Norland 6-foot-10 Hooper Dewan Huell Picks Miami Hurricanes
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It's not often that Miami-Dade County has a basketball player that makes a national splash.
But when Norland's 6-foot-10 big man Dewan Huell said he was ready to announce where he'd be going to college, everyone wanted to listen.
With his classmates, teammates and coaches packed inside the school's magnet office, Huell put on a University of Miami hat and signed his letter of intent to join the Hurricanes.
The five-star forward chose UM over South Carolina, narrowing it down to those two schools in the days leading up to his announcement.
Huell, who's rated the No. 23 overall player in the 2016 class, said he was thrilled to have his recruitment process come to a close.
"I feel like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders – I can finally get a good night's sleep," Huell said with a relieved smile. "It's a big stress reliever, making the decision. I feel free…knowing where I'm going to go to college."
"Choosing Miami was all about loyalty. They recruited me since my freshman year and it's a big thing for me to stay home and have my friends and family see me play. Talking with the coaches, I felt comfortable…they made me feel like I was already a part of the team," Huell said.
Huell's signing completed a huge day for Hurricanes hoops.
Netting Huell, Miami's recruiting class has become the envy of the ACC. 6-foot-4, four-star shooting guard Bruce Brown (Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, Vt.) picked UM over Indiana early Wednesday morning.
Signing Huell marks just the third time since 2002 that Miami was able to bring in a five-star prospect.
"It's good to know that we're going to have a top-10 recruiting class," Huell said. "Coach [Larranaga] has a track record of developing his players, so I'm looking forward to getting in there next year."
The senior has won a state championship in each of his three years in high school.
Playing on Norland's varsity team since his freshman year, Huell was more of a role player alongside former Viking, now Florida Gulf Coast guard Zach Johnson as the team won titles in 2013 and 2014.
Then Huell became the team's go-to player and he led Norland to a 23-8 season and finished it with a Class 6A state title – totaling 41 points, 25 rebounds and 13 blocks during the state semifinal and championship games.
Huell had a meteoric rise up the national recruiting charts.
Starting out as a talented but supremely spindly freshman, Huell developed his body and his game, becoming a wiry-strong forward capable of playing with his back to the basket; put the ball on the floor; show nice touch from the mid-range and be a rim-protector on the defensive end.
He further helped his stock with big performances at various camps around the country – including showcasing his skills with Team USA's Under-18 team in Treviso, Italy.
Huell said that it was a lot of long days in the gym that played a big role in his development.
"I worked hard for this moment," Huell said. "Ever since I started playing basketball – I've been working hard for this. I know that there's a player out there that wants my spot and wants to be better than me; so I have to continue to work hard and continue to improve."
Norland head coach Lawton Williams, who has sent a small army of players on to the college ranks, said Huell is a special player that could be able to impact the Hurricanes right away.
"It's not often that you a player that size that can run and jump like he can," said Williams, who owns the Miami-Dade County record for most state championships won by a head coach with six.
"His athleticism, his toughness, his rebounding and ability to defend; those are the things that are going to help him make an impact right away. He's extremely talented and he has a rare skill set – he's pretty special."
With his college choice all sewn up, Huell said he's ready to focus on the 2015-16 season – a year in which Norland can win its fifth straight state title.
"With all the recruiting stuff off my back," Huell began. "Now I can focus on making my team better and making it back to Lakeland – for sure."
