Late this August, two rising seniors on the Macduffie Prep Basketball team made their college basketball commitments: Alex Christie will be attending Stony Brook University and Dana Tate committed to the University of Rhode Island.

In the 2016-17 basketball season, Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach Jacque Rivera brought in eleven new, unseasoned recruits. Talented, though young and inexperienced, they had a turbulent season which resulted in a 10-18 record.

Currently, Rivera is looking at the core returning with two newly committed seniors Christie and Tate, who both will play key roles on the team. Christie made his commitment on August 14, and Tate made his two days earlier on August 12.

When asked how he felt about these two and their respective choices of schools, Rivera explained “I think both guys got it right. I think both coaching staffs got it right. Both are going to places where they can grow as both players and people . . . so I think they both got it right where they are both going into situations where they control their own destiny.” Rivera believes Tate’s and Christie’s successes will continue in their collegiate careers.

Tate took a lot into account when making his decision among the variety of schools recruiting him, but felt Rhode Island ultimately met all his criteria. “…Rhode Island I felt was the best choice because location only being 45 minutes to an hour from my house, so my family would be able to come to the games and watch me play.”

Tate also added he would be able to immediately receive a significant amount of playing time and make a “big impact” as a freshman.

Unlike Tate, Alex felt the factors that led to his commitment were defined clearly. “What made the decision really easy for me was when I visited Stony Brook, I really liked the school.” He continued that after taking his initial visit in July with his mom, he decided to return with both his parents. “I took my official in the beginning of August with my mom and dad and I ended up committing on campus because I thought it was a really good fit.” For Christie, Stony Brook was the right fit, and he felt he didn’t need to wait on other schools to buy in on him.

Though Christie and Tate each experienced a distinct individual process, they both prioritized making sure each school was a right fit. Christie and Tate are now primed for successful senior campaigns without worry of the uncertainty surrounding where they will play for the next four years.