ESPN

Canisius College extended a scholarship to 2014 point guard prospect Malik James on Tuesday afternoon, while he was at ESPNBoston.com's Foxborough office this afternoon to receive the organization's "Mr. Basketball" award.

James took the MIAA by storm the past two years, leading Brighton to the state finals as a sophomore and bringing home the school’s first ever state championship as a junior. He separated himself as the MIAA’s best player during the state tournament, where he averaged 20 points per game.

In receiving his first Division 1 offer, James feels relief.

“Finally my mother won’t have to pay for college out of her own pocket," he said. "I’m just happy knowing that it’s my first offer, and also that there are many more to come. All that hard work in the gym has paid off. It’s really a blessing too, I’m very proud."

He will be playing against some of the best AAU competition in the country this summer with BABC, as part of the Nike EYBL circuit. Playing with BABC for Coach Leo Papile has already been a rewarding experience for James.

“Leo’s a very good coach, he really knows his X’s and O’s," James said. "If you listen to him and stay in his system, you’ll be good. So far the competition is obviously way better than the Boston City League or anything like that. I’m going up against other top point guards in my class."

With significant interest from several other Division 1 programs, James is currently in the process of deciding where he will play prep school basketball this coming fall.

Providence College became the first school to offer a scholarship to Windsor (Conn.) Class of 2015 hoops standout Jared Wilson-Frame last night. The offer comes following his strong play on consecutive weekends at the Nike EYBL circuit in Los Angeles, Calif., and Hampton, Va.

Wilson-Frame, who visited Providence unofficially earlier this month, was ecstatic about receiving his first offer.

“It’s really exciting to know that a school wants to give you a chance where you can get a free education and play basketball at a high level,” Wilson-Frame said.

He has been well-known on New England’s high school basketball scene as one of the region’s best players, especially after leading Windsor to a 49-6 record over the past two seasons. This season, the small forward was named to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Team.

In an attempt to become a better-known prospect on a national scale, he accepted the invitation to play with Expressions Elite this summer.

“That’s one thing I always said to myself. I always go on ESPN or on Twitter and I’ll see kids getting offers who I have played against--kids who I honestly feel like I have played at their level or better," he said. "That really motivated me to want to play at a higher level."

Wilson-Frame is considering the prep school route next school year, but says for now he is focused on finishing this year strong academically and continuing to build his name on the AAU circuit. Expressions Elite has made quite a splash at Nike EYBL, sitting at 9-0 after the first two weekends of play.

“They’re good guys off the court," he said. "Our whole team was hand-elected, so we hadn’t played together before. But now we’re always on each other [off the court], joking and laughing…it really is a family environment."

Everett High Class of 2014 defensive back Lubern Figaro received his first Big Ten scholarship offer, from Michigan State, he confirmed to ESPNBoston.com this afternoon.

The Spartans become the third Division 1 FBS program to offer the 6-foot, 180-pound Figaro, joining Boston College and UMass. Temple has also expressed interest.

"It feels incredible, to have the chance to possibly go to the Big Ten one day," Figaro said. "I'm surprised to get an offer from the Big Ten, they don't really recruit people from Boston."

Figaro started all 13 games this past season for the Crimson Tide, alternating between strong safety and slot cornerback, as they captured their third straight Eastern Mass. Super Bowl title. Alongside seniors Jalen Felix, Gilly De Souza and Wisconsin signee Jakarrie Washington, Everett's secondary was considered the state's most feared. Figaro registered 37 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions for the season.

This marks the second time in as many months that Michigan State has dipped into the Bay State to extend an offer to a Class of 2014 prospect. Last month, the Spartans offered Millis/Hopedale lineman Jon Baker, who himself also holds offers from Rutgers, Temple, Ohio, Boston College, UMass and UConn.

Doherty junior wide receiver/defensive back Isaac Yiadom received a scholarship offer today from Boston College following a visit to spring practice, both he and his coach Sean Mulcahy confirmed to ESPNBoston.com tonight.

This is the first Division 1 offer for Yiadom to come from the FBS subdivision. Holy Cross and Bryant also offered the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Yiadom earlier this year, while UMass and Virginia Tech have also shown varying degrees of interest thus far.

Yiadom had an impressive 2012 campaign for the Highlanders, who reached the Central Mass. Division 2 playoffs. In 12 games, he registered 1,267 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns, to go along with 78 tackles and six interceptions on defense.

Yiadom becomes the fifth in-state player to receive an offer from the Eagles in the 2014 class, joining St. John's Prep running back Jonathan Thomas, Millis/Hopedale lineman Jon Baker, St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan, and Everett defensive back Lubern Figaro.

