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Ridgewood's Lotz chooses UNFBy JOHN C. COTEY © St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2000 NEW PORT RICHEY -- Because of Cory Seels, and despite the fact he was hard to miss, you may not have noticed Ridgewood forward Donny Lotz last season. That will change in 2000. And to make sure of it, Lotz has gotten one of the biggest decisions and possible distractions in his life out the way by verbally committing last week to the University of North Florida. "I just wanted to take the pressure off me my senior year," said Lotz, a slight 6-foot-10 center for the Rams. "I don't want to be worrying about where I want to go for college and wait until the last minute. So that's why (I'm committing). This way if I have a bad game and a recruiter is in the stands, then I don't have to worry about that now." Lotz was a starter for the Rams last season, but all eyes shifted to the 6-9 and talented Seels when he transferred in from Robinson. While Lotz still had his big games, his most effective tool being his shot-blocking ability, his numbers were average in what coach Gary Anders termed an up-and-down season. Lotz averaged around eight points and eight rebounds a game. But Lotz said he has worked hard this summer to refine his game, improving in every area in hopes of a big senior year. "That's what I want to do," Lotz said. "I went to a lot of camps and I run and lift weights after school. I think I've gotten better all-around." Anders agrees. "At 6-10 he may not be a power player, but he has a nice shooting touch and he can put the ball on the floor," he said. "I think he's going to be a pretty good player for those guys." And for the Rams? Like Lotz, Anders expects a big season. Last year, Seels' presence drew almost all the attention and the Rams seemed to suffer for it, never getting in synch with their new star. A hulking 270 pounds, Seels played under the hoop as the Rams' center, which didn't seem to suit the team's desire to run. Lotz, however, is a center that can run the floor and could perhaps fit in better than Seels did. "We had a lot of other things going on last year, but I expect Donny to be a leader, and he was always someone who was steady for us," Anders said. "I think he should definitely be one of the better players in the county." As a sophomore, Lotz was a backup before earning a starting spot last season. Stepfather Robert Rivera says that Lotz knew he had to raise his game to a higher standard. "He shows you what hard work can get you," Rivera said. "He hopes that others can see his example (and be inspired by it)." Sporting a 3.7 grade-point average, Lotz took the SAT on Saturday and expects to easily achieve a qualifying score. "I realized I could do this probably by the end of my sophomore year," said Lotz. "I was getting better. People have always been telling me I'm going to be going far, I guess I just had to realize it." Lotz, 17, said he had received interest from Charleston Southern, Eckerd, Saint Leo, Elon, Jacksonville and Lynn University before picking UNF because "it's a great school, it's a clean school ... it's a great everything." Lotz said the coaches told him he will probably play forward. He expects to sign when the NCAA signing period begins in early November, though no date has been set.
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