Ursuline's Randall picks Wheeling Jesuit

The senior guard plans to major in engineering.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Lance Randall, a graduate of Ursuline High, signed a joint academic-athletic full scholarship Wednesday to attend Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W. Va.
The 6-foot-4 forward-guard, who transferred from Canfield to Ursuline in 2005, chose Wheeling Jesuit over American, Towson, Dartmouth and Lafayette.
"After visiting Wheeling Jesuit, I decided to go there because of its strong academic foundation as well as its competitive basketball program," said Randall.
"Coach Dave DeFruscio of Wheeling Jesuit showed he had a great interest in me," said Randall. "I'll be able to play at the next level. Its a good fit for me because of its style of play."
The Cardinals posted a 21-9 record, including a 14-4 mark in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament.
Randall said, "I am excited about going there because the coach has a good relationship with the players and they seem to be very good at player development."
Next step
With a 3.4 grade point average, Randall scored a 26 on his ACT and plans to major in engineering.
Planning to become a civil engineer, Randall said, "Wheeling Jesuit has a three-year program where I can get a bachelor's degree in physics, then go on to Case Western Reserve where I can get my bachelor's and maybe a master's in engineering."
As a junior, Randall averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, helping Canfield to advance to the Div. II district final, where it lost to Poland. Last season he averaged 10.5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, helping Ursuline (15-8) to the Div. III regional final.
"[Canfield] Coach [John] Cullen taught me basic fundamentals of the game," said Randall. "He was inspirational and got us to play, at times, somewhat better than we really were."
"Coach [Keith] Gunther was a motivational coach for us. He was very intense," said Randall.
"Randall, even though he was new to our system and coaching style, worked hard and adapted quickly to the program," said Gunther. "He's excellent in the classroom and on and off the floor and he's a quality Christian kid.
"Anytime a player gets a scholarship, it's a reflection on Ursuline basketball," said Gunther.
miller@vindy.com