The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net AT the height of the collegiate basketball recruiting season, one highly touted Bahamian high school senior remains on the short list of blue chip recruits who have yet to choose their school for the fall. Wannah Bail, a top-notch prospect on the high school basketball scene for the past four years in Houston, Texas, remains one of just 12 players on the ESPN top 100 to remain undecided on a school. He is ranked 96th in the top 100 and 22nd amongst power forwards. Along with guard Michael Carey, the duo attended Trent Internationale School last season but had to transfer to Fort Bend Austin, Texas, at the start of this year. They were ruled ineligible to compete in the Houston area and settled on Lamar Consolidated in Rosenberg, Texas. Bail, considered one of the top players at the forward position in the class of 2012, has been sought after by a virtual who's who list of NCAA basketball. He currently has offers from Houston, Indiana, Arkansas, Louisville, Marquette, Texas, Baylor, San Francisco, Arizona State and South Florida, with interest from Kansas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Arizona, Miami (Fl.), USC, Nebraska and Boston College. Thus far, Bail has made two unofficial visits to Houston and Oklahoma State. Both players made the transition to Texas at the same time and have been teammates at the high school and AAU level ever since and have speculated about possibly remaining teammates at the collegiate level. Bail, a 6'8" power forward, is ranked 92 out of a possible 100 points, 11th amongst players at the position, 43rd overall and first in the state of Texas. The latest updated evaluations on ESPN.com has analysts speaking highly of Bail's athletic ability. "Bail has a world class body and matching athletic ability. He is a lefty that runs the floor effortlessly and can finish above the rim with great quickness and explosion on the break or from drop off passes created by dribble penetration," it stated. Coming off an injury plagued summer, Bail is also ranked No. 68 in the CBSSports.com Top 100. Namesake and CEO of the Frank Rutherford Elite Development programme, Frank Rutherford applauded the work done by Bail and the other players in Texas that have continued to make a major impact on the high school and collegiate basketball landscape. "It is important for us, especially as Bahamians, to appreciate the work that has been done by the student athletes in the Frank Rutherford Elite Bahamian Education Programme," Rutherford said in a press release. "It needs to be understood that there are only 400 Division I basketball programmes in America and every year there are three scholarships available in these programmes. Hence, there are only 1,200 Division I scholarships to be given each year. There are over two million high school students competing for these 1,200 scholarships, that means that less than 0.5 per cent of those competing will get those scholarships. The Frank Rutherford Elite Bahamian Education Programme has a 150 per cent success rate for all of the Bahamian students that enter the programmes. Other noted alumni of the programme include Devard and Devaughn Darling, Ian Symonette, Dwight Miller, Enrico Forbes, Waltia Rolle, Mikhail McLean, Probese Leo, Alex Cooper and others. "All of these students sign a Division I scholarship every year. The Frank Rutherford Elite Bahamian Education Programme remains committed in their relentless efforts in helping Bahamian students achieve a college education through sports," he said. "I hope God will continue to bestow blessings on the foundation where it can continue to support the youth of the Bahamas."