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File Photo: Tim Kehrer/The Hoya

Head Coach John Thompson III

The basketball season is just over a month away, but Head Coach John Thompson is thinking years down the line.

Thompson received Tuesday his second verbal commitment from the class of 2010, landing forward Nate Lubick. Lubick joins Georgetown Prep guard Markel Starks in the recruiting class.

Lubick, a 6-foot-8 junior from Southborough, Mass., told THE HOYA Wednesday that the overall quality of Georgetown, both for basketball and academics, led the four-star recruit to choose the Hoyas over Michigan, Duke, Virginia and Stanford.

“Basically just the school, academically, it’s a great institution,” he said. “D.C. is a great area; basketball-wise it’s top-of-the-line, and it is consistently going to be top of the line. Coach Thompson is such a great coach.”

In addition to Thompson, Lubick said that his relationship with Assistant Coach Kenya Hunter helped guide him to the Hilltop.

“He’s real close with my AAU coach who I’m real close with, and just made a good relationship with him, I really trust him,” he said.

Lubick said that when he visited at the end of the summer, he fell in love with the campus. He said that he especially admired the relationship the players had with each other and with their coaches. He also had the opportunity to visit with Jeff Green, who shared a few words of wisdom with the St. Mark’s product.

“Jeff just said, ‘The position that we play, Coach Thompson and these guys are really good at developing that position. It’s a great place, and he’s gonna fight for you as long as you fight for him,’” Lubick said.

Lubick stressed that despite making his decision just over halfway into his high school career, he took his time in choosing a destination.

“I wasn’t really rushed,” he said. “Schools came after me real early. I’ve been talking to a lot of great people. This was the place for me.”

As with many of the Hoyas’ big men, Lubick is known for his passing.

“The biggest thing I’m gonna bring — hope to bring — is versatility, being a smart player and a good teammate, and [being] someone who is going to try to do everything in my power to win.”

Lubick, along with Starks, cannot sign a letter of intent until November of 2009 when they are seniors. Starks, a local product from Georgetown Prep, verbally committed to the Hoyas two weeks ago. The 6-foot-1 guard is the sixth-ranked point guard in the junior class.

Lubick’s father, David Lubick, is his high school coach and played a significant role in his recruitment.

“He really helped me develop into the player I am,” Nate said of his dad. “With the recruiting, he helped me sort through the schools and coaches. He knows a lot about this stuff. He helped me organize things and get my head straight. He did an absolutely perfect job. He helped me prioritize, and when the decision came he just took a step back.”

As for being first big Boston-area product since Patrick Ewing?

“Gotta represent Massachusetts a little bit,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about that. That’s pretty cool actually.”