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Imhotep's Devin Liggeons commits to Wagner

08/07/2014, 9:00am EDT

By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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On his way up to Wagner College for an unofficial visit, Devin Liggeons wasn’t expecting to end his recruitment this early in the process. After seeing what the school and head coach Bashir Mason had to offer, the Imhotep Charter senior’s plans changed.

“I didn’t expect to commit today, but I really liked what I saw and I felt like there was no reason for me to hold off,” he said.

“There were just a lot of plusses […] I loved the coaching staff, coach Bas, he’s a great guy, great coach. Their style of play, the school itself, the academics, the area it’s in–it’s not too far from home.”

Liggeons is Wagner’s first commitment for the class of 2015, though they brought in a few backcourt pieces this year that he’ll certainly have to compete with for playing time when he gets to school.

He choose the Seahawks over offers from Niagara, Sacred Heart and St. Francis (Pa.).

“I thought he was going to take a little bit more time, because he’s a pretty deliberate guy,” Imhotep head coach Andre Noble said. “But he had done a lot of homework on the schools before we went on this visit and kind of got in his mind of what order he had them in and Wagner’s a really nice school, it really is, I was impressed with what I saw today as well.”

Imhotep has sent a number of its alumni off to the Division I ranks in recent years, including another Northeast Conference player in Basil Thompson, headed to St. Francis (Pa.) this year.

Liggeons hasn’t had quite the reputation as a few other former Panthers, like high-scoring (and ex-Providence/Oregon) guard Brandon Austin, current Niagara junior Ameen Tanksley and others, but has still been an integral part of Imhotep’s success over the last three seasons.

As a junior, his 9.1 ppg might not seem like a standout figure, but he shared scoring duties almost evenly with Thompson (9.8 ppg), senior guard Jaekwon Jones (9.0 ppg) and junior wing Sean Lloyd (10.0 ppg); three other players averaged more than 5.0 ppg as well.

The athletic, 6-foot-3 wing guard has certainly become a more efficient scorer over the last 12 months, developing a more consistent jump shot to go along with his ability to get to the hoop in the open court. A solid student in the classroom as well, he had a few Ivy League schools keeping an eye on him.

“It’s probably one of more happier ones I’ve been a part of,” Noble said. “Because he’s a great kid, a great teammate and I’ve said on numerous occasions, probably the best-character kid I’ve ever coached.”

Last year, the Seahawks went 19-12 in the program’s second year under Mason, the former Drexel guard who was the youngest Division I coach in the country when he was hired at just 28 years of age. It was their second consecutive year with that record; they’ve lost in the NEC conference tournament semifinals both years.

To contribute to a successful program at the collegiate level, Liggeons knows he’s got more work to do before he steps on the court at the Spiro Sports Center next fall.

“I want to come in and do what I have to do,” he said. “Mostly working on my ball handling, getting better at shooting to get ready for the next level.”