Mike Pilgrim is coming home for a visit. The former Purcell Marian High School basketball standout is scheduled to begin an official recruiting trip to the University of Cincinnati on Sunday, his prep school coach said Wednesday.

        Pilgrim, a 6-foot-7, 213-pound small forward, is attending Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.

        He already has made official visits to Seton Hall - coached by Withrow graduate Louis Orr - and Boston College. Pilgrim is scheduled to visit Virginia - and former Xavier coach Pete Gillen - on Friday and Saturday.

        “I think that these four will be it and then he'll make a decision,” Brewster coach Jason Smith said.

        Pilgrim averaged 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds last season for Purcell Marian and was named to the Enquirer's Division II-IV all-area first team. He was selected first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division II by the Associated Press, and was Greater Catholic League-North Player of the Year.

        “He's one of the most athletic kids in the country, period,” Smith said.

        “He's really working on his perimeter game. He's working his butt off in the weight room two hours a day; he's really getting stronger.”

        Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop has Pilgrim at No.15 in his ranking of fifth-year players, and said “he probably should be five, six, seven, eight - in that range.”

        Francis saw Pilgrim at a tournament in May and was impressed, but “everybody that I've talked to says he's just gone off the Richter scale.”

        “He is a terrific athlete. He's more of a slasher than a 3-point shooter; that's probably what he needs to work on the most.

        “The fact that he's a Cincinnati kid, the fact that he's a phenomenal athlete, the fact that he really doesn't have a true position, all those things make him perfect for Cincinnati.”

        Pilgrim did not graduate from Purcell Marian; he would have been ineligible to compete for a Division I program this year. He left early in hopes of improving his grade-point average in his core courses, Smith said, adding that Pilgrim has achieved a score of 24 on his ACT.

        UC WOMEN ON ESPN2: Two of the 23 women's basketball regular-season games to be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 include UC.

        The Bearcats will play on national television Jan. 19 at home against Houston and Feb .2 at home against Tulane. Both will be on ESPN2, which also will telecast six league tournament finals, including Conference USA's on March 9.

Guidugli likely to start for UC Former Purcell star to visit UC C-USA zeroes in on commissioner

County studies suing hapless Bengals
Simmons hopes week off gets team on track
Owens won't be disciplined for autograph
Bettis finally healthy, productive
Brown having quiet season for Browns
Jags deny dumping Boselli on Texans
NFL Injury Report
Clarett may challenge NFL to enter draft
Buckeyes seething over Wisconsin slight
ND's Earl majors in big plays
College Basketball Notebook: Maryland, Williams work on extension
NKU women picked to win conference
Reds' Pena tears hamstring
Angels' Salmon perseveres, soaks up experience
How Giants, Angels match up
High school football chat today
Groeschen & Popovich on Football
Volleyball polls: St. Ursula, Bacon finish No. 1
Soccer polls: Lakota West boys, girls sweep No. 1
Cross country polls: Turpin girls repeat
Girls tennis poll: Sycamore finishes No. 1
Soccer tournament highlights
Volleyball tournament highlights
Boys soccer results
Girls soccer results
Volleyball results
Cross country results
Field hockey results
Today's high school schedules