Recruiting

Q&A: 2014 big man Sean O’Mara on upcoming visits

Sean O'Mara-XSean O’Mara, a 6-foot-9 center out of Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, has had a solid summer so far for his IBA Select AAU team and is attracting a lot of attention from nearly every Big Ten school. Michigan has been in regular contact with him, and he will be attending College Practice camp in Ann Arbor this weekend. We caught up with Sean to talk to him about the recruiting process, his interest in Michigan, and more.

How has the AAU season gone for your team so far?

“It was a lot of fun in April and all of that. We’re starting to come together as a better team and we had a lot of new pieces added to the team this year, so it’s been coming together well. It’s been a lot of fun.”

How has the season gone for you individually?

“I’ve been doing well. It’s always about getting better, and I think each tournament we play I’ve been doing that and we have, too, as a team.”

What are some strengths of your game?

“I’m strictly a back-to-the-basket center, but I know how to face up and do other things, play outside the paint more. I’m really working on that, too.”

What are some parts of your game you’re looking to improve?

“Facing up, being a forward more, and being able to play outside the paint.”

You’ve received a lot of attention from Big Ten schools. What do you think of these teams being so interested in you?

“I mean, it’s nice. It doesn’t mean I have to stop working or anything. Obviously, I’m not there yet. I need to not let it get to my head and realize I still have a lot more work to do and a lot more to accomplish.”

Have you gotten any offers yet?

“Just UIC (University of Illinois-Chicago).”

Which schools have been n contact with you?

“Most of the Big Ten has contacted me, along with Providence, UIC, and Boston College.”

Is this a process you’ve enjoyed?

“Right now, I’m enjoying it. I’m sure that by the time I’m a senior it’ll start to get a little old. Hopefully by then It’ll be a different process and I’ll be in a decision-making process rather than a recruiting process.”

Do you have a timeline for when you’d want to make a decision?

“Not really. It’s all going to come down to what I think of my choices and which schools fit me best for me and my family.”

How much contact have you had with the Michigan coaches?

“A lot. I’m actually going up there this weekend for the Elite Camp, so hopefully I’ll talk to them again and it’ll go well.”

Is Bacari Alexander your primary recruiter?

“Yeah, he’s been there, and so has Lavall Jordan.”

What’s your impression of the coaches?

“They’re a lot of fun. It’d be a lot of fun to play for them, and they’re both really good guys, too.”

Have any of them been at your games this summer?

“Yeah, I’ve seen them both at a couple of games throughout the tournaments.”

Any contact with Coach Beilein?

“Yeah, I talked to him when I was visiting there, and he was at one of my games when we played in Minnesota.”

Have the coaches mentioned anything about an offer on June 15th?

“I don’t know, they said they don’t offer sophomores until June, so that’s, like, the earliest you can get an offer, but I’m not really too worried about that right now. I’m just gonna go up there and play well for them and see what happens.”

You’ve already visited Michigan a few times, correct?

“Yeah, twice. I think the last time I was there was in December sometime, I came up there to watch the Michigan versus Wisconsin game.”

What was your impression?

“It’s a really good atmosphere — it’d be a lot of fun to play there. All the coaches looked like they were really into the game and really were into actively coaching the team and the players. It was good to see. I like their style.”

Do you have any visits for other schools planned for the near future?

“Yeah, I’m visiting Purdue on the 13th.”

What do you like about Michigan?

“I have family in Michigan, so it’d be nice to play there and have them come to my games. The other thing is that it’s a really good school an they’re obviously a really good program and they’re going to do well the next couple of years. It’d be fun to be a part of it.”

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