Everett High Class of 2014 defensive back Lubern Figaro received an offer today from UMass, a source told ESPNBoston.com.

The Minutemen become the second Division 1 FBS school to offer the 6-foot, 180-pound Figaro, joining Boston College. Temple has also expressed interest in Figaro.

Figaro started all 13 games this past season for the Crimson Tide, alternating between strong safety and slot cornerback, as they captured their third straight Eastern Mass. Super Bowl title. Alongside seniors Jalen Felix, Gilly De Souza and Wisconsin signee Jakarrie Washington, Everett's secondary was considered the state's most feared.

Michigan State extended a scholarship offer to Millis/Hopedale two-way lineman Jon Baker, his head coach Dale Olmstead told ESPNBoston.com this morning.

The Spartans are the second Big Ten school and fourth FBS school from outside the New England region to offer Baker. Since the beginning of February, Baker has seen FBS offers come in from Rutgers, Temple and Ohio, to go along with offers that first came last spring from Boston College, UMass and UConn. He also has offers from FCS schools Harvard, Yale, Old Dominion and Holy Cross; Stanford, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and UCLA have also expressed varying amounts of interest.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Baker is considered one of the top prospects in New England, and generally projects as a center in college. In 2012, his junior season, he registered 78 tackles with four sacks at defensive tackle to earn a spot on ESPNBoston.com's annual All-State Team. He also earned Tri-Valley League Lineman of the Year honors for the second straight year, as the Mohawks made their second straight MIAA Division 4 playoff appearance.

Everett High Class of 2014 defensive back Lubern Figaro confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that he received an offer this morning from Boston College.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Figaro started all 13 games this past season for the Crimson Tide, alternating between strong safety and nickelback, as they captured their third straight Eastern Mass. Super Bowl title. Alongside seniors Jalen Felix, Gilly De Souza and Wisconsin signee Jakarrie Washington, Everett's secondary was considered the state's most feared.

Figaro also has Division 1 FBS interest from UMass and Temple.

This morning Ohio University became the ninth Division 1 school to extend a scholarship offer to Millis/Hopedale Class of 2014 two-way lineman Jon Baker, his head coach Dale Olmsted told ESPNBoston.com this afternoon.

The Bobcats are the second FBS school from outside the New England region to offer Baker, joining Rutgers, which offered earlier this month. Those two schools join UMass, UConn and Boston College -- who all offered last spring -- along with FCS schools Harvard, Yale, Old Dominion and Holy Cross. Stanford, Michigan and Vanderbilt have also expressed varying amounts of interest.

Olmsted told ESPNBoston.com earlier this month that Baker will likely take an unofficial visit to Rutgers towards the end of April. To date, Baker has taken unofficials to Harvard, BC, UMass and UConn.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Baker is considered one of the top prospects in New England, and generally projects as a center in college. In 2012, his junior season, he registered 78 tackles with four sacks at defensive tackle to earn a spot on ESPNBoston.com's annual All-State Team. He also earned Tri-Valley League Lineman of the Year honors for the second straight year, as the Mohawks made their second straight MIAA Division 4 playoff appearance.

Olmsted also told ESPNBoston.com today that Wisconsin and UCLA plan on making visits to Millis in April. Both those schools have been known in recent years to take last-minute flyers on Bay State products -- the Bruins with Lawrence Academy linebacker Mike Orloff shortly before signing day in 2011, and Wisconsin late last month picking up Everett defensive back Jakarrie Washington.

Dexter Class of 2014 lineman James Hendren picked up an offer today from UMass, his head coach Casey Day told ESPNBoston.com.

On Wednesday, Day said that Rutgers and Holy Cross had offered the 6-foot-7, 305-pound Brookline resident. He has also received varying degrees of interest from Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Stanford.

A source also confirmed that UMass has also extended an offer to St. Sebastian's linebacker Connor Strachan, a Wellesley resident in the Class of 2014.

Dexter School Class of 2014 offensive lineman James Hendren has received offers from both Rutgers and Holy Cross, his coach Casey Day told ESPNBoston.com today.

When we last checked in with the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Hendren, a Brookline resident, he had not yet received any Division 1 offers. He had taken unofficial visits to Boston College and Northwestern during the fall, and attended camps at Virginia, BC and Penn State last summer.

Duke, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Harvard and Yale are among the other schools that have shown interested alongside the schools mentioned above.

ESPNU reported earlier tonight that New Hampton (N.H.) senior guard Travis Jorgensen has verbally committed to Georgia Tech for the 2013-14 season.

