City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Nick Alikakos had reason to feel like he deserved a Division I offer.

He was named MVP of the Inter-Ac league in 2014-15, winning the award over Division I prospects including Levan Alston (Temple) and Sam Lindgren (Colgate). As just a sophomore, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged nearly 20 ppg, leading Episcopal to a 17-7 record, including an 8-2 mark in the Inter-Ac.

Then he went on the summer circuit with Nike-backed Team Final at high-profile events like the Peach Jam, with several of his teammates pulling in multiple offers over the course of the summer.

“I wouldn’t call it frustrating, I was just kind of waiting,” he said. “I kept seeing stuff on Twitter, and going ‘okay, when am I going to get offered now?”

Alikakos finally got the call he was waiting for, from Hartford head coach John Gallagher on Thursday night, with the news that the Hawks had a scholarship available to him for the incoming class of 2017.

“I’m definitely glad to get my first one, it’s definitely a big relief,” he said.

Alikakos wasn’t the only Team Final player to get a Hartford offer on Thursday night, with Imhotep guard Daron Russell adding one to a list that includes Temple, La Salle, Penn and more.

And that’s certainly not a coincidence.

Multiple sources have indicated that Donnie Carr, who starred at La Salle in the late 90s and is now currently the head coach of Team Final’s 15U squad, is in talks to become an assistant coach at Hartford under Gallagher.

A talented face-up combo forward, Alikakos has made his mark as a high-energy player who can get to the hoop from 15 feet out but does most of his damage by crashing the glass and fighting for second and third-chance points.