Darrun Hilliard to announce his college choice at 5 p.m. Wednesday

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Liberty star basketball player Darrun Hilliard said he would announce his college decision at 5 p.m. Wednesday inside Liberty's Memorial Gym. Give him credit for wanting to get this out of the way now, a month before his senior year begins.

Hilliard is one of the most heavily recruited players in Pennsylvania with several offers on the table from Division I scholarship schools.

He is expected to play for Liberty on Tuesday at 7 in the Allentown Summer League Championship Game at Cedar Beach.

The Hurricanes, going for their second straight city championship, will be playing Freedom.

Here's a report from Alex Schwartz of Villanova.rivals.com:

The Villanova coaching staff had ample opportunity to watch 6'5 shooting guard Darrun Hilliard '11 of Liberty (PA) while in Orlando.

Hilliard's team, the Jersey Shore Warriors, advanced to the championship game of the AAU Super Showcase U17 Silver Bracket. The staff certainly seized the chance to evaluate the intriguing in-state standout, who updated VUSports.com on his recruitment and where things stand with the Wildcats.

Hilliard lists offers from Iowa, VCU, St. Joseph's, Temple, La Salle, Siena, Seton Hall, Drexel, Penn State, Fairfield, and Boston College. Hilliard mentioned Iowa is the most recent school to offer and noted that he expects Colorado State to do so soon. The other schools involved in his recruitment are Villanova and Wake Forest.

Though Hilliard has no favorites as of now, he is getting closer to making a college selection.

Asked if anyone stands out, Hilliard replied, "Not really. Hopefully I'm gonna make my decision real soon."

An athletic wing who has boosted his stock with his play this summer, Hilliard has already visited the campuses of Temple, Boston College, and Villanova. He "plans on going to Penn State" as well.

"I got a feeling they're gonna offer after [my play in this] tournament," Hilliard said of Villanova. "Hopefully I'm right."

There certainly seems to be interest in Hilliard from the Villanova side, as Hilliard said they had been watching him play all week. "They [have] been to all my games, so that's good," he said.

It is clear that Hilliard is serious about the Wildcats when he talks about what he likes about the local Big East school.

"I really like Villanova," Hilliard said. "[It is] like a real family place. When I go up there I feel like a part of the team. [It is a] great program."

Hilliard had a strong showing out in Orlando and had coaches buzzing. With his performance at the AAU Super Showcase, it is likely that more and more scholarship offers will pour. Of them, many may well be of the high-major variety.

As with Jabarie Hinds, it remains to be seen whether or not the Villanova coaching staff will offer Darrun Hilliard. If they decide to do so, it looks as though it might be tough for the Keystone State star to turn it down.

KEITH GROLLER

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/