported that Purdue dipped in the sophomore class yet again, gaining a commitment from St. Charles East (IL) standout Kendall Stephens. Snow noted that the 6'5 shooting guard's father, Everette Stephens, also played at Purdue. For the Boilermakers, Stephens is already the second commitment in the class of 2013, per Scout, joining Bryson Scott of Northrop (IN).

According to multiple reports, 6'11 senior center Isaiah Hill of God's Academy (TX) committed to the Seton Hall Pirates. An Indiana native, Hill is the second commitment for SHU in as many weeks, following the recent pledge of Sean Grennan of Monsignor Donovan (NJ). Kevin Williard and his staff also have three other 2011 commitments in Aaron Cosby of Northfield Mt. Hermon (MA), Freddie Wilson of Hillhouse (CT), and Haralds Karlis of Canaries Basketball Academy.

The other high-major program to gain a commitment from a class of 2011 prospect recently was Oregon State. According to Scout's Evan Daniels, the Beavers went overseas to land Charles Barton, Jr., a 6'3 shooting guard from Sweden. Barton is the second commit for Oregon State in 2011, joining the #132 ranked player in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150, Daniel Gomis of Oak Hill Academy (VA).

Northfield Mt. Hermon (MA) is arguably the best school in the nation when it comes to combining basketball and academics. A pair of players from the NEPSAC program committed recently, according to the team's official Twitter page. California native Jvonte Brooks, a 6'6 power forward, pledged to Dartmouth and Vince Van Nes, a 6'11 center from England selected Fairfield.

According to ESPN, Brooks is the second commitment for Dartmouth in the 2011 class, joining Gabas Maldunas of Holderness School (NH). As for Fairfield, ESPN lists Van Nes as the Stags' second pledge in the senior class, joining Adam Jones of St. Thomas More (CT), a player who originally signed with the MAAC program in the 2010 class out of Winter Park (FL).

ZagsBlog reported that Wagner received a commitment from Eugene McCrory, a 6'8 power forward from CJEOTO Academy (NJ). Last year, as a senior in high school, McCrory committed to the Bobby Gonzalez regime at Seton Hall. He did not sign and went to CJEOTO for a post-grad year. Now, per ESPN, he is the third commitment for Wagner in the 2011 class, joining Mario Moody of East Orange (NJ) and Marcus Burton of Butler (NC).

Multiple reports indicate that Central Michigan went out to California to land its point guard of the future. Austin McBroom of Campbell Hall (CA), the alma mater of the Philadelphia 76ers' Jrue Holiday, pledged to the Chippewas. The 5'11 point guard is listed by ESPN as the second for CMU in the senior class, along with Jorddan Myrick of West Ottawa (MI).

Scout's Brian Snow has been busy of late, as another stroy he broke was that 6'3 shooting guard Kris Brewer of Brehm Prep (IL) had verbally committed to the Kent State Golden Flashes. According to ESPN, Brewer is the MAC school's second pledge in the 2011 class, joining JuCo prospect Chris Evans of Wabash Valley JC (IL).

According the the IN Basketball Recruits Twitter page, Luka Zivkovic made his collegiate decision and will head to New Yok City to play for Tom Pecora at Fordham. A 6'8 power forward out of Serbia who attends Traders Point Christian (IN), Zivkovic is the fourth member of a superb recruiting class for the Rams. He joins Ryan Canty of Brimmer and May (MA) as well as New York natives and Notre Dame Prep (MA) teammates Devon "Fatty" McMillan and Jeff Short.

RCS Sports reported that Isiah "Snoopy" Jones of Christian Life Center (TX) took his name off the board and committed to UAB. Jones, a 6'2 shooting guard, is the third pledge for Mike Davis and Co. in the class of 2011. The other future Blazers are KC Whitaker of Fishburne Military Academy (VA) and Malcolm Herron, a JuCo player attending Western Texas JC.

Finally, according to the cfbasketblog Twitter page, a pair of Arlington Country Day (FL) teammates will be heading to college together. Arkansas-Little Rock picked up commitments from ACD 6'10 center Michael Javes and 6'6 small forward Kofi Josephs. According to ESPN, this makes five commitments for the Trojans in the class of 2011, as they join James White of Jonesboro (GA) and a pair of JuCo players, Reggie Fondren of Northeast Mississippi CC and Will Neighbour of Daytona State JC (FL).

I'd like to credit to Hoopniks for posting many of these commitments on both its website and Twitter page. This allows myself and others to find out about some lower-profile commitments that people may otherwise not hear of.

Note- photo on the left is of Rasheed Sulaimon and is from http://www.ny2lasports.com/default.aspx; photo on the right is of Vince Van Nes and is from http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/