Hazard Leaning Towards Leaving NK

Will Rob Hazard's buzzer-beating, overtime-forcing three-pointer against Central High Tuesday be the final memory in what has already been a great career for the North Kingstown High junior?

Probably.

This past season for the Skippers boys’ basketball team has been filled with speculations that it would Hazard’s last at North Kingstown and he would transfer to a prep school in the fall.

Following , Hazard told a small group of reporters outside the Skippers’ locker room that it was his intention to repeat his junior year at a prep school next season, with his top choice being Brewster Academy of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

According to the Academy’s website, the basketball program had 35 alumni on NCAA Division-I rosters during the 2009-10 season.

“Next year I think I’m going to go to prep school, that’s my plans,” Hazard said.  “I think it’s best for me to go to prep school because of the competition, and in prep school most of them are great with school work and stuff like that.”

The statement came about 20 minutes after his team’s season ended in a grueling overtime playoff game.

In addition, there was also speculation that he would leave after last season, but as we all know he did return for his junior year.

“I was going to go last year, but I was with a different AAU team. I’m with a different AAU team now, Expressions,” Hazard said.

“My coach said that if you wait I’ll get you into a better school, so that’s why I waited. This year I was thinking I was going to take harder classes, and that would make me ready for prep school.”

The prep school circuit unquestionably has a higher level of competition than the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, and many of the tournaments schools play in draw a large number of NCAA D-I scouts.

At the National Prep School Invitational hosted by the University of Rhode Island last month, representatives from over 40 D-I colleges were on hand to watch the four-day tournament. Unfortunately, the Rhode Island high school basketball circuit doesn't offer the same exposure.

Though Hazard was arguable one of the top eight players in the state this year, the same may not be so if he moves to the prep school world where he may not even be one of the top eight players on his own team. However, when you play with and against players who are better than you on a daily basis you are going to get better, and that is what is available to Hazard if he leaves.

It is also a trend that happens often in Rhode Island, where it seems that anyone who has a shot at playing D-I college ball will bolt for a prep school.

Hope High’s Shaquille Jones and Portsmouth High’s Andrew Chrabascz each left after successful sophomore seasons last year for Notre Dame Prep and Cushing Academy, respectively.

left The Prout School after his freshman year for St. Mark’s School, and just a month ago committed to attend defending-national champion Duke University in 2012.

These are just a few of a number of Rhode Island prospects who have left, and as a result each appear to have set themselves up for a higher quality of life down the road.

This is not to say that there are not some good reasons for Hazard to stay at North Kingstown as well.

Both Jimmy and Billy Baron went to Worcester Academy after graduating from Bishop Hendricken, and each received a number of D-I college offers.  Granted their father Jim is the head coach of the University of Rhode Island, but both Barons had offers outside of URI before ending up in Kingston.

West Virginia University senior Joe Mazzulla skipped the prep school route all together, and went straight from Hendricken to Morgantown.

Jeff Xavier went a similar route after winning back-to-back state titles with St. Raphael Academy in 2003 and 2004, spending two seasons at Manhattan College before transferring to Providence College.

This is just some evidence that it is possible play four years in Rhode Island and still make it at a D-I college.

“I haven’t talked to him [Rob] about it now, I’m sure it’s going to be debated and stuff like that,” North Kingstown head coach Aaron Thomas said. “I would hope that he would come back, there are other things to shoot for.”

On the table at North Kingstown for Hazard is the possibility of breaking the school’s all-time scoring record  – he's already netted more than in just three years on the team –  and going after the state title that has eluded him.

This the clash for Hazard, should he stay or should he go?

There are strong arguments on other sides of the equation, the exposure and competition level of prep school versus the records and memories at North Kingstown.

“I hope he sticks around. He’s got some other goals still out there like the number one scorer of all time and stuff like that, but it’s something that I don’t think that I can control either way," said Thomas.

Ultimately it will be his and his family’s decision alone to figure out what is best for his future. 

What is best for Rob Hazard the basketball player.

What is best for Rob Hazard the person.