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March 01, 2005
KESSEL NARROWS HIS CHOICES
The most recruited and highly sought after young hockey player in a generation, Phil Kessel, has narrowed his choices to four remaining colleges: Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Boston University. (Note, Brent, that UNH is nowhere to be found on this list.) He expects to make his decision soon.
Boston College, Kessel said Saturday, is "not really in the mix any more," leaving Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin as his top four choices.
"It's coming up soon," he said. "I really haven't decided, but I can't keep the colleges waiting. I still don't know where I want to go. It's a lot harder to decide than I thought it would be."
The stakes are high in this recruiting battle: Kessel is said by most scouts and observers to be the best US-born hockey prospect since Mike Modano came along back in 1989 -- and some are already saying he could end up being the greatest American-born player ever before his career is out. He's playing on the US National Under-18 team during it's current tour of US colleges -- and in many arenas fans are cheering against the home team in favor of cheering Kessel. This is a 17 year old kid, folks... and he's that good and getting that much fan attention already.
Put this kid on Coach Jack Parker's already young and promising BU Terriers next year, and you might as well just hand the Terriers the NCAA title without even playing the season.
