by David Cassilo / @dcassilo
Houston has become a hotbed for NBA prospects over the past decade, but while these players have been making a name for themselves across the country, few have stayed in their hometown. That changed on Sunday when 2012 recruits Danuel House and Danrad “Chicken” Knowles decided to stay put by committing to the Houston Cougars.
The bigger prize of the two was the House, a senior at Hightower High School in Sugar Land, Texas, just about 30 minutes from Houston. Ranked No. 15 by ESPNU for the class of 2012, the small forward House is known as an athletic scorer with great range from the outside. He had also garnered interest from Georgetown, Ohio State, Baylor, Texas and Kansas.
His future teammate Knowles is a Houston native ranked No. 56 for 2012 by ESPNU. A power forward with a good handle and outside shooting ability, Knowles was also considering Arkansas, Baylor and Missouri.
Houston’s head coach James Dickey was able to lure the players to the school by playing up a return to prominence for the program.
From the Houston Chronicle:
“The coaches and I had a great relationship,” House said. “We talk and they know how to joke and laugh and play (around) with me. I also wanted to stay home near my mom and dad. They can come to the game with ease and not have to pay for plane tickets. I wanted support from my family and church members. And I wanted to try to change things and get the tradition back.”
Dickey, who formerly coached at Texas Tech from 1991-2001, has a long road ahead of him still at Houston. He went 12-18 with the Cougars last year in his first season with the team.