Jorgensen, a Columbia, Mo. native, transferred to the New Hampton, N.H. campus this season after three years at Rock Bridge (Mo.) High. He initially committed to Missouri in September 2011 but re-opened his commitment last October. In addition to Tech, Jorgensen also took official visits to Boston College and Creighton this season.

ESPN's Northeast recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein has more on Jorgensen's commitment, which you can find HERE (Insider-only) . Below is a partial excerpt:

Jorgenson also helps Georgia Tech address two of its top needs for next season. First, he’s a “pace point guard" -- meaning he creates tempo by pushing the ball with both the pass and the dribble -- and that will help Gregory and his staff get back to playing the up-tempo style that brought them so much success during their time at Dayton.

Secondly, Jorgenson has a good understanding of how to play the pick and roll, which has been another consistent staple of Gregory’s offensive style in years past. Jorgenson is not only adept at turning the corner and finding the roll man, but he is also able to spot open teammates replacing up from the baseline or spacing out on the opposite side of the floor.

Springfield Putnam wide receiver Rishawn Harris has verbally committed to the University of New Haven, his head coach William Watson told ESPNBoston.com this morning.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Harris was also considering several other Northeast-10 schools, namely American International College (AIC), Assumption and Southern Connecticut State. New Hampshire had also shown some interest, but no offer was made.

Harris caught 43 passes for 738 yards and 10 touchdowns this past fall for the Beavers, along with three punt returns for TDs and four interceptions. Those totals were in nine games, as he missed two with an ankle injury. The Beavers were a preseason Top 25 selection in ESPNBoston.com's statewide poll, but were unable to reach to the MIAA Division 2 West playoffs after winning it all in 2011.

"New Haven coaches have had the longest relationship with him," Watson said. "They started recruiting him in the summer after he performed well at their camp and stayed in touch. He is very comfortable with that staff. AIC made it hard for him, because they were the local team and he had a great visit there, but at the end of the day New Haven's success with football and its strong business program is what made him choose New Haven."

Bishop Stang linebacker Charlie McKeeman told ESPNBoston.com tonight that he has switched his verbal commitment from Bryant University to the University of Rhode Island, for the 2013 season.

McKeeman initially committed to Bryant last summer, before the start of the 2012 preseason, but switched his pledge to Rhody on Monday after a visit last weekend to the North Kingstown, R.I. campus. He also had an offer from Assumption College, and fielded interest from both Sacred Heart and Bentley University but ruled those two schools out early.

The Portsmouth, R.I. resident has a history with Rhody. Both of his parents attended the school -- his father, Joe, played center for the Rams from 1977 to 1980.

"I'm excited obviously, I grew up watching games at URI and always said I wanna play there, it's where watched my first football game," said McKeeman, who first saw the Rams take on Hofstra as an eight-year-old.

McKeeman recorded 131 tackles at linebacker this fall for the 1-10 Spartans, and also totaled over 1,400 yards offense and 11 touchdowns at quarterback.

Boston College High two-way lineman Mark McGuire has verbally committed to Holy Cross, his head coach Joe Gaff told ESPNBoston.com this afternoon.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound McGuire started nine games at both tight end and defensive line for the Eagles, who finished 3-8 in an injury-riddled 2012 campaign. He also captained this year's squad, and started both ways in the Eagles' 2011 campaign that ended in a Division 1 Eastern Mass. Super Bowl championship.

McGuire had offers as a preferred walk-on at several other Patriot League schools, but Gaff said Holy Cross was McGuire's first choice academically. McGuire will head into training camp competing for time at defensive end.

"He's hoping to get some time on the field," Gaff said. "We're just so excited, because he's worked so hard in the classroom to get himself in this position academically at Holy Cross and play football. We're excited for him and his family."

Buckingham, Browne & Nichols head coach John Papas announced five players who will be signing National Letters of Intent starting next Wednesday, Feb. 6, the first day the NCAA sanctions such documents for Class of 2013 football prospects.

They are as follows:

Brendan O'Neil, TE - Wake Forest
Willie Peoples, WR/DB - Columbia
Matt Rega, DT - Bryant
Matt Snider, OT - Hamilton
Ben Rosenblatt, K - Trinity

O'Neil, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound Burlington resident, committed to Wake Forest last June. He is ranked the No. 5 overall Class of 2013 prospect in Massachusetts by ESPNU.

"We are so happy that all our 2012 players landed at great football/academic schools," Papas said. "They join our 16 other BB&N alumni currently playing college football at wonderful places like BC, Duke, Northwestern, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Colgate and Cornell. All of them earned their spots with a great work ethic, both on the field and in the classroom. We are thrilled."