Potomac's Burrell commits to Mount St. Mary's

With a weekend phone call, Potomac junior guard Justin Burrell made an early verbal commitment to the Mount St. Mary’s University men’s basketball program.
Burrell dialed up Milan Brown and told the coach he would accept the college scholarship offered to him before the 2008-09 season began.
“I picked Mount St. Mary’s because the school was a good fit,” said Burrell, who led the Panthers in scoring this year with 12.8 points per game. “I felt I fit in with their system of play, I had a good feel for their coaching staff and I got along with the players there.
“Once I got up there, I was sold.”
Burrell, who can’t sign his national letter-of-intent until the November early-signing period, made an unofficial visit to the school last Wednesday and enjoyed the trip, citing comfort with the size of the campus and the impression made by the team already in place.
“It’s a smaller campus,” he said, “and everything is right there. I liked that. I got to see the players and they’re all guys who work hard. I got a feel that I can play at that level.”
“They are accustomed to having smaller guards and have had smaller guards in the past,” said Burrell’s high school coach, Keith Honore. “He fits Mount St. Mary’s system.”
Recently, The Mount featured Gar-Field graduate Chris Vann, who was listed at 6-foot. Burrell is a bit smaller at 5-8 according to Potomac’s 2008-09 roster.
“With my penetration and fast-pace running the break,” Burrell said, “that’s what I do well and that’s what they focus on.”
Mount St. Mary’s was the only Division I school to offer Burrell, but he reported “heavy interest” from other D-I programs, as well.
Honore said Richmond, Bucknell and Radford were among schools showing the most interest.
Burrell said former Woodbridge player and coach at Forest Park Brion Dunlap, now an assistant under Brown, played a role in the recruitment.
“I spoke with coach Dunlap a lot,” Burrell said. “He’s from the area and he was involved in a lot of my recruiting. He came to a lot of games and open gyms. He’s also good friends with my cousin, Hollis Johnson—it’s a good connection.
“I just want to thank my dad, all my AAU coaches with Boo Williams and D.C. Assault and anyone else who’s worked with me, including coach Honore.”
Burrell was named to the All-Cardinal District first team and was an All-Northwest Region honorable mention selection this year.
Also solidifying their college basketball plans recently were Gar-Field’s Kwasi Amponsah and Kasee Hilliard, Forest Park’s Matt Boward and Stonewall Jackson’s Aramis Judson.
Amponsah, the News & Messenger’s All-Area boys Player of the Year, agreed to play at Roanoke College, a Division III program in Salem, Va.
The 6-0 guard led the area in scoring with a 20.4 ppg average and was fourth-best in 3-pointers, making 2.0 a game. Amponsah carries a cumulative GPA of 3.476 and is 83rd in a senior class of 558. He finished his career with 1,010 points in three years.
The Maroons went 19-7 in 2008-09, 11-5 versus Old Dominion Athletic Conference opponents.
Hilliard will play for the Christopher Newport University women’s team in the winter of 2009. The Indians’ guard averaged 9.4 ppg last year. She made a season-high four 3-pointers against Stafford Dec. 13.
CNU went 22-7 overall and 14-7 against USA South teams last year, winning the conference title. The Captains reached the D-III NCAA Tournament, facing No. 8 York in the first round.
Boward, who averaged 10.7 ppg for the Bruins, will play for the University of Mary Washington’s men’s program next season. He averaged 1.1 3-pointers a game last year. The Eagles were 14-12 overall and went 10-6 in the Capital Area Conference.
Judson signed with Division II Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn. The Raider averaged 5.9 ppg this year. The Bucs went 11-16 overall and 4-10 in Gulf South Conference play.