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National HS power Haverford (Pa.) made news late last month when Forry Smith verballed to Johns Hopkins to become the first freshman to ever commit in D-I lax history.

Soon after, another ninth-grader Jack Reilly, a defenseman at Conestoga, verballed to Virginia.

Earlier this week, another Philly area underclass standout made a commitment. He’s Brendan Shima, a sophomore attackman who is a teammate of Smith’s at Haverford.

Shima has announced his intentions to attend the University of Michigan.

A natural lefty, Shima is strong with either hand and has good vision.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Brandon on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
The academic side of things deemed most important in the decision. Not only is Michigan a fantastic academic university, but also it gives the student-athletes all the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom.

With being a new program, Michigan has really been improving. I feel that by the time my 2015 class comes in, the program will already be a high contending team with the ultimate goal of a national championship. I loved (Michigan Head) Coach (John) Paul and the rest of the staff, and I am looking forward to playing under them.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I visited Georgetown, Navy, Penn and Princeton. These were really the top four but I had also communicated with Notre Dame, and Brown.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
Normally playing behind the goal, my strengths would be quickness, and the ability to find the open cutter. For my Dukes LC team, this summer I played the role of a quarterback, trying my best to manage the game, and to facilitate the ball.

What areas of your game have you been working to improve on?
I certainly need to work on shooting. Also, not being blessed with natural height or strength, progressively getting bigger and stronger is something I have been working on.

You are the latest underclassman from Haverford to commit. What are your thoughts on deciding on a college with the bulk of your varsity career to come and why was it the best decision for you?
It is still very early on in high school to have made a decision. What made the process easy for me was visiting other schools to compare and contrast them from one another.

Also, I know I want to study business as an undergraduate and Michigan has a top business program.

What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in last summer?
I played for Dukes LC this past summer. We had a very successful season going 4/4 in winning the tournaments we entered. I participated in the Jake Reed Nike Blue Chip and Maverik Showtime lacrosse showcases. It was an overall great experience.

* For more info on Brandon, check out his player profile by clicking here.

Have a recruiting commitment to report? Email us at info@laxlessons.com.

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* 2012 Fall Signing Week story/photo archive

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* Class of 2012 commitment rundown

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