National recruiting gurus don't know much about Darryl Garrett yet. But Xavier sure does, and Garrett this week gave the earliest verbal commitment in XU's basketball history.

        The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Denby High in Detroit, who just finished his sophomore year and has played just one season of high school ball, was well-known in Michigan recruiting circles (because of AAU play) but not yet nationally.

        “They got them one,” Denby coach Ray Reeves said. “He's probably the best shooter in the state. That's why a lot of (coaches) up here are upset. They wanted him bad.”

        Garrett averaged 14 points as a freshman at MacKenzie High in Detroit, where Reeves was an assistant coach. Reeves got the Denby job and Garrett transferred there, sitting out his sophomore year under state transfer rules.

        “Everybody thought I'd end up at Michigan State,” Garrett said. “They (the Spartan coaches) aren't showing it, but they're disappointed.”

        Garrett came to XU this week on an unofficial visit and was offered a scholarship, which MSU and others hadn't yet. XU coach Thad Matta and assistant John Groce began recruiting him during his freshman season, when they were at Butler.

        “I didn't want to have to go through recruiting (headaches), so this is a big relief,” said Garrett, whose first season at XU would be in 2004-05. “I felt really comfortable there.”

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Xavier picks up guard out of Detroit

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