DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Juwan Staten hasn't waffled since giving the University of Dayton a verbal commitment in March, but recruiters from other schools keep lurking just in case he does.

"I've had coaches talk to me from the Big Ten, Big East and ACC, but his verbal is definitely solid," said Bill Staten, Juwan's father. "When he made his decision, he knew this would happen. But he basically found the perfect fit in Dayton."

Staten's stock has skyrocketed this summer while pairing with Ohio State-bound Jared Sullinger to lead the All Ohio Red 16-under team to wins in 11 of 12 tournaments it entered, including a second straight AAU national crown in Orlando last week. The squad went 70-1 this season and is 134-3 over the last two years.

Rivals.com named the Thurgood Marshall High School junior-to-be the No. 1 player at the 16-and-under nationals.

John Stovall of PrepSpotlight.com lists the 5-foot-9 Staten among the top 10 point guards in the nation in the 2010 class, and the recruiting analyst said coaches from high-major schools are even asking him about Staten's availability.

"He's been fantastic, and, believe me, I've been one of his harshest critics," Stovall said. "I always thought he was more of a scoring point guard and I questioned his decision-making. But he's been playing a great floor game and still getting 17-to-20 points."

All Ohio Red has several other Division-I recruits, including Jefferson's Adreian Payne, and Staten said he's been tweaking his game to blend with them.

"On my AAU team, I'm on a team full of stars. It's like going to college," he said. "Everybody is a star from their high school team, and you're not called on to score as much as you are in high school. It lets me show more of my game, the creating side."

As for those overtures from marquee programs, Staten said: "It feels good to know you can be at any school in the country when you have all these schools talking to you and sending you letters, but I picked the University of Dayton because that's where I want to be and that's where I feel comfortable."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.