No. 1 recruit DeAndre Ayton surprises by committing to Arizona basketball

The Arizona Wildcats landed a surprise commitment from the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the class of 2017 Tuesday as DeAndre Ayton, who announced his decision on SportsCenter on Tuesday, decided to head to Tucson for college.

According to 247 Sports’ crystal ball, Ayton was a heavy favorite to land with Kansas (88 percent) or Kentucky (12), who were the two finalists in the recruiting process along with the Wildcats.

Ayton is from the Bahamas and played in California before attending Hillcrest Academy in Arizona. In five games at the adidas Nations Tournament this summer, Ayton averaged 17.4 points, 11 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

DeAndre Ayton is a special prospect. Ranked No. 1 overall. Terrific physical gifts, plus skill & an improving motor.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) September 6, 2016

There were some rumors the top player in the 2017 class may not be eligible to enroll in a university, but the 7-foot, 235 pounder said that he will attend college.

Asked if he might forego Arizona on ESPN, Ayton said, “No. Not at all. My family and I, they say college is a must.”

Arizona has recruited a top-7 class the past six seasons under head coach Sean Miller, per ESPN’s standards, and the Wildcats appear well on their way to extending that streak to seven years. In the 2017 recruiting class, Ayton joins guard Alex Barcello, a 4-star who recently committed to Arizona out of Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe.

 

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