After he finished his junior season as one of the WPIAL's top scorers, it was only a matter of time before Hempfield Area's Nate Perry committed to a Division I school.

As it turns out, Perry did just that ... twice.

A 6-foot-3 senior shooting guard, Perry verbally committed to Appalachian State in late June. This came roughly two months after he had done the same with Coastal Carolina.

Verbal commitments are non-binding, meaning that until a student-athlete signs a letter of intent, he is free to change his mind. It's a routine that has become more commonplace in recent years.

Perry changed his mind primarily because of a coaching change. Jamie Kachmarik, then an assistant at Coastal Carolina, located in Conway, S.C., had recruited Perry hard, and the two quickly formed a bond that resulted in Perry committing.

But Kachmarik accepted an assistant's job on new Appalachian State coach Buzz Peterson's staff. Peterson and Kachmarik wasted little time in offering Perry a scholarship, and, after visiting the campus, Perry decided the school in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwest North Carolina was the better fit.

"I think it's a better situation for me," Perry said while in Orlando for the Super Showcase AAU tournament. "I didn't want to pass it up and then down the line be upset that I didn't do it."

Peterson is a great evaluator of talent -- a longtime Division I coach, he most recently was the director of player personnel for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats -- so there's little doubt he sees a lot of it in Perry. An outstanding shooter and the top returning scorer in the WPIAL -- he was third with 25.7 points per game as a junior -- Perry fills the basket regularly with his quick release and pinpoint marksmanship. He knocked down 12 3-pointers in an AAU game in May.

"A lot of college coaches who have seen him have said he's one of the top pure shooters in the country in his class. When he catches fire, he catches fire," said Daryn Freedman, coach of Perry's AAU team, Basketball Stars of America.

Freedman believes Perry could see a lot of playing time as a freshman, particularly if he keeps on improving his defense, an aspect of the game Perry said he has been working on diligently.

Perry said he expects to be used as a combo guard early on.

At Appalachian State, located in Boone, N.C., Perry will compete in the Southern Conference, a strong mid-major league that includes Davidson and The College of Charleston.

"That conference is no joke. It's a conference that always has teams the powerhouses get nervous about playing," Perry said.

There will be somewhat of a familiarity in the conference for Perry, however, as one of his best friends, Sewickley Academy standout Tom Droney, committed to Davidson a few weeks ago and will enter the league at the same time.

The two have already begun the smack talk.

"He was talking about how they're going to kill us and win all the conference championships. I tell him we're going to beat him every year," Perry said.

"I told him he can win as many games as he wants, but he's not going to beat us," Droney said.

Perry now is eager to finish his high school career in a big way. Led by first-year coach and former Jeannette boss Jim Nesser, the Spartans will look to improve on a 13-9 record from a season ago, when they won their final eight regular-season games before falling to Central Catholic in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs. Perry scored 35 points in that game.

"I love AAU, but I can't wait for the school season to start. I think about it every day," Perry said. "At the end of the day, you're remembered for winning championships. I couldn't care less how many points I have, as long as we win."