Toledo fits the plan for Warren’s Nathan Boothe

A good architect always has a plan.

And the University of Toledo fits nicely into Nathan Boothe’s plan.

An aspiring architect and Warren’s 6-foot-8 center of attention, Boothe was looking for a school that could meet his needs both in the classroom and on the basketball court. Last week, he decided that Toledo was that school.

Boothe, who will be a senior at Warren this year, has committed to play hoops for the Rockets beginning in 2012. He made his decision Thursday while he was on campus for a visit.

“It was more than just athletics,” Boothe said of his choice. “Coach (Tod Kowalzcyk) has a 100 percent graduation rate, and they’ve got the major that I’m interested in. I took an architecture class and I really enjoyed it. I’m kind of good at it, so it was like everything fit.

“The campus at Toledo is also beautiful, the facilities are new and the players there are all really nice. I feel really good about my decision.”

The coaches at Toledo decided long ago to target Boothe. They first saw him during the summer after his sophomore year at an AAU tournament.

“I think they saw me up in Milwaukee and I kept hearing from them,” Boothe said. “I think they like my size, my passing, my ability to shoot from mid-range and my feel for the game.”

It also helped Boothe’s stock that he was an integral part of Warren’s run downstate in March. The Blue Devils brought home the Class 4A runner-up trophy.

“Nathan has made really good progress since the season,” Warren coach Chuck Ramsey said. “He shot the ball very well this summer. He’s a very skilled big man with good hands. As long as he stays hungry, I think his game will translate very well at the next level.”

Boothe is one of several Warren basketball players in recent years to play Division I college basketball.

Ceola Clark is playing at Western Illinois, Brandon Paul is playing at Illinois and Langston Hughes and Casey Pond played at Northwestern and Florida Gulf Coast, respectively.

Boothe’s teammate Darius Paul, Brandon’s younger brother, is expected to go Division I as well. His decision could be announced any day.

Besides Toledo, Boothe was also interested in South Dakota State, Western Michigan, Drake and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

“I felt really comfortable with the team at Toledo,” Boothe said. “They’ll play me as a (traditional) big man, a 4 or a 5. I just need to work on getting stronger, faster and more aggressive.”