NLL Insider

Cody Jamieson is expected to join Syracuse in the fall

Hyped Canadian prospect Cody Jamieson finished up classes Friday for Onondaga Community College and will graduate, says OCC coach Chuck Wilbur. And contrary to some rumors, the dynamic attackman is applying to Syracuse, not entering the National Lacrosse League Entry Draft. Wilbur is hopeful Jamieson can get in to SU in time for the fall but said worst-case scenario would be the spring. The important thing, for SU fans, is that Jamieson did everything he needed to do this summer and will graduate from OCC.

More good news comes in regard to Jeremy Thompson, a middie from nearby LaFayette High and a former IL Top 10 recruit. The do-it-all middie took classes this summer in Northern New York while playing for Akwesasne in the Canadian Junior A loop. Wilbur says Thompson should be good to go as well, but that it will take a bit longer to sort through because the credits must transfer back to OCC. Worst-case with Thompson, Wilbur says, is that he’d have to finish up at OCC in the fall and head to SU for the spring semester.

Jamieson led OCC to two undefeated national titles in 2006-07 while scoring 237 points, winning the 2007 JuCo Male Athlete of the Year Award and the ’07 Tom Longboat Award as the male Aboriginal Athlete of the Year. Also a star with the Six Nations Arrows, who are currently playing to repeat last year’s Minto Cup win, Jamieson is the favorite to win NLLInsider.com’s Junior A Player of the Year award. Many pegged him as a potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NLL Draft had he entered.

Calls to Syracuse have not been returned, but Wilbur says Jamieson’s application is in SU’s hands.

“People thought Sid [Smith] had a big impact on the defensive end last year,” Wilbur says. “Cody will have just as big — if not bigger — impact on the offensive end.”

Jamieson is a tough, physical attackman with the skills and savvy of a top box lacrosse player to go with nice quickness. He would join an SU offense that returns attackmen Kenny Nims (34G, 24A), Greg Niewieroski (23, 5) and Stephen Keogh (20, 2) as well as middies Dan Hardy (25, 15), Matt Abbott (13, 8), Pat Perritt (11, 2), Josh Amidon (5, 1) and Jovan Miller (4, 6).

Jeremy Thompson is the same academic year as his younger brother Jerome, another promising midfield prospect, but Wilbur says Jerome is farther behind and less likely to make it to SU for this fall, and possibly for this spring. Jerome could stay at OCC this entire academic year, with an eye toward next fall, Wilbur says.

Check out highlights and interviews of Jamieson and the Thompsons from 2007 here in this clip about Native Americans and lacrosse from Inside Lacrosse on ESPN.

In their only year of collegiate action, the Thompsons were first-team All-NJCAA selections in leading OCC to the 2007 JuCo title. They shared the No. 4 spot in IL’s 2006 Recruiting Rankings. Both play offense and defense in addition to facing off, something Syracuse is in dire need of after the graduation of warrior Danny Brennan, who took 72% of SU’s draws last year.

“They want it really bad,” Wilbur says of the Thompson brothers. “They’re doing what they can; they’re fighting for it.”

In other OCC news, the Lazers most likely will be getting a nice boost from middie Damon Edwards and defenseman Reid Acton, who initially signed with Denver and Loyola, respectively. Wilbur says both are enrolling at OCC for this fall semester. Edwards is a fast middie from Ontario that played at Brewster Academy and is IL’s No. 24 overall incoming recruit. Acton is a 6-foot-3 defender that played for the Canadian U-19 team this summer and is IL’s No. 28 incoming defenseman.

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