Flyers keeping tabs on two highly-touted Wayne stars

Travis Trice II and Markus Crider are on several midwestern schools’ radar for ’11.

Travis Trice (22) of Wayne is guarded by Lucas Smith (24) of Springfield during Friday's game at Springfield on Feb. 6, 2009. Wayne won the game 75-40.

Barbara J. Perenic Travis Trice (22) of Wayne is guarded by Lucas Smith (24) of Springfield during Friday's game at Springfield on Feb. 6, 2009. Wayne won the game 75-40.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Markus Crider (33) of Wayne is guarded by Robert Moss (31) of Springfield during Friday's game at Springfield on Feb. 6, 2009. Wayne won the game 75-40.

Barbara J. Perenic Markus Crider (33) of Wayne is guarded by Robert Moss (31) of Springfield during Friday's game at Springfield on Feb. 6, 2009. Wayne won the game 75-40.

ENLARGE PHOTO

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 8:33 PM Saturday, August 22, 2009

DAYTON — Travis Trice II, a star basketball player for Wayne High School, would like to add a few inches to his 6-foot, 160-pound frame. And while he hasn’t resorted to hanging upside down on a chin-up bar or putting lifts in his sneakers, the junior guard has done at least one thing to address the issue.

“I’m wearing a Mohawk right now to make myself look a little taller,” he joked. “That always helps.”

Although Trice may still sprout up a bit more — he’s picked up five inches since the beginning of last summer — college recruiters certainly won’t be deterred if his growing days are over.

He’s one of the two most coveted high school juniors in the area, along with his teammate at Wayne, the 6-6, 200-pound Markus Crider.

They’re believed to be the only local prospects in the 2011 class to receive scholarship offers from the University of Dayton, and they’re getting plenty of attention from some high-profile schools around the nation.

Crider has visited UD, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Xavier, while Trice has checked out those four plus Ohio State and Butler. And they’ll be taking tours together of Notre Dame again and Michigan in the coming weeks.

Trice has had frequent contact with Flyers coach Brian Gregory and also played for UD director of basketball operations, Matt Farrell, and his brother Andy, who’s on staff at Clemson, as a fifth-grader for the Dayton Metro AAU team.

“I’ve got a real strong relationship with coach Gregory and the coaching staff,” Trice said. “I grew up playing with the Farrells when I first started playing AAU. I know all the coaches, and I’m real good friends with (current stars) Chris Wright and London Warren. Dayton is always going to be in the mix. Always.”

Although his mind is wide open about colleges, Crider said he’s intrigued by UD.

“I like Dayton for the style of basketball they play, and it’s right close to home,” he said.

Trice averaged 16.5 points while playing for his father, Travis Trice Sr., at Wayne last year, while Crider averaged about 10.

“I think people will be really, really surprised to see how Travis performs this year,” said Trice Sr., who played two years at Purdue and two at Butler in the 1990s. “He’s shooting the ball as well as he ever has. He’s getting to the basket and finishing better than he ever has. That just comes with maturity.”

The coach added: “We’ve got Big East teams recruiting Markus as a point guard. ... When you talk about his skill set, you’re talking about a player who can do a lot of different things. There’s not anything I see Markus does great or phenomenal, but he does everything pretty well.

“The great thing about him — and the thing the coaches love — is he hasn’t really put on any weight yet. I think Markus, by the time he gets to college and they get him for a year, is going to be 220 or 225, and he won’t even blink as far as the extra weight on his body.”

Brian Snow, a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, has seen both players extensively this summer. Their AAU team, the Indiana-based SYF Players, reached the semifinals of several elite tournaments for the 16-and-under age group.

“Markus is super talented,” Snow said. “There’s very little he’s not able to do. He can handle it, he’s a real good passer, he can rebound and is athletic. He just has to find that motor in him where he plays hard all the time.”

Snow said Trice “is a really good shooter. He can really score. He’s got to get stronger, but that will come in time. When you can fill it up like he can, you’re going to get looks (from colleges) — especially because it’s a great kid, great family and he knows what he’s doing. He definitely has a chance to be recruited at a high level.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@Dayton

DailyNews.com.

UD men’s basketball recruits

2009 Class

Matt Kavanaugh, 6-10 center, Centerville

2010 Class

Juwan Staten, 5-11 guard, Dayton

Jesse Berry, 6-1 guard, Lafayette, Ind.

Brandon Spearman, 6-3 guard, Chicago

Ralph Hill, 6-6 forward, Westerville, Ohio

NOTE: The Flyers have one more scholarship left for the 2010 class. If they end up holding it for next year, they could bring in three players in 2011.

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