The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

HE may not be grabbing major headlines yet for the recruiting class of 2017, but Bahamian guard D’Andre Vilmar has seen his stock increase headed into his junior year.

The 6’4” guard out of Abaco and Roman Catholic High School in Pennsylvania is making his way toward the ESPN 60 rankings. And he is now ranked fourth in the state and 32nd nationally at his position.

Vilmar has received one Division I scholarship offer thus far, from the Colorado St Rams while other schools such as La Salle and Penn and Iona have all showed considerable interest.

Vilmar helped Roman Catholic to a Catholic League Class 5-A State title in March.

At the international level this summer, he was a part of the team that finished fifth at the FIBA Centrobasket Under-17 Championship this summer.

At the tournament hosted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas finished with a 3-2 record overall, but won just a single game in group play before they were relegated to the lower bracket. Despite the end result, Vilmar emerged as a rising star in the region.

He led the tournament in scoring at 19.6 points per game and rebounding at 12.4 boards per game. He was also second in assists as he dished out 4.6 per game.

Vilmar had several standout games during the tournament, including 20 points and 13 rebounds against Guatemala - 19 points, 16 rebounds and five assists against Costa Rica - 18 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists against the USVI - and a near triple double against Puerto Rico with 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Vilmar is scouted by Philadelphia recruiting website cityofbasketballlove.com as: “An athletic wing with tremendous upside, and the athleticism of a major college player. He’s a slasher who can finish strong at the basket and likes to use his athleticism to attack the offensive glass. Vilmar has good form on his jumpshot, and though he plays clean up because of his team he could be a scorer if relied on more. A versatile wing guard, Vilmar has an intriguing developing game that could propel him into high-major territory by a year from now.”