Santiago is Getting it Done Academically and Athletically
Ron Bailey, Publisher
Edwin Santiago (holding ball) and his PAL/Moody mates
June 5, 2006 – Delaware has been a hotbed for hoops talent recently, producing the likes of Marc Egerson, Eric Boateng, and Josh Thornton recently. Now, there is yet another skilled, competitive, yet under-appreciated player coming out of the First State. Meet, Edwin Santiago.
Attending Sanford, high school, where he plays for Stan Waterman, Edwin, currently a 6’2” 175lb rising senior guard revealed at the Charlie Weber Spring Fling a scoring average of “around 17 points” per contest last season. But more importantly, he handled his business in the classroom as well, given his “a 3.4 GPA” at the time of the interview.
Edwin excels in the books and hoops via hard work. One of his AAU coaches, Michael “Shep” Shepherd readily attests to the young guy’s work ethic in both. When the team, PAL/Team Moody, hits the road, Santiago “brings his books” shared Shep at the Spring Fling – which on this trip included reading Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. “As far as being the best student he can be, he’s just like that on the court”.
And that’s saying something, but obvious, considering Edwin’s combination of quickness, skills, competitiveness, and sneaky athleticism. That last comment is a testament Edwin’s propensity to dunk on an opponent; leaving everyone observing to wonder “Where did that come from?”
Just as he did versus the Vic Simms All-Stars in the Spring Fling. During this 52-37 PAL/Team Moody victory, Santiago basically orchestrated the win, by scoring 15 points, along with passing, defending and leading the squad. He threw down a shocking dunk that came off a steal created through full court defensive pressure – Edwin stole the ball, took a step, rose, and then ‘Boom’, it was over.
Another of PAL/Moody’s coaches, Ray Brown, has seen similar plays frequently, having worked with Edwin for close to three years. Brown also feels “One thing I really like about his game besides his athleticism, is his how he takes pride in playing 'D'. He is probably the best defender on the team, especially when he out on top defending the ball”.
Edwin is not impressed with his dunking skills as “It’s not new, because I’ve always been able to dunk. I’ve been dunking since the 8th grade”. But he is happy with his team self-identified team focused playing style. “Whatever it takes” said Edwin. “If I have to rebound, then I rebound. If I have to get steals, I get steals. If I have to score, then I have to score. It’s within the team (concept).
Shepherd, who has coached Santiago for close to five years, agreed with that assessment, while also praising the young guy’s intelligence on the court: “He knows where everybody is supposed to be, no doubt about that. He knows where each person is supposed to be in each set. He understands the flow of the game. I give him a lot of freedom in terms of calling sets, plays, and patterns…I think that’s an important part of development. He’s really a coach on the court”.
Santiago (left), Shepherd (center) and other Pal/Moody players during a timeout
Given these attributes on and off the floor, top level educational and athletic schools are taking notice, though Santiago has had to adjust to the recent attention. “When I first started playing basketball (8th grade formally), nobody really knew me” he said. “After awhile, people are starting to know who I am. It’s a new thing to me”.
According to him, “Penn, Dartmouth, Brown, U.D. (Delaware), Howard, a couple of schools in New York, and Vermont” have all indicated major interest, with Howard and Delaware having tendered offers. Pal/Moody’s Shepherd added that both UTEP and Lasalle have also become interested.
As can be expected with a player that values books and ball equally, Edwin is taking a multi-faceted approach when evaluating college choices, sharing “The environment, the people, the teachers” all are prime factors in his decision making process. “Basically that’s what I’m looking for. It’s not all about basketball. It has to be a good basketball team, but also good academically”.
All the new found attention has not changed Edwin’s laid back, grounded, approach – he is still working hard to improve this summer. Specific skill sets in which he wants to strengthen include his shot, though Santiago also stressed, “The number one thing I’m going to work on is my strength”. He then added “Also everything a guard needs to do in college – handling, defense, everything”.
That mentality is not a surprise to Brown. “He always goes hard in practice which translates into game situations” said this coach who coaches the 16 and under PAL/Moody team. “He is very coachable, listens, and leads by example on the court”. Shepherd agreed, adding Edwin “does things when nobody is looking (regarding improvement). Everything he’s gotten has been through hard work”.
After admitting a certain amount of bias, Shepherd stated “He’s definitely the best player in the state right now. Hands down”. That’s high praise indeed, and according to many in Delaware a common sentiment. Regardless of that fact, Edwin Santiago is doing major work in Delaware – in the classroom and on the court.
Be sure to check out i95Ballerz.com for updates on Santiago’s recruitment and senior year. Expect him to get it done.
Santiago during the Easter Hoop Fest, held in part at Georgetown's McDonough Arena