John Carroll guard Erick Smith committed to Bryant University late last week, becoming the first verbal pledge of head coach Tim O’Shea’s tenure at the Smithfield, R.I., school.

Smith, 6’3, committed during an in-home visit with O’Shea. The new coach will lead Bryant this year in its first season as a Division I program.

“It was very appealing [for Erick to be a part of something new],” John Carroll head coach Tony Martin said. “Erick has a lot of upside as a player. ... He’s part of the growth at John Carroll and Coach O’Shea thinks he’ll be a significant part of their growth. [O’Shea’s] first recruit at Boston College as an assistant was [former NBA guard] Troy Bell, and we know how that worked out. So there are a lot of good things that Erick’s excited about.”

O’Shea, who spent seven seasons as head coach at Ohio University, was hired by Bryant in June. He’ll guide the team in its four-year transition period that will culminate with the school joining the Northeast Conference.

Smith, who was also recruited by Boston University, didn’t play for an AAU program this summer, choosing instead to spend time in the gym working on fundamentals and improving his game, Martin said.

“I think Erick’s kind of flown under the radar,” Martin said. “There’s no denying his athletic ability. He’s 6’3, jumps out of the gym and has a nose for scoring. When he gets to college and puts on 20 or so pounds of muscle on his frame, he’s going to become a real star at that level.”

Martin said Smith will likely contribute early for the Bulldogs.

“I think [O’Shea] expects Erick’s going to be on the floor as a freshman,” Martin said. “He will utilize Erick and that freshman class. ... I think Erick has a chance, because of the kind of person he is, to possibly be a captain. I think in the NEC you’re going to see the potential for an all-league player by the time he’s a junior.”

King headed to Annapolis

St. John’s Catholic Prep forward Troy King ended his recruitment earlier this week when he pledged to the Naval Academy.

King, 6’7, picked the Midshipmen over offers from Radford and St. Francis (Pa.).

“[At one time I felt] like I wanted to wait it out longer, but the more I found out about the Naval Academy, I just felt it would be the right offer no matter what,” King said. “Even if I got other offers, I would still pick the Naval Academy.”

King said he never envisioned himself at a service academy, but Navy coach Billy Lange and his staff won him over with their personality and persistence.

“Well the Naval Academy staff -- they were the first school that offered, they were the most consistent, always calling when they were allowed to. I felt support from them early. We had the strongest relationship from the start, so I feel like I know the coaches well.”

King, who averaged approximately 18 points and six rebounds as a junior, said he feels his game is the perfect fit for Navy’s style of play. He’s also excited to join a squad that’s already a contender in the Patriot League.

“I never would’ve thought that I’d be going where I’m going, but it just ended up that way and I’m excited,” King said. “[Committing to Navy] just makes everything so much easier.”

UMBC picks up Conn. forward

According to New England Recruiting Report, UMBC landed a commitment last month from Adrian Satchell, a 6-foot-5 forward from Windsor, Conn. Click here for more on Satchell’s decision.