Recruiting

Kemba Walker, a rising high school point guard, has announced that he will be headed to Connecticut. "It's kind of my dream school," he said. "Jim Calhoun is a Hall of Fame coach." Walker also added that he wanted to decided quickly and avoid the questions that were sure to follow him throughout the summer. "I just had to get this over with," Walker said. Former Rice High School teammate and current Husky Curtis Kelly helped Walker with the final choice. "He told me it was a good situation," Walker said. Scout.com has Walker as the No. 4 point guard in the Class of 2008, and the No. 36 player overall. He chose the Huskies over St. John’s and Cincinnati.

6-8 small forward Devin Ebanks has given a verbal commitment to Kelvin Sampson and the Indiana Hoosiers. Ebanks is considered the 2nd best small forward prospect in the class of 2008 according to Rivals.com. Virtually all of the recruiting services list Ebanks in the Top 20 nationally. His final decision came down to Indiana, Rutgers, and Miami.

Samardo Samuels, the nation’s top center and one of the top ten recruits in