BARRINGTON — While some of his friends and family members were telling him to take his time in weighing numerous college basketball scholarship offers, Michael Carter-Williams says he knew where he wanted to go to college all along.

After playing in the Carrier Dome each of the past two summers, seeing the brand-new, $19-million Carmelo Anthony Center and meeting Jim Boeheim, Carter-Williams was sold. The junior at the St. Andrew’s School verbally committed to Syracuse over the weekend. The 6-foot-4 guard picked the Orange over Providence, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Villanova and Miami.

“I liked Syracuse a lot and didn’t think I’d eventually like another school any more,”the 18-year-old Carter-Williams said. “I like the coaches, and everything up there is really nice. Plus I want to study communications and they are one of the best for that.”

Carter-Williams, who is from Hamilton, Mass., has grown nearly 2 inches in the last year and expanded his game as well. He averaged 13 points and 6 rebounds as a sophomore last year.

“His best days are ahead of him," said St. Andrew’s coach Mike Hart. “He came here as a scoring guard, but I think he’ll end up as a point guard in college. He’ll play both guard spots for us this year.”

Syracuse is reloading its program with talent. The Orange could start a freshman, Brandon Triche, at point guard this season. He’ll be a junior when Carter-Williams enrolls in 2011. Syracuse is also expecting Dion Waiters, one of the top high school guards in the East, to enroll next fall but the Orange coaching staff clearly feels Carter-Williams will fit into their plans as well.

Carter-Williams is the latest in a long line of St. Andrew’s players heading for big-time colleges. He joins Tony Robertson (UConn), Demetris Nichols (Syracuse), Jonathan Kale (Providence) and Rakim Sanders (Boston College) as the headliners in the program’s recent history. Providence chased Carter-Williams hard. Keno Davis and his staff recruited him all summer and into the fall and welcomed the recruit and his parents to Late Night Madness on campus two weeks ago. Coaches from PC, Notre Dame, Virginia and other schools all came to St. Andrew’s this fall to watch Carter-Williams play pickup ball with his Saints teammates. Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins was among the visitors, and he ended up winning this recruiting battle.

“I liked Providence a lot,” said Carter-Williams. “They have a great program. It was a really tough choice. I’m just happy that now I can focus on my last two years of high school.”

PC will keep recruiting other guards in the class of 2011, most notably New Jersey’s Myles Mack, and Naadir Tharpe and Shabazz Napier from Massachusetts. The Friars are expecting letters-of-intent from three members of the current prep senior class next week in guards Joseph Young and Gerard Coleman, plus forward Ron Giplaye. The Friars are also heavily involved with Devon Collier, a 6-7 forward who plays at famed St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, N.J. He’s getting ready to pick from among PC, Oregon State, Seton Hall or St. John’s.

“He’ll sign early, so we’ll meet with his family in the next week and make a decision,” said Kimani Young, Collier’s coach with the New Heights AAU program. “Providence is right there with the other schools.”

kmcnamar@projo.com