Old Mill guard Eric Savage makes his choice
There was little doubt in Eric Savage's mind about where he wanted to play college basketball. The only question for the Old Mill combo guard was whether or not he'd get the SAT score he needed to make it happen.
On Thursday, Savage received notification that he got his score. He celebrated by committing to Shepherd (W.Va.) University.
“I was really excited when I found out,” Savage said. “I just knew I had to get the score to get to play ball somewhere. … There were definitely other schools looking at me, but Shepherd was the school I actually wanted to go to. I just really liked everything about it.”
Savage, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior, also considered McDaniel, Mount Olive (N.C.), Stevenson, UMES and West Virginia State.
One of Anne Arundel County’s most decorated players over the past four years, Savage was discovered by the Rams coaches at the West Virginia Jam Fest last summer when he was playing for Baltimore Assault. In the middle of a senior season in which he averaged 17 points, four rebounds and three assists, Savage took a weekend trip to the Division II program’s campus.
“It was a real close-knit kind of college,” Savage said. “I met the mayor of the city. He’s real active in the Shepherd community. And the players are real cool. I chilled with them in the dorms; they told me all about the school. The head coach and the assistant coach, they took me on a tour of the school, the football field and all around the campus.”
Though there were just a handful of Division I programs involved with Savage, the future Ram grew tired of the recruiting process quickly. Within the span of an hour on one night this winter, Savage fielded phone calls from three different college coaches – including a Shepherd representative.
“It’s a lot of pressure,” Savage said, “and you don’t want to let somebody else down.”
Savage, a versatile shooter who can penetrate and defend, said he fits in well to the Rams’ fast-paced system. The next few months will be busy, but he can’t help but look forward to his college future in West Virginia.
“Right now I’m getting ready to graduate,” Savage said. “[I’ll] finish out the school year, keep my grades up and stay in the gym. I’ve actually got an all-star game this weekend … in Pennsylvania. By the time that’s all over, it’s going to be time to go to school.”
