By Ron P. Coderre Midnight Madness at Putnam Science Academy had more madness than usual this year. Some might attribute the madness to the recent full moon but in reality it was an opportunity for two of the Mustangs to announce the selection of their colleges for next season. It also relieves some pressure for the young men, Chaise Daniels and Jordan Butler, and allows them to enjoy the upcoming season on the hardwood. It all started with Daniels, who ended the “chase for Chaise” by announcing via a tweet that he was staying close to home and will attend Quinnipiac University in September. Shortly thereafter Butler via his twitter account let everyone know that he will be playing at Norfolk State next season. Daniels, a 6-foot, 8-inch interior player has been highly sought after by a number of Div. I programs. A product of Hillhouse High School in New Haven, in the end Daniels decided to remain close to home and play for Coach Tom Moore and the Bobcats in nearby Hamden. Moore who has been a consistent visitor to the Maple St. campus has had his eye on Daniels since this summer when he was playing with Connecticut Select AAU. Daniels and two other recruits Samuel Dingba and Dimitri Floras will team up to form an intimidating interior unit and as good a shot blocking group as there will be in mid-major basketball next season for the Bobcats. “I’m finally a part of the QU family,” Daniels tweeted. “I wanna say thank you for everyone and there support,” he later tweeted. Last season at Hillhouse, Daniels averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds per game as he was an integral part of a 26-1 team that captured the CIAC Class L State Championship. “I’m very proud of Chaise because he took time to make the best selection for himself. He’s a player with a big upside and continues to improve in all aspects of his game every day. He’s a team player with a bright future,” said Putnam Science Academy coach Tom Espinosa. No sooner had the Daniels news broken when his teammate 6’7” Jordan Butler of Hartford announced his decision to attend Norfolk State. Butler is a former Glastonbury High School football and basketball standout. His strong interior play makes him a game changer. Last season he led the Tomahawks to an 18-7 record, while averaging 18 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks per game. His announcement via his twitter account was short and sweet. “I have committed to Norfolk State!!!” A member of the Connecticut Select AAU organization also, Butler is an undersized but powerful big man who impacts on both ends of the floor. He’s a very good shot blocker and two-way rebounder with developing offensive tools. “Jordan is a real hard worker, who spends his free time in the gym. He has a very determined attitude, which translates into winning basketball. I’m very happy for him because he’s worked hard to get where he is today,” said Espinosa. Daniels and Butler join Dan Upchurch who last week announced he would be attending Charleston Southern University. This season Putnam Science Academy brought seven recruits to its program, with three already signed to Div. I programs it indicates that the program is highly regarded in college coaching circles.

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