Brandon Lieb had his future all mapped out.
After three seasons of varsity basketball, the recent Deerfield graduate was set to attend a prep school before enrolling in college in the fall of 2021. The 7-foot center tweeted his decision on April 29.
Little did Lieb know that his recruitment was just beginning — and would include some surprising twists.
Suddenly, after his tweet, Lieb started getting a slew of offers from programs throughout the county. That prompted Lieb to rethink his decision to reclassify as a recruit for the class of 2021.
Lieb became a hot target for programs looking for a multidimensional big man who could space the floor but showed a willingness to redshirt. Starting June 11, Lieb received offers from DePaul, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn and Utah. He also received offers from mid-major programs earlier this spring.
“It’s kind of surreal for me,” Lieb said. “It’s so weird because you see kids my age getting offers in the season or spring at the latest, not really in early summer. It’s really taken off the last two or three weeks.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time on the phone talking to coaches. I use the same phrase with my recruiting: It’s better late than not (at all). I was going to do AAU in the spring and summer and maybe take some visits.”
Lieb, who averaged 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks as a senior for Deerfield (21-11), said his only offer at the end of the season was from SIU-Edwardsville. The uptick began June 5, when he tweeted about receiving an offer from Tulsa. Six days later, Oklahoma offered him.
“The (Tulsa) one was huge for me, just with my confidence, and it motivated me a little bit more to keep working,” he said. “It showed me that my workouts are paying off.
“Patience is huge for me with recruiting. It’s a big decision, especially without the normal recruiting process. I have to take a couple of steps back, see where this takes me. I’ll take maybe two to four weeks at the latest.”
Deerfield coach Dan McKendrick said he’s been overwhelmed by coaches calling him to inquire about Lieb. McKendrick estimates he has spent “two or three hours on the phone with each school” talking about Lieb for the past three weeks. He said the Oklahoma offer prompted another wave of interest.
“Holy cow, this came out of nowhere,” McKendrick said. “But this is a good problem to have. For me, I’m so happy for him.”
McKendrick said Lieb benefited from a number of circumstances in the past month, notably college coaches being unable to make in-person visits or attend live events.
“I think Brandon had a good senior year,” he said. “He grew in areas that he needed to improve, such as defensively and staying out of foul trouble. Offensively, he came to trust both hands around the basket, was a lot more aggressive and not afraid of contact.
“(Coaches) are excited about his development, height and skill. They can see him getting better and better in their program. It’s been just awesome, so unexpected for all this to happen.”
Lieb credited his older brother, Jack, for helping him raise his profile. Jack Lieb, a senior center at Lehigh, played for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Brandon Lieb said he had been seriously considering following in his brother’s footsteps to Brewster Academy.
“My brother, parents and coach McKendrick have been very important,” he said. “I couldn’t have done this without anyone of them. They gave me support, kept me positive the whole time and made me know that my time will come. It’s all really exciting.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
