PROVIDENCE, R.I. -The University of Massachusetts has gotten a verbal commitment from Milford (Conn.) Academy forward Tory Reed, but when he will join the Minutemen remains a question mark.

Reed, who is a teammate at Milford of UMass signee Micah Brand, will have enough credits to get his diploma this spring, but hasn't achieved the NCAA minimum Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) score yet, leaving him with several options.

According to Milford Academy coach Brad Shapiro, Reed would be a partial qualifier if he decided to go to UMass next year. He could sit out the year with the possibility of getting it back if he earns his degree in four years. Option No. 2 would be staying at Milford another year as a post-grad player to try to obtain the necessary test score.

Of course he could get the required score this year and the issue would be moot.

"I chose UMass because I really liked the coaches and the school," Reed said.

This past weekend, Milford Academy and seven other eastern prep schools took part in a tournament in Providence that featured several UMass recruiting targets.

The philosophy of many prep school coaches is to showcase their players who haven't received Division I scholarships yet more than those who have. Because Brand has already signed with UMass, his minutes were slightly limited. But he played well when he was out there, showing athleticism and good shot-blocking instincts. Still rail thin at 6-foot-11, Brand and Shapiro both agreed that adding bulk was a must.

"It's been an up and down year," Brand said. "I've got to get bigger and keep working on my game."

Bulk is not a problem for Reed, who at 6-7 is built solidly in the 240-250 pound range. But he moves well, showing the ability to drive and shoot. He will likely be a power forward in college, but showed some skills of a wing forward as well, driving to the basket from the perimeter.

In addition to the two big guys, UMass is also recruiting Milford point guard Abdul Mills, who was impressive at last weekend's tournament. Mills has had unofficial visits at UMass attending games at the Mullins Center, but the Minutemen are re-entering this race and appear to be behind Clemson, Minnesota and Providence.

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Milford wasn't the only team with players that interested UMass. New Hampton Prep's 6-foot-5 forward Josh Kroenke has mentioned UMass recently in his list of schools. He averaged 17 points over the weekend and is considered a good shooter and scorer.

The player that raised the most eyebrows at the event was Philadelphia Christian's Kevin Forney. So far, the 6-foot-3 combo guard has been lightly recruited, but his recent play has gotten serious attention from a lot of teams including UMass.

Over the weekend he averaged 31 points, second best in the tournament. He dropped 31 points on Connecticut-bound Tony Robertson, who was playing for St. Andrew's.

UMass had been pursuing Winchedon's Abe Keita and he is still unsigned, but his raw offensive game and potential not to qualify academically makes him unlikely to fill the Minutemen's needs for instant help.

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To find that instant help UMass may dip back into the junior college waters, as Shon Coleman, a 6-foot-7 forward who originally signed with Wake Forrest out of high school, has expressed interest in UMass.

Coleman didn't meet the NCAA's academic eligibility standards and opted for junior college rather than going somewhere to sit out a year. He is currently at Indian Hills Junior College, the same school that produced Cincinnati's Pete Mickael.

The Minutemen are also reportedly considering junior college point guards as well.

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While trying to patch some holes for next year, UMass' main recruiting efforts are focused on high school juniors, and already some of the best from that class are mentioning the Minutemen.

Eddie Griffin, a 6-7 forward from Lari Ketner's alma mater, Roman Catholic, listed UMass as the leader for his services according to HoopScoop Magazine recently.

Currently considered one of the top 10 high school juniors, Griffin, a power forward, is averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds. He has been invited to participate in this summer's USA Basketball Festival.

Scott Hazelton, a 6-foot-7 Lowell resident who plays either forward spot at Central Catholic in Lawrence, and Taliek Brown, a 6-3 point guard from Queens, N.Y., are also considered to be among the nation's top 25 players and have also listed UMass among their top choices.

Raheim Lamb of Boston English is a 6-foot-5 swingman that plays on the same AAU team, the Boston Amateur Basketball Club, that produced current Minutemen Monty Mack, Jonathan DePina, Shannon Crooks, and Mike Babul. According to BABC coach Leo Papile, who is also a scout for the Boston Celtics, Lamb has "heavy interest" in UMass.

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Since being given his walking papers, ex-Minuteman Ajmal Basit has been rumored to be headed to several schools, including Boston College.

But the likely landing spot for him is Rutgers, where - not coincidentally - Danny Hurley, the son of Basit's high school coach Bob Hurley, is an assistant.