Malvern star picks Vermont

THREE OF the colleges that made Brendan Kilpatrick's personal final four can be found in New England.

Hmm, what have we here, a closet skier?

"Not even close," he said, chuckling. "And I don't even plan on learning. When guys come back from skiing or snowboarding, they all seem to have broken arms or broken legs. I don't think that's for me."

Kilpatrick, a 6-5, 195-pound senior at Malvern Prep, is a quality basketball player and his next stop will be the University of Vermont. He also was in close contact with Boston University (an official visit was canceled), New Hampshire and Monmouth.

"I had a positive idea about Vermont going into my visit," said Kilpatrick, a wing sniper and the Inter-Ac League's MVP as a junior. "From the start, really, going back to when they contacted me over the summer between my sophomore and junior year.

"I always had good communications with Vermont and I appreciated all the interest they were showing in me. They were on top of what they needed to do to make me feel wanted.

"Once I got up there, I fell in love with the players and coaches and I could see they have a good thing going. They do things right. Plus, the town is really behind the basketball program. It came down to that gut feeling. 'This is where I'll feel most comfortable. This is where I'll be the most happy.' "