I got in one little fight and my mom got scared.....

This is pretty much a classic story about Aaric Murray, a big kid who is getting recruited by the big 5 schools.

The soon-to-be-senior center from Glen Mills has Temple, Villanova, La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Pittsburgh and West Virginia very, very interested. He's no longer a secret, no longer the gangly curiosity who first played organized basketball only a few years ago. He's way beyond that.

He's someone growing in stature, not just physically - he has sprouted another inch so far this summer to 6-11 - but on the court as well. Where Murray was once a toe-in-the-water big man, unsure around the basket, he's now become a force, rebounding, blocking shots and intimidating shooters.

So yeah, it'd be great to have him. He's 6-11 and he's already wearing La Salle colors.


Aaric's mother, Latoya, has got more than basketball on her mind.

"The main reason why I wanted Aaric to stay at Glen Mills is the way the streets are today in Philadelphia," said LaToya, who once was a 2-year starter herself at Gratz as a 6-foot center. "Aaric is a big kid, but I don't care, I don't want anyone hurting him. Glen Mills has great structure. Glen Mills always has something for him to do.

"The murder rate in this city is high, and we're talking about a kid who is 6-11 walking down the street. I won't see anything bad happening to my son like that. He stays in school all week and comes home on the weekends. That's fine with me. We don't live in the best neighborhood. But he's safe at Glen Mills. Aaric has a future now."

Eeek. Can Philly please hire Rudolph Gulianani and fix crime like New York has? Honestly, step your game up.