Carroll's Irving headed for Boston University

DJ Irving is good with numbers and pictures majoring in finance.

Perhaps he'll minor in drama?

Irving is a 5-11, 160-pound senior point guard at Archbishop Carroll High and he chose yesterday to announce his college decision as a surprise birthday to his mother, Jackie.

Did it up right, too.

Gathered in the dining room at 8 a.m. were DJ, his mom and dad (Desmond Sr.), both grandmoms and two Carroll buddies.

"I had a Rider shirt and a Boston University hat on the table," Irving said. "Just messing around, I picked up the Rider shirt and there was no reaction. So I tossed that away and picked up the Boston hat and my mom was screaming like crazy.

"She really wanted me to go there. She has a good relationship with coach [Patrick] Chambers."

Chambers, a product of Episcopal Academy, was an assistant at Villanova before taking the BU job last spring. Already he has also received commitments from North Catholic guard Mike Terry, Roman Catholic forward Anthony Mayo and three players from Friends' Central, power forward Dominic Morris, small forward Travis Robinson and guard H.J. Gaskins.

Irving's official visits were made to BU and Rider. Monmouth, Wagner and Lehigh were also involved to varying degrees.

"I was going back and forth on Rider and Boston," he acknowledged. "It just comes down to the fact that Boston feels more like a family. I think the Philly thing [ex-Bonner coach Brian Daly is an assistant] does have something to do with that." *