By BRENDAN McGAIR

Sports writer

BARRINGTON – Mike LaPlante spent this summer diversifying his portfolio,  albeit not in a basketball sense.
Instead of raising his recruiting stock through appearances at various AAU events and showcase camps, LaPlante, a Woonsocket native, was playing a different game, that of getting up to speed in the classroom. Undoubtedly it was a steep price to pay, given the perception that summertime is when basketball reputations are established and college coaches hit the trail in full force, hoping to unearth the next great talent for their program.
While a forgotten entity, LaPlante came to the realization that in order to step on the court – both at St. Andrew’s and whatever college he someday selects – his grades must be up to par. Now that they are on the verge of being so, LaPlante, now a junior, shifts his sights to re-establishing his luster in the coming season.
“He accepted the fact that because he didn’t get it done his first few years (at Woonsocket High) and that he had a lot of catching up to do,” explained St.Andrew’s head coach Mike Hart. “He was willing to take two summer classes, both of which he scored well. At the same time it hurt his recruiting because he wasn’t out playing. We knew that going in and he was willing to (do the school work) and he did it.
“Now,” continued Hart, revealing the most positive development of LaPlante’s summer of hitting the books instead of jump shots, “he has got a chance to qualify. He’s working very diligently in making sure the grades stay in the B-minus or above area.”
LaPlante arrived at the quaint Barrington campus a little over a year ago, reclassifing as a 10th grader. He got his feet wet basketball-wise when Hart last season paired him with another well-publicized recruit in Mike Carter-Williams, also a member of the Class of 2011.
“I started half the season, but coach [Hart] wanted to experiment seeing how I would play coming off the bench,” said LaPlante, who Hart locked in at shooting guard after seeing time at small forward with Woonsocket. “Coach wanted to understand how each of us plays, but now it looks like myself and Carter will be out there at the same time.”
LaPlante finished the year with “a number of schools showing interest. Maybe not scholarships, but I have a lot more letters. Everything has been increasing.” Hart says the scholarship offer from Rhode Island is still firm (“Coach [Jim] Baron came up the first day of open gym, and Mike was excited,” said Hart) with LaPlante rattling off George Mason and Florida Atlantic among his top choices. Vermont, La Salle and Fordham have also expressed varying degrees of interest.
“I think I’ve handled the attention pretty well,” LaPlante offered. “Overall it’s been a good experience.”
Hart has already imparted the same information upon LaPlante that the long-time mentor mentioned to the hot commodities (Pawtucket’s Rakim Sanders being one of them) he’s provided guidance for through the years. That being to choose a school that best fits.
“I would prefer to see Mike go to a mid-major school where he’s going to play and get a great education,” said Hart.  “College coaches want to see dull and boring. They want to see you use the backboard, not come down and miss a dunk.” 
Before he could move forward, LaPlante had to take a step back. The scheduled time away from basketball also included some trips to the homestead of St. Andrew’s assistant John O’Shea, who serves as LaPlante’s primary mode of transportation to and from school. LaPlante provided landscaping services at O’Shea’s Cumberland residence, earning some money designed to relieve some of the tuition costs at St. Andrew’s.
“(Removing myself from basketball this summer) … it was something I didn’t think would affect me, but I don’t think it was positive recruiting-wise,” reflected LaPlante, “but I’m ready to come back.”
What should help LaPlante regain some polish is the reputation St. Andrew’s has carved out as a school that regularly churns out high-end talent. Over 40 Division I schools have passed through in the four weeks Hart has held open gym scrimmages. Just last week LaPlante showcased his, as Hart coined, his “freak athleticism” before an audience that included Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and an assistant up from Miami.
“I think he’s lucky enough in that we have guys being recruited here,” said Hart. “We have a lot of 6-foot-5 athletes, so it’s good he’s getting challenged every day.”
Hart beamed when the subject turned to LaPlante’s skill set, particularly how far his 3-point shooting has come. His ball handling, leadership skills and overall basketball IQ are three areas in need of augmentation, but there are even greater hurdles yet to overcome.
“It’s a brutal year academically and Mike is going to feel the stress. He’s got six core classes and maybe has to take an online one for the NCAA,” detailed Hart.
“We’re always focusing on schoolwork first, then playing,” said LaPlante. 
Both player and coach expressed there’s an outside shot LaPlante reaches a decision in the spring. Realistically Hart believes LaPlante will declare his intentions a year from now.
“I want (peace of mind) my senior year and try and get a championship at (St. Andrew’s),” said LaPlante, who was non-committal when asked if he had any concrete plans for Late-Night Madness – college basketball’s official kickoff to the season – this Friday night.
“I want to make sure he qualifies before he makes a decision,” said Hart.