Bob McKenney knew it was going to take something perfect for Tyler Cavanaugh to go to a school other than Syracuse.

The senior power forward had been an SU fan since he was young, growing up a short drive from the campus and playing high school basketball for McKenney at Jamesville-DeWitt. Something would really have to click to pull Cavanaugh away from his hometown Orange.

And that’s exactly what happened on the three-star recruit’s visit to Wake Forest last weekend.

‘As soon as I got on campus there, I knew it was the right spot for me,’ Cavanaugh said. ‘It just felt right. I went with my gut feeling, and my parents supported that. I just decided that Wake was the place for me.’

Cavanaugh committed to the Demon Deacons Saturday, choosing Wake Forest over Notre Dame, Syracuse, Davidson and George Washington. The only other school he visited on his list was Notre Dame.

Even though the high school senior did land a spot at a power conference school, he isn’t the most hyped recruit on his high school team. Cavanaugh credits his classmate, DaJuan Coleman, with helping him gain Division-I attention and making him the player he is today. And although he’s been a Syracuse fan since childhood, Cavanaugh felt that he fit in best with the Demon Deacons, especially since he should have a chance to contribute quickly in Winston-Salem, N.C.

‘I think when he looked at the recruiting classes and the players in his position on the roster that will be there in two years,’ McKenney said, ‘he sees a really great opportunity to play significantly early on.’

Cavanaugh has played varsity basketball for McKenney since his freshman year and will enter his third year as a starter for the Red Rams once basketball season begins. The biggest asset for the lanky 6-foot-8 power forward is his all-around skill set.

McKenney said the senior could play point guard if J-D needed him to. He was the team’s best three-point shooter last year at 41 percent. He also finished second in scoring and rebounding behind Coleman, a five-star recruit according to Scout.com.

‘He’s a skilled player,’ Scout.com recruiting analyst Brian Snow said. ‘He’ll go inside, he’ll rebound. He’s got a variety of ways to score. I think he’s someone who does everything pretty well but nothing great.’

McKenney said that all-around talent has been evident since Cavanaugh was in sixth grade. His dad was a two-time All-American at Hamilton College, and his father instilled the idea of being a multitalented player instead of just a big man ever since Cavanaugh was young.

And that has worked out well for McKenney and the Red Rams. With the massive Coleman playing center and working the post, Cavanaugh can fill the secondary big man role or work the perimeter. The duo has helped lead J-D to four consecutive New York State championships.

‘He and DaJuan play really well together,’ McKenney said. ‘Tyler’s more of a high-low presence and DaJuan’s more of an inside presence. They look for each other, and they play really well with each other.’

McKenney did say that Cavanaugh’s 16 points and 11 rebounds per game from a year ago would be higher if not for the presence of Coleman. But having the big man around has been an asset for Cavanaugh as well.

Coleman, a center, has been a top prospect in the Class of 2012 since eighth grade. When coaches or scouts come to watch Coleman play, McKenney said they never leave without asking about Cavanaugh, too.

And although Coleman may garner more attention and hype, Cavanaugh believes playing alongside his star teammate has only helped his prospects.

‘Having DaJuan around, he’d bring in those coaches as a freshman and a sophomore to watch workouts,’ Cavanaugh said. ‘Coaching is one big network, so if I get out there to one coach, by the time you know it, others know about you. And if I wasn’t going up against (Coleman) every day in practice, I probably wouldn’t be as good as I am today.’

Now that he’s committed to Wake Forest, Cavanaugh can focus on bringing J-D a fifth straight state title and preparing for his freshman year with the Demon Deacons.

Although he is an SU fan, he felt he couldn’t pass up the feeling he got during his visit to Wake Forest. He liked the way Demon Deacons head coach Jeff Bzdelik recruited him. He felt like part of a family with the rest of his future teammates on the visit.

And while McKenney is an Orange fan himself and would have enjoyed watching Cavanaugh play at SU, he can’t help but be happy for the three-star recruit.

‘I think he’s excited,’ McKenney said. ‘He felt like (Wake Forest) was just a great fit all the way around. He got along great with the players, and we’ve all been impressed with coach Bzdelik.

‘The situation I think was perfect, and it was going to take something perfect for him to choose over Syracuse.’

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on September 28, 2011 at 12:00 pm