Connor Spratt has been spending some time recently at St. Clair Country Club, not to work on his golf game, but rather working as an employee.
“I work in the grill room,” said Spratt, a senior at Seton LaSalle. “I’ll help out the bartenders with anything they need.”
There probably won’t be any holes in one in his immediate future — Spratt said his golf skills are limited to miniature golf and Topgolf — but he has found “the one” in his search for where he will continue his basketball career.
Spratt, one of the WPIAL’s top scorers and an all-state honoree last season, will attend Clarion University. He verbally committed to the school in March and made his decision public last week. Clarion plays in the Division II PSAC. Spratt had eight offers overall, among them Shippensburg, Lock Haven, Millersville and Frostburg State.
A 6-foot-2 guard, Spratt averaged 26.1 points a game his senior season and was apparently a high-priority recruit for Clarion, which Spratt said is giving him a full scholarship. Most Division II athletes receive only partial scholarships.
“I was definitely one of their top guys,” said Spratt, who also averaged 3.5 steals per game for a Seton LaSalle team that reached the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals. “They offered a full scholarship, which you don’t see very often. That tells you everything you need to know right there.”
Spratt said Clarion began recruiting him late in the season. Clarion coach Damian Pitts, who will enter his fifth season this fall, watched Spratt during what ended up being his final high school game, a loss to Brookville in the first round of the PIAA playoffs. Pitts offered Spratt a scholarship a few days later, and Spratt visited the school with his parents in mid-March.
“Coach Pitts is just the most genuine guy,” Spratt said. “I have talked to a lot of coaches in this process, and that is the main thing that sold me on [Clarion].”
Clarion’s Tippin Gymnasium helped sway Spratt toward the school, as well. Spratt said he quickly fell in love with the gym while on his visit. And if the first shots on his future court are of any indication, Spratt is going to make a lot of them in his Clarion career.
“I couldn’t miss,” he said. “They were just going straight through, not even hitting the rim. That’s when I knew it was the right place.”
Spratt scored 1,029 points in two seasons at Seton LaSalle after spending his first two seasons at Peters Township. As a senior, Spratt was picked second-team all-state in Class 3A and was also a PUP all-star selection.
At Clarion, Spratt will play with a longtime friend. Gavin Cote is a Peters Township graduate who will attend Clarion after spending last season at Pace University. Cote was a grade above Spratt in high school, but the two were teammates during Spratt’s freshman season. Spratt said the two hope to be roommates.
Another former WPIAL standout is currently on Clarion’s roster. Shaler graduate Mekhi Reynolds is a two-year starter who averaged 13.2 points a game his junior season. The Golden Eagles went just 3-25 during the 2022-23 season, which included a 1-21 mark in the PSAC.
Portal news
Two former WPIAL basketball stars have found new college homes after transferring from Duquesne following their freshman seasons. Butler graduate Devin Carney is headed to Denver, while Moon alum Reilly Sunday is bound for Saint Peter’s. Carney, who scored 2,082 points at Butler, redshirted his first season at Duquesne and has four years of eligibility remaining. Sunday played in 27 games her freshman season, averaging 1.4 points and 1 rebound per game. She has three years of remaining eligibility.
Bronny to USC
The dream of Bronny James playing for his dad’s high school coach at Duquesne fizzled away Saturday when the talented high school senior announced his intentions to attend USC. There were rumors that there was at least an extremely small chance Bronny would head to the Bluff to play for Keith Dambrot, LeBron’s coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. Instead, Bronny, who attends Sierra Canyon School in California, will play right down the road from his father’s Los Angeles Lakers. James, a 6-2 guard ranked by Rivals as the No. 26 senior in the country, reportedly also had Ohio State and Oregon among his three finalists.
Dad gave son a shoutout on his Instagram following Bronny’s commitment. LeBron posted, “FIGHT ON!!! So damn proud of you kid! I have no words besides I LOVE YOU @bronny!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!!!”
Another Urlacher
Before his Pro Football Hall of Fame career, Chicago Bears linebacker great Brian Urlacher played college ball at New Mexico. His son is currently a high school star who will play for a college a little more on the national radar. Kennedy Urlacher, a junior from Chandler, Ariz., committed to Notre Dame. Urlacher is ranked by Rivals as the No. 10 player in Arizona and No. 27 safety nationally. The Fighting Irish also got a commitment from Micah Gilbert, a wide receiver from Charlotte and the nephew of Aliquippa and Pitt great Sean Gilbert.
Basketball commitments
Blackhawk’s Kassie Potts (Edinboro); Lincoln Park’s Aizlyn Thompson (Geneva); Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s Rocco Spadafora (Butler County Community College).
Softball commitment
Belle Vernon’s Talia Ross (Lock Haven).
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.