With just one of Binghamton’s 13 available scholarships expected to open next year, Tommy Dempsey received his first, and likely last, verbal commitment for the class of 2015 last Thursday.

Thomas Bruce of DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.) gave his verbal to the Binghamton men’s basketball team for the 2015-16 academic year and confirmed he intends to sign his National Letter of Intent during the in-season signing period approximately two months away.

DeMatha head coach Mike Jones described the 6-foot-9, 200-pound senior as a versatile player who finishes primarily at the rim but who also has some perimeter skills. Bruce, who allegedly sprouted four inches in the last couple of years, is also effective on the defensive end, described by his head coach as a potent shot blocker.

Jones also mentioned that Bruce was a late bloomer – having suffered a broken leg his freshman year and spending the next year largely still recuperating from that injury, he fell under the scouting radar. Coming off the bench last season for a team that went 29-6, Bruce averaged about eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. But with the big man back in full health, Jones speculated that Binghamton got a “steal” in landing Bruce so early – he guessed that if Bruce had waited until the spring signing period to commit to a program, he would have garnered considerably more offers.

As it stands, Bruce still drew interest from multiple schools, including Quinnipiac, Hofstra, Delaware and Radford. Along with Binghamton, Rider and High Point also offered. But the combo forward ultimately decided upon Binghamton after visiting its campus three weekends ago.

“I felt more at home,” Bruce explained. “I felt very welcome. I liked everyone on the team, I liked every one of the coaches, the student life and everything was nice. I just liked the overall feel.”

Former forward Alex Ogundadegbe, who graduated from Binghamton last year and also attended DeMatha, apparently played a considerable role in Bruce’s decision.
“He was actually a big part of getting me [to Binghamton],” Bruce said. “He was always talking about how nice it was and how he wanted to get me up here.”

True to Dempsey’s style, Bruce is a high-character kid who should fit well in the America East generally, and at BU specifically. Bruce said the coaches recruited him by selling BU’s academic quality as well as the growth and development of the men’s basketball program. Based on that criteria, Jones asserted that Bruce will be a great fit at Binghamton next year.

“He’s coming from a high school where excellence is not just the expectation, but the requirement on and off the court,” Jones said. “So he will fit in perfectly.”

Updated on Oct. 7.