Mike Pilgrim

Verbal 10/25/02, Signed 11/21/02.

12/06/03: "University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins has confirmed that forward Mike Pilgrim will redshirt this year. Pilgrim suffered a stress fracture in his foot shortly after practice began in October and has not practiced since. "We've pretty much assumed that he would (redshirt)," Huggins said. "He's so far behind, he'll never catch up." Pilgrim, a 6-7 freshman, played at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., last year and averaged 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. Two years ago, he averaged 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds at Purcell Marian High School." - Enquirer.com

05/15/03: Pilgrim will graduate on May 31st from Brewster and be home on June 3rd. - Mike Ryan

April 2003 - Pilgrim is listed as the 94th best player in the 2003 eligible class. (Includes HS and Prep School players) - CBS Sportsline.com

04/18/03: Mike Pilgrim played in a showcase event tonight for Ozie Davis' Queen City Prophet's. He had a number of amazing dunks during warmups. Stats were not kept during the game (did anyone make notes ?)

If I had to guess, I'd say Pil had 12 points, 8 reb's and a few assists. He was the most athletic player on the floor (altho his teammate Norm Plummer, who also played, would probably disagree !)

Mark Dorris Jr. (the son of former Bearcat Mark Dorris) played very well and his amazing second half and overtime performance allowed the 17U team of Ozie to beat Pilgrim and Plummer's 'All-Stars'. I counted 7 points, 6 steals and 6 assists for Dorris, in the second half alone.

Pilgrim said he had fun after the game and really enjoyed playing ball with some old friends. - Mike Ryan

03/08/03: Mike said he was recently measured at 6-8.

02/27/03: "Mike Pilgrim added 14 points and 10 rebounds in the victory (over Maine Central Institute) .

01/30/03: Pilgrim had 10 points and nine reb's in a loss to Bridgton Academy. Defensively, Mike was able to hold former Bearcat recruit Alexander Johnson to just nine points, well below his average.

01/17/03: Mike's approx averages are 18 ppg, 9 rpg, 2.8 bpg and 3 apg.

01/15/03: "Senior Mike Pilgrim (Cincinnati) added 20 points and 9 rebounds for the Bobcats" in a win over Phillips Andover, 104-86.

01/08/03: "Cincinnati signee Mike Pilgrim, a developing small forward/power forward from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, had an impressive game this afternoon, according to head coach Jason Smith. A big effort by Norman Plummer, who had 39 points, also helped in the win over Phillips Exeter Academy, 95-76. "Mike Pilgrim was very impressive too at the front of the press," Smith said. "He finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Most of his points came via highlight reel dunks. Pilgrim was as explosive as he's been all year tonight."

This is good news for Cincinnati fans. Pilgrim is a player who is likely to bring some offensive firepower to the Bearcats program in the future. Pilgrim has been trying to polish his perimeter skills to make the transition to the small forward slot for the college level." - RivalsHoops.com

01/08/03: Pilgrim is currently rated the 25th best prep player in the country. - HoopScoop

12/31/02: "Mike Pilgrim, who signed a letter of intent with UC last month, watched practice Monday while on Christmas break from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. "This is the third time I've seen them practice," Pilgrim said. "I'm ready to play and put on a uniform." Pilgrim, a 6-7 forward, averaged 19.1 points, 6.8 rebounds last season at Purcell Marian High School." - Enquirer.com

12/19/02: "Mike Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210 pound power forward/small forward from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, contributed 20 points last night to help his team upend Trinity High. It was a blowup victory so Pilgrim didn't play his normal amount of minutes as head coach Jason Smith utilized everyone on his bench. Pilgrim, who signed his letter of intent with Cincinnati during the Fall signing period, is trying to make the transformation from the power forward slot to the small forward position. "He knocked down a couple of 15-footers last night," Smith told us. "He is showing improvement." This would be good news for the staff at Cincinnati. If Pilgrim progresses in this area, the Bearcats will be even stronger." - RivalsHoops.com

12/9/02: ". . . rumor has it that he's not thrilled about the fact the Bearcats have already recruited over him, but he shouldn't be too worried about White transferring to Cincinnati for several reasons.

