WINDSOR – A Bertie High School hoops star has given an oral commitment to play basketball at Old Dominion University.

Kent Bazemore, who was the Northeastern Coastal Conference Player of the Year as a junior, has made his decision to attend the Norfolk school.

Bazemore is the first recruit to commit to ODU during the current recruiting season.

The 6′-5&uot; guard/forward averaged 22.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season.

Bazemore decided on the Monarchs after attending several games there in recent years.

Bertie High head basketball coach Calvin Moore expects Bazemore to succeed at the highest level.

&uot;Kent is a quality individual with great character,&uot; Moore said on Wednesday. &uot;He comes from a strong family background and I expect that he will do very well at ODU.&uot;

Moore said that Bazemore was far and away the best player in the area last season and one of the best in the state.

&uot;A lot of kids get overlooked playing for rural schools like ours,&uot; Moore said. &uot;A lot of the bigger college programs in the state are going to wish they had taken a closer look at Kent.&uot;

Moore said that one of the biggest assets of Bazemore at this level is his ability to play every position on the court.

&uot;He has the wingspan of a kid two or three inches taller than him,&uot; Moore said. &uot;He has the potential to play at the professional level.&uot;

Bazemore first gained publicity while playing in the Boo Williams summer league two seasons ago.

Last season he was the primary option on a Bertie squad that started two freshman and two sophomores.

Moore expects Bazemore to have even more success this season.

&uot;He led the team in most of our statistical categories,&uot; Moore explained. &uot;This season the players around him should be better, which will help Kent.&uot;

Old Dominion has appeared in eight NCAA tournaments and 10 NIT tournaments.

Last season the school made it to the semi-finals of the NIT tournament in New York, losing to Michigan.

Mark West, Kenny Gattison and Dave Twaidiz are three of several Monarchs who have had careers in the NBA.