The Haverford School's Tao Xu, a 6-11 center, has given a verbal commitment to the University of San Francisco.

Xu, who has completed his studies on Lancast Avenue, has qualified through the NCAA's Clearinghouse and will be eligible to compete for the Dons next winter.

“They want him yesterday,” Fords coach Henry Fairfax said of USF.

Xu averaged seven points, three rebounds and two blocked shots in his first and only season at Haverford School, to which the Chinese U-19 national team player transferred at the start of the 2011-12 school year.

Fairfax said Xu kicked around offers from Tulane, Mississippi State and Drexel, before deciding upon San Francisco.

“Tao told me he considered every offer he got,” Fairfax said. “He said to me, 'Coach, I came 7,000 miles to get here (to Haverford School). What's another 2,000 for college?'”

NOTE: Haverford School rising sophomore Sammy Foreman already has gotten more than a few Division I looks. The point guard turned heads in his first year at the high school level. He even earned MVP honors last week in the freshman game of the All-City Classic, at Community College of Philadelphia. Said Fairfax: "His team was down 20 with four minutes to go, and I said to my wife, 'Watch this.' Then he goes off for 20 in the final four minutes to send the game to overtime." According to Fairfax, Foreman recently received his first non-form letter, a hand-written piece of correspondence from a PAC-12 team.

The Haverford School's bid to win the Inter-Ac League title for the first time since 1999 sustained a roadblock Tuesday.

Junior center Tao Xu will miss the Fords' next game - Friday night at Germantown Academy - after incurring a pair of technical fouls in The Haverford School's 61-52 victory over Penn Charter.

Xu picked up the first technical foul in the fourth quarter, when he responded with a shove after taking a two-handed push to the back on an uncontested lay-up attempt. The 6-11 Chinese exchange student has a history of back injuries, including three broken vertebrae.

He got whistled for a second technical later in the fourth, when he issued a salute after knocking down a 15-foot baseline jumper.

"He's been doing it all season, so we don't know," first-year Haverford School coach Henry Fairfax said. "He was saluting our fans and our JV kids. It's something he's done all year.

"In response to the other one, he got shoved in the back," Fairfax continued. "He broke three vertebrae in his back, so he thought they were going after him. He's not a malicious kid, so I hope this doesn't paint him as a kid he's not. I think it would be a huge injustice if they didn't let the kid play."

Xu said he has made a habit of doing the Jaromir Jagr-esque salute "after big plays."

Fairfax told me that he would "start the (Inter-Ac) appeals process as soon as I'm done speaking with you." He later texted me to say the appeal was denied.

Xu had 17 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots in Tuesday's victory. He is averaging 8.3 points per game this season, his first in the states.

(Times staff photo / ROBERT J. GURECKI)

The season is here. Well, at least the season preview is.

Thursday's edition of the Daily Times holds the boys basketball season preview for the 2011-12 campaign, which officially begins Friday. If you didn't pick up a copy, here's a CliffsNotes version:

DEL VAL: At Chester, focus is on a sweet repeat ... Never in the storied history of Chester basketball, which features seven state titles and two-dozen 1,000-point scorers, have teams repeated as state champions. So this year, say the Clippers coach and a few players, that is their mission.

INTER-AC: Haverford School pins turnaround hopes on Xu ... There's a new coach, one big new player and a new vision at The Haverford School. Henry Fairfax, the program's all-time leading scorer, hopes to guide the Fords beyond a myriad of recent .500 seasons with the help of Chinese exchange student Tao Xu, a 6-foot-11 center. Oh, and the cast of players around Xu -- including senior guard Zach Thomas and freshman guard Sammy Foreman -- are pretty good, too.

CENTRAL LEAGUE: Lower Merion among many contenders in Central ... So I called each of the Central League's coaches and asked for their pick to win the title. Everyone said Lower Merion. But as Aces coach Gregg Downer told me, no one in his locker room has ever won a title, which opens the door for Ridley, Marple Newtown, Upper Darby, Haverford, Springfield ... and just about everyone else.

CATHOLIC LEAGUE + THE REST: Carroll looks to Yacob to maintain momentum ... Archbishop Carroll's winningest seasons have been the last four, within which the Patriots have had a pair of 1,000-point scorers, two trips to the Catholic League final, three state-playoff berths and a PIAA Class AAA title. Now, the keys to the team have been handed over to Yosef Yacob, the junior shooting guard and co-captain, to keep the team pointed in the right direction.

On the girls basketball side, beat writer Matt Smith did a great job highlighting the season with his previews. Take a look
Pearson, Creighton are Carroll's 1-2 punch ... Meghan Creighton and Rachel Pearson will continue their careers next season at Drexel. Before that takes form, though, they have some unfinished business at Archbishop Carroll.
Springfield will take its best shot ... Like the boys side, Lower Merion appears to be the heavy favorite. Among Delco's contenders, it could be Springfield's year.
Some big questions as new season approaches ... Is the Del Val League up for grabs? What's life like at Delco Christian, without all-time leading scorer Emily Homan?
Five players to watch

So there you have it. I think we've covered all the bases with the season preview. If I missed anything, be sure to leave a comment or send an email (cvito@delcotimes.com).

Only one day away until tipoff.