First, competition is good and if Pilgrim has somebody like White to go head-to-head against everyday in practice for the next four years, they'll be turn out to be better players. Second, Huggins is at his best when he has a number of players who are versatile enough to play several different positions and, as a result, are interchangeable. Third, White is more of a wing forward/second guard and Pilgrim is more of a wing forward/power forward, so they should be on the court a lot at the same time." - HoopScoop

12/05/02: "Senior Mike Pilgrim (Cincinnati) was unimpressive with 11 points in each of the two setbacks." Brewster is listed as the 16th best prep school in the country. - PrepStars

11/28/02: "The Boys Varsity "A" Basketball team won their home opener on Wednesday by defeating Redemption Christian Academy (NY) 72-59. Mike Pilgrim (Cincinnati, Ohio) led Brewster with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks." - Brewster Academy site

11/24/02: "Some recruiting analysts suggested Cincinnati's pursuit of Florida transfer SF James White would cost the Bearcats prep school SF Mike Pilgrim, a Cincy native who committed in October. Pilgrim, a promising athlete who needs work to develop his game, signed a letter of intent before the fall period closed. White then visited the UC campus for a practice and a game. He is scheduled to see Missouri this weekend and also is thinking about Syracuse." - DeCourcy, Sporting News


11/21/02: "Mike Pilgrim, former Cincinnati Purcell Marian High cage standout, has signed a national letter of intent to continue his basketball career at the University of Cincinnati. Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210 forward who is currently enrolled at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., averaged 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds last season at Purcell Marian while earning first team all-city and second team all-state honors. "We wanted to improve our athleticism and in signing Mike we have done just that," state UC head coach Bob Huggins. "Mike has great overall quickness and jumping ability. He handles the ball well and he can rebound. He is a great complement to our recruiting class." - UCBearcats.com

11/21/02: "The University of Cincinnati completed its fall recruiting class Wednesday when it received a signed letter-of-intent from Purcell Marian High School product Mike Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210-pound forward playing this year at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH. "Pilgrim really helps our athleticism," Huggins said. "He's as athletic as anybody who was out there on the circuit all summer." Said assistant coach Andy Kennedy: "He's trying to make the transition from being primarily an inside guy to a combo forward who can make shots and put the ball on the floor." - Enquirer.com

11/21: "Pilgrim, the former Purcell Marian High School standout, will be returning home after spending this season at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210-pound forward, averaged 18 points and nine rebounds at Purcell Marian last season, earning second-team all-state in Division II. Pilgrim primarily played in the low post at Purcell Marian, but he is expected to play more on the perimeter in college." - CincyPost.com

11/20/02: "Mike Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210 pound power forward from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, signed his letter of intent today as did his dad to make it official for Cincinnati. Mike's dad confirmed tonight that (he) signed the LOI today. . . to make it a done deal for Bob Huggins' program." - http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/

11/20/02: ". . . was thought to be all wrapped up for Cincinnati. Last week, Brewster head coach Jason Smith told us that the letter was being sent in. But a source tells us that Pilgrim's parents had not yet signed the letter of intent. This issue was to be resolved today. Smith said that Pilgrim also express mailed the actual letter of intent back to Cincinnati for his parents to sign. However, as of this story, the letter with both signatures had not made its way into the basketball office at Cincinnati." - RivalsHoops

11/14/02:
http://www.bearcatnews.com/articles/view.php?id=68&aid=4

11/2: Pilgrim and Brewster Academy will be playing in "The War On The Shore" in Delaware beginning Nov 22 and concluding on Nov 24. The "War" includes the best prep schools in the country. - Insiders

10/25: "Mike Pilgrim, a 6-foot-7 forward from Purcell Marian High School and Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., announced Friday that he will attend the University of Cincinnati and play basketball for coach Bob Huggins. Pilgrim chose UC over Seton Hall. He also visited Boston College and Virginia. "I know exactly what I'm getting," Pilgrim told The Enquirer. "I know exactly what I'm coming into. I know I can make an immediate impact as a freshman. UC is where I always thought I would play. I love their style of play, how they run up and down. Coach Huggins is a great coach, and I know he can get me ready to play at the next level after college." Pilgrim averaged 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds last season for Purcell Marian and was named first-team Division II-IV all-city by The Enquirer. He was also selected first-team all-district and second-team all-state Division II by the Associated Press." - Enquirer.com

10/25: "I was pretty much leaning to Seton Hall. But Cincinnati was there all along. They picked it up the last three weeks. They were pretty much a school I wanted to go to. It's a great conference. My family supported me in whatever I do. The family tie there. I had a tough conversation with coach Orr. Sometimes I call him cousin. Sometimes I call him coach. But either way it was tough to tell him. I wanted a family tie there. It had benefits too. Just to be in that position to make was great." - RivalsHoops.com

10/25: "The 6-7, 210-pound Brewster Academy forward, who hails from Cincinnati, committed to Bob Huggins’ Cincinnati program instead of joining his first cousin, Seton Hall head coach Louis Orr. "Seton Hall is a big-time program, no doubt about it," Pilgrim told PrepStars.com. "But UC is already there as being established and a great program. They will help prepare me so I can hopefully get to the next level."

