Parrom becomes Xavier's first 2009 commitment

Last August, Xavier head coach Sean Miller hired Emanuel "Book" Richardson, a native of Queens and alumnus of traditional power St. Raymond's (Bronx, N.Y.), to his staff, not only for his coaching skills, but also for his contacts in the New York area.

On Saturday, Richardson's relationships continued to pay dividends. Citing Xavier's recent NCAA tournament success and a familiarity with the coaching staff, South Kent (Conn.) forward Kevin Parrom told SI.com that he committed to the Musketeers over St. John's while on an official visit to the Cincinnati campus Saturday.

"There was a level of comfort here that I really felt good about," said Parrom, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound workhorse who Rivals.com ranks as the No. 84 player in the class of 2009.

After playing for St. Raymond's (Bronx, N.Y.) last season, Parrom enrolled at South Kent over the summer, and recently started classes. "I'm settling in and taking care of things for college now," said Parrom.

Miller and his staff cannot comment on recruits until they sign National Letters of Intent, but talent evaluators project Parrom to play a jack-of-all-trades role in college while needing to improve his shooting.

The Musketeers have one scholarship remaining for this class.