Chris Braley, a former first-team All-Maine basketball star from Nokomis Regional High School who has spent the two last years at the Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H. has given a verbal commitment to attend and play basketball for Stony Brook over the weekend.
Braley, who comes from a small town called Newport, which located in central Maine, decided to commit to Stony Brook for a couple of reasons.
“I committed to Stony Brook because on my visit I felt at home with the players, staff, and the entire atmosphere,” Braley said. “I loved the academic opportunities the institution provides and the basketball program as of now and also where it seems to be headed. I’m very excited to be apart of it all. I had around 20 scholarship offers at one point and had taken official visits to James Madison, Maine, and Stony Brook.”
Braley, a 6-foot-4-inch guard-forward, started playing basketball when he was seven years old and immediately fell in love with the game. “No one pushed me to play,” Braley said. “It was something I just discovered on my own.”
Braley made his first official visit to Stony Brook on Jan. 26, when the Seawolves gave him a good first impression by defeating the Maine’s Black Bears 79-69.
“My first impression was how passionate everyone was about the school and especially the basketball program,” Braley says. “The fact that they sell out all their games is a true testament of how much support they get and how well liked they are in the Stony Brook community.”
Michael Crotty, the head coach of the Middlesex Magic, Braley’s AAU team, said in an email that he believes Braley is ready to contribute immediately for Stony Brook.
“On the court he is a tremendous athlete who can attack the rim and slash to score or create for others at a very high level,” Crotty said. “As a guard he will be one of the best rebounders in the America East because of his size, leaping ability, and will.”
When Braley was asked what he could bring to the basketball program, he often says that his leadership and work ethic will definitely help the team to get better.
“I think I bring good versatility and toughness to the court,” Braley says. “I’ll try and help the team in any way possible.”
Braley will officially become a member of the team as soon as he signs his National Letter of Intent. National Signing day starts on April 17.
With the addition of Braley, Stony Brook has one more scholarship left to give for next season. The team signed German guard/forward Roland Nyama earlier in November, and guard Kameron Mitchell, who joined the squad on January as a walk-on, will get a scholarship next season.
According to Rivals.com, a website dedicated to high school recruits, Stony Brook has shown interest in 6-foot-9-inch forward Luke Petrasek, who currently attends nearby Northport High School in Northport, N.Y.