Pilgrim, who also considered Boston College and Virginia, told Brewster Academy coach Jason Smith around noon this afternoon and followed it up with a call to Cincinnati assistant and former Bearcat player Keith LeGree. He then called Orr as well as coaches from both BC and Virginia.

Pilgrim just returned this past weekend from official trips to both Virginia and Cincinnati. The Bearcats were the last of the four finalists to offer when they did so last week.

Pilgrim averaged 17.9 points and nine rebounds per game last season at Cincinnati Purcell Marian High and came to Brewster to bring up his core GPA. He has already achieved a 24 on the ACT. "It’s no disrespect to my cousin, Louis, but they just aren’t quite as established as UC," Pilgrim added. "I thought UC would be better for my development. Cincinnati is already there in my eyes."

Pilgrim is a tremendous athlete who can penetrate to the basket and is working hard at improving his perimeter game while at Brewster. Some coaches see him as a combo forward while others project him more as a 2-3 guy. He said that the Cincinnati staff told him he could step in right away and fight for minutes as a freshman. Pilgrim was not a diehard UC fan growing up, but has always admired their up-and-down, wide-open style of play.

Prior to the summer, Pilgrim was being looked at mainly by mid-major programs. However, spending the summer with the Cleveland Basketball Club piqued the interest of several big-time programs and it all culminated with the decision on Friday. "Now all I have to focus on is my game and the grades," Pilgrim said." - PrepStars.com

10/25: "in the end Pilgrim picked the Bearcats and, as a result, Cincinnati's recruiting class moves up to #3, behind Maryland and Oklahoma and ahead of Kansas and Florida State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2003.

If you will recall, Cincinnati already has landed two of the top five junior college players in the nation in 6'10 Robert Whaley from Barton County (JC) KS and 6'4 Nick Williams from Chipola (JC) FL. And now they have one of the fastest rising players in the prep school ranks as well.

As a matter of fact, Pilgrim will likely be ranked #5, behind 6'9 Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, 6'3 Mustafa Shakur from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'11 James Lang from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, and 6'11 Martin Iti from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, next time we update our list of the 5th year players.

This also gives the Bearcats the highest talent rating average per recruit (8.7) among all Division I schools, as well as the highest ranked recruiting class in the nation with only three players." - HoopScoop


10/24: "Originally we thought 6'8 Mike Pilgram from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH was a near lock for the University of Cincinnati. However, now we're hedging our bets, because it appears that Seton Hall is a lot stronger than we originally thought and, as a result, we're now going on record saying that this race is too close to call, as we await tomorrow's scheduled press conference. Obviously the fact that Pilgram is a native of Cincinnati and the fact he's a prototypical Bobby Huggins type player weights in the Bearcats advantage. But Seton Hall also has a few things working in their favor, like the fact Pilgram is a relative of Pirates head coach Louie Orr, the fact the Pirates currently don't have an athletic combo forward like Pilgram, the fact the Pirates are in the media biggest media market in the nation, and the fact the Pirates already have two excellent recruits - 6'11 Grant Billmeier from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ and 6'2 Jamar Nutter from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ - in the fold." - HoopScoop

10/24: "a forward at Brewster Academy, will announce his collegiate decision on Friday afternoon at a 2:45 press conference at the school. Pilgrim will pick between Seton Hall and Cincinnati." - Insiders Hoops

10/23: ". . . cut his list down to two schools -- Seton Hall and Cincinnati. Pilgrim recently took a visit to Cincinnati. "Cincinnati was unbelievable," Pilgrim said. "I mean other than just being home, I felt a sense of belonging in that program. Coach Huggins runs a great program and it has always been a dream of mine to play at the University of Cincinnati." - RivalsHoops

10/22: "Last week we told you that 6'8 Mike Pilgram from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH would be making an official visit to the University of Cincinnati over the weekend and now we're telling you that a verbal commitment by Pilgram to the Bearcats could be forthcoming just about any day now. And this makes perfect since, because Pilgram originally is from Cincinnati (Purcell-Marian) OH and is the prototypical Bobby Huggins-type athlete/slasher/combo forward. He's also dramatically improved since our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson ranked him #5 in his final rankings in the state for the Class of 2002, plus we understand that Pilgram has grown at least an inch since we saw him during the summer.

