DaytonDailyNews.com

DAYTON — Aaron Pogue's next stop will be at Vincennes (Ind.) University. Maybe.

Dunbar High School's senior leader has opted for the junior college basketball route. However, an agreement has been made with Vincennes that he can back out and instead enroll with a Division I program, should he land an offer by the start of the 2007-08 school year.

That possibility evolved when Pogue recently scored high enough on the ACT college entrance exam to qualify for a D-I scholarship.

"There's a whole lot of people that doubted me, who didn't think I'd make the score," Pogue said on Monday. "It's my choice. I could have picked a D-I, but there's no point in picking a weak D-I college."

Should Pogue stay for one season, he'd have three seasons of eligibility remaining (or two and two). According to Wolverines coach Pete Pullen, USC, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and even two-time defending national

champion Florida

are interested

in Pogue. All were awaiting his most recent test score, and all have exhausted their available scholarships. For now.

A four-year starter, the 6-foot-9,

288-pound center averaged 14.5 points and 14.2 rebounds in leading Dunbar to its second straight D-II state title.

"I hope to at least drop 15-20 pounds through dieting and working out," he said. "I don't want to be skinny. I just want to turn some of this baby fat to muscle."

Vincennes was a JC power in the 1960s and '70s, and is coached by

former Louisville standout Everick Sullivan. The Trailblazers were 25-8 last season and lost in the second round of the NJCAA finals.

"I think Aaron's one of those people — just like his test score, when it counts and his back is to the wall — it seems he shines the best," Pullen said. "I think he'll go (to Vincennes) and do well. This won't be the last we hear from him."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or

mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.