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Kiski School getting top players?

 Mike White| Tuesday, May 12, 10:49 p.m.

Kiski School, a prep school near Indiana, is apparently trying to upgrade its basketball program and rumors are circulating everywhere about WPIAL players possibly going to the school next year.

Kiski has hired a new coach in Tony Cheatham, and because the school is not in the WPIAL or PIAA, it can recruit players as much as it wants. I've heard a handful of players from the WPIAL might be going to Kiski next year. I won't use names yet, but the rumors are pretty strong in WPIAL coaching circles. Please note: This is Kiski School, a prep school in Saltsburg. This is NOT Kiski Area, a WPIAL school in Vandergrift.

A pair of promising freshmen at Central Catholic are seriously considering attending Kiski - and that's not a rumor. Lucas Mickens, a talented senior guard who will graduate from Central Catholic in June, said he will most likely attend Kiski for a fifth year. He also said his younger brother, Ben, a 6-4 freshman, might also be going to Kiski. And Lincoln Davis, a 6-foot freshman, is also considering attending Kiski, according to Lucas Mickens. Both Ben Mickens and Davis saw varsity time as freshmen.

The next few months should be interesting in terms of what goes on with Kiski's basketball team - and also how WPIAL coaches react if some talented players start leaving and go to Kiski.


Posted May 12 2009, 10:51 PM by Mike White

Comments

collegesportsfan wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Wed, May 13 2009 7:22 AM

Mike,  I am curious to know who pays for these players' tuition?

JaMu77 wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Thu, May 14 2009 1:11 PM

Just like a college, there are scholarships available.

ThinMint73 wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Fri, May 15 2009 3:42 PM

It's not just basketball.  There is Century Conference football player going for another year of high school because of bad grades I heard.  I don't know how that is possible but he's a senior this year...

Mike White wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Sat, May 16 2009 12:37 PM

Actually, Kiski does NOT give scholarships and students do have to take a placement test to show they belong. Kiski gives financial aid based on need. It's like Division III colleges and Ivy League schools, who also give financial aid based on need. I always say that work likes this: If a school "NEEDS" you as a player, they always seem to somehow find a lot of "FINANCIAL AID."

Gladiator_Pride wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Sun, May 17 2009 6:24 PM

I've heard of cases where well-to-alumni will pay for tuition.  The terms used are sponsors or sponsorships.  Now this was speaking in terms of some Catholic high schools and not a prep school like Kiski, but couldn't the same thing be happening here?  What would stop the athletic coaches from reaching out to alumni for donations/support and putting that money towards the tuition for athletes?

Gladiator_Pride wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Sun, May 17 2009 6:26 PM

ThinMint73:  Kiski School is a prep school that lets a high school player play as a fifth year senior.  If I'm not mistaken, it is because of this reason that they are not eligible to participate in PIAA play, because their sports teams may have members playing past eight high school semesters.  

This is no different than what Larry Fitzgerald or LeSean McCoy did prior to coming to Pitt.

JaMu77 wrote re: Kiski School getting top players?
on Wed, Jun 3 2009 4:38 PM

Now this is interesting. The same coach that was "apparently" recruiting these players has left Kiski and is suing the school. What a joke this guy is.