Boston College, Seton Hall, Virginia, and Memphis are also still on Pilgram's list, but, assuming that we are proven correct, Pilgram's commitment will move the Bearcats recruiting class up to #2 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2003. Remember, Cincinnati landed two of the top five junior college players in the nation earlier this fall in 6'10 Robert Whaley from Barton County (JC) KS and 6'4 Nick Williams from Chipola (JC) FL." - HoopScoop


10/20: "When I last saw him, he scored most of his points inside and grabbed a lot of rebounds. But his coach said recently that he is developing a perimeter game (medium range). So I have to see if he has progressed. I can say he tries to get every rebound and is pretty agile and has some bounce." - Mike Sullivan, RivalsHoops

10/18: "Right before his visit to Cincinnati, the Bearcats made it clear how much they want Mike Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210 pound power forward from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. According to Brewster head coach, Jason Smith, Bob Huggins extended a scholarship offer to Pilgrim. "Mike is at Virginia right now," said Smith. "He will be at Virginia until Sunday morning. Then Mike is leaving Virginia to head to Cincinnati for an official visit. Before he left, Cincinnati offered him a scholarship." So this makes Pilgrim's recruiting process even more intense. Remember, Pilgrim recently told RivalsHoops.com that he had a great time visiting South Orange, New Jersey and taking a look at the campus of Seton Hall University. This was Pilgrim's second official visit." - RivalsHoops.com (2 to 5)

10/17/02: "Mike Pilgrim is coming home for a visit. The former Purcell Marian High School basketball standout is scheduled to begin an official recruiting trip to the University of Cincinnati on Sunday, his prep school coach said Wednesday. Pilgrim, a 6-foot-7, 213-pound small forward, is attending Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. He already has made official visits to Seton Hall - coached by Withrow graduate Louis Orr - and Boston College. Pilgrim is scheduled to visit Virginia - and former Xavier coach Pete Gillen - on Friday and Saturday. "I think that these four will be it and then he'll make a decision," Brewster coach Jason Smith said.

Pilgrim averaged 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds last season for Purcell Marian and was named to the Enquirer's Division II-IV all-area first team. He was selected first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division II by the Associated Press, and was Greater Catholic League-North Player of the Year. "He's one of the most athletic kids in the country, period," Smith said. "He's really working on his perimeter game. He's working his butt off in the weight room two hours a day; he's really getting stronger."

Clark Francis of Hoop Scoop has Pilgrim at No.15 in his ranking of fifth-year players, and said "he probably should be five, six, seven, eight - in that range." Francis saw Pilgrim at a tournament in May and was impressed, but "everybody that I've talked to says he's just gone off the Richter scale. He is a terrific athlete. He's more of a slasher than a 3-point shooter; that's probably what he needs to work on the most. "The fact that he's a Cincinnati kid, the fact that he's a phenomenal athlete, the fact that he really doesn't have a true position, all those things make him perfect for Cincinnati."

Pilgrim did not graduate from Purcell Marian; he would have been ineligible to compete for a Division I program this year. He left early in hopes of improving his grade-point average in his core courses, Smith said, adding that Pilgrim has achieved a score of 24 on his ACT." - Enquirer.com

10/14/02: "Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith also mentioned that Pilgrim also is planning a visit to Cincinnati after he finishes up the Virginia visit." - RivalsHoops.com (back to active)

9/4: "I really like Pilgrim, especially how much he's improved over the past year. He's still a skinny 6-6 big forward, which hurts him some, but his athleticism is intriguing for high-majors." - Harrington, PrepStars

9/4/02: "Mike Pilgrim, a 6'8 210 combo forward continue to get new D-1 offers weekly. Pilgrim who prepped at Cincinnati (Purcell Marian) last season and averaged 20.0 points and 10.3 rebounds his senior season, decided to attend prep school in the middle of his senior season when it has realize his gpa was too low to receive a D-1 full scholarship. Pilgrim, a Cincinnati native have had contact with over 5 prep schools throughout the season never really making a full commitment to any. While playing with Oz Davis Queen City Prophets AAU team, Pilgrim cotinue to talk with prep school and set-up visits.

After, joining Cleveland Basketball Club AAU summer program through contact with his cousin Louis Orr. Pilgrim joined C.B.C. for Bob Gibbons tournament of champions in North Carolina. After, returning from the trip Pilgrim felt very comfortable and decided to finish the summer with them. So, you can say Louis Orr (head coach at Seton Hall) calling around looking for a team for Pilgrim was a good fit for both.

