Fran Dunphy and the Temple basketball program landed a major recruit today when they received the commitment of Daniel Dingle from St. Raymond HS in the Bronx. The 6-6 forward can play either the 3 or the 4 and was arguably Temple's top target this summer. He chose the Owls over teams like Auburn, Seton Hall, UMass, Dayton & Rutgers all of whom had tendered him offers. Here's what ESPN's recruiting blog had to say about the Dingle commitment.
↵↵↵Dingle is arguably the premier mismatch forward in the Northeast. At 6-foot-6, he was known as a face-up 4-man throughout most of his career, but worked hard to trim his frame and improve his quickness. Now he heads to the Atlantic 10 as a player capable of slotting in at the 3 and allowing Temple to go big, or moving over to the 4 and giving them the versatility to go with a smaller, quicker lineup.
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ESPN's Adam Finklestein also points out that this is a significant pickup because it allows Temple to make in-roads into New York City that they previously didn't have. Previously, Temple limited their recruiting to mostly PA, NJ and Florida. But landing Dingle, whose brother coaches a powerhouse AAU program, could lead to more top recruits coming from the New York area.
↵Interestingly enough, his older brother Dana was a standout at UMass. So it was a big get for Temple to sign him despite an offer from him brother's alma mater.