DeAndre Ayton, the nation’s top high school basketball recruit in 2017, announced his intentions to play at Arizona live on SportsCenter.
DeAndre Ayton became the first No. 1 recruit in history to pick Arizona when he announced his decision to play for the Wildcats live Tuesday on SportsCenter.
Ayton is the undisputed top prospect in the class of 2017, but controversy tainted his recruitment. Originally from the Bahamas, Ayton lives in Arizona and attends Hillcrest Academy, in Phoenix.
According to Ayton, it was only Kansas that was seriously in the mix. That’s why it was such a big surprise when he held up an Arizona shirt on SportsCenter.
He’s the type of big man that NBA general managers will drool over. Not only is he a great athlete, but the 250-pound power forward can finish around the rim as well as hit a mid-range jump shot.
DraftExpress has a write-up on him from August 3 on his performance in the 2016 Adidas Nations.
DeAndre Ayton was part of the loaded Team USA Harden that swept its four games en route to an Adidas Nations championship over Team Canada. Already one of the most highly recruited players in the class of 2017, Ayton was dominant again in Los Angeles, even playing alongside other top talent. He followed up his impressive Centrobasket performance for the Bahamas with another strong showing, leading the tournament in rebounds at an impressive per 40 clip of 18.5. At just 18 years old, Ayton already has elite physical tools, at 7’0 tall with a 7’5 wingspan, prototypical size for an NBA big.