Pilgrim, joined Cleveland Basketball Club AAU summer program on it's yearly West Coast trip which included playing in the two biggest tournaments of the summer Adidas BigTime (Las Vegas) and Adidas Best of Best (Los Angeles, California). As, C.B.C. went 2-4 in Las Vegas Pilgrim averaged 19.0 points and 8.8 rebounds but more important turned alot of heads with his inside/outside game, as many of his points turned into slam dunks. In California, C.B.C. went 6-0, as Pilgrim continue to impress more scouts by averaging 17.2 points and 12.0 rebounds. Pilgrim was named all-tournament with Ivan Harris in the Best of Best tournament.

After the West Coast trip Pilgrim was down to two prep school's Coastal Christian Academy in Virginia and Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Having Fairfield, Ohio native Norm Plummer already accepted there picking Brewster Academy was a easy choice for Pilgrim. Both prep school coaches attend the West Coast tournaments to observe Pilgrim play.

Pilgrim, who plans to commitment early has listed Arizona, Virginia, Seton Hall, Purdue, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Penn State, Florida State, Illinois State, DePaul, UConn, St. Joe's and St. Bonaventure. Pilgrim has a high score of 21 ACT, so all he has to do is push his gpa to 2.0 to become eligibilty as a freshmen.

Pilgrim did mention his decision will be based on his impact as a freshmen either starting or coming off the bench getting good minutes. He also mention distance has no effect on his decision. Pilgrim, talked about how the college coaches will be stopping by Brewster Academy. Pilgrim is currently ranked #15 in the country by Hoop Scoop." - Ohio Preps


8/24/02: "Mike Pilgrim, a 6-7, 210 pound power forward who will be attending Brewster Academy in New Hampshire this fall, said that a pair of new colleges have jumped into his recruitment this summer.

A native of Cincinnati, Pilgrim told Rivalshoops that Bowling Green and Arizona have contacted him within the past week. Both schools told Mike they plan on evaluating him in the coming months.

Since our last update on Pilgrim last week, Illinois State has offered a scholarship. The Redbirds join Ohio State, Seton Hall and Purdue among those programs who have tendered a scholarship offer.

Pilgrim plans to be at Ohio State this afternoon on an unofficial basis for the Buckeyes home football opener against Texas Tech. In addition to the six schools listed above, Pilgrim is also considering Florida State, UConn, DePaul, CINCINNATI, St. Joe's and Kent State.

Many of those colleges are expected to make the trek up to Brewster this fall to watch Pilgrim and his teammates during unofficial workouts.

Initially, Pilgrim had been slated to attend Coastal Christian Academy in Virginia this fall. But after gaining admission to Brewster Academy late last week, he had a change of heart and opted to attend Jason Smith's rising NEPSAC program. Pilgrim is slated to begin classes at Brewster on Sept. 8. He is working on boosting his core GPA, since he did not graduate last spring from Purcell-Marian H.S. in Cincy.

Pilgrim received excellent news in the spring when he achieved a score of 24 on the ACT exam. So if he pushes his core GPA past the 2.0 plateau, he should easily qualify for freshman eligibility under NCAA guidelines. Last season at Purcell Marian, Pilgrim averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks per game. He enjoyed a productive summer for Mike Duncan's Cleveland Basketball Club program. A wiry, mobile and bouncy power forward, Pilgrim is a glass eater deluxe who plays the game with a great deal of enthusiasm." Pilgrim is a cousin of former Syracuse great and current Seton Hall Head Coach Louie Orr. - www.Rivals.com

8/23/02: Pilgrim will be at the Ohio State football game in Columbus this weekend. - PrepSpotlight

8/21: "it looks like Brewster Academy has won out in the sweepstakes for 6'7 Michael Pilgram, who is now ranked #15 on our prep school list. If you will recall, Pilgram, who originially is from Cincinnati (Purcell-Marian) OH, was ranked #5 in the state in our final rankings for the Class of 2002, but he was so impressive at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions last spring that he would be top 50 senior nationally, if he was still a high school senior." - HoopScoop

8/12/02: Listed as the 5th best 5th year (PrepSchool) player in the country. (Lamptey 11th, Carmona 13th) - HoopScoop

6/30/02: Listed third team, all state by HoopScoop.

4/12/02: Named to the Enquirer's All-City first team.