High school senior and blue-chip recruit Terrence Roberts called Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins and committed to Syracuse late yesterday, Roberts told The Daily Orange last night.

The 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward will hold a press conference at his high school today at 2:30 p.m. to make his decision public.

‘Yeah, it’s 100 percent,’ Roberts said. ‘I am going to Syracuse.

‘I called (Hopkins) at 8 p.m. and told him.’

On Tuesday, Roberts, from St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, N.J., said he still needed to consult with his high school coach, Bob Hurley, before making a final decision. That discussion came yesterday afternoon in a 45-minute sit-down.

At that time, Roberts, who was also considering Virginia, finally decided on the Orangemen.

‘(Hurley and I) just talked about some simple things, and he basically told me everything I needed to know,’ Roberts said, ‘And that all led to Syracuse.’

With Roberts now in hand, the Orangemen add to a talented recruiting class that includes Demetris Nichols, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Barrington, R.I., and Louie McCroskey, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard from the Bronx. Syracuse will likely stick with just three recruits.

Roberts said several times in the past month that he’s favored SU in part because of the loyalty it has shown to him. The Orangemen were the first team to express serious interest in him, Roberts said.

‘In a way, I kind of knew it would most likely be Syracuse all along,’ Roberts said, ‘but I just wanted to make sure. I mean, it was a tough choice.’

Published on October 16, 2002 at 12:00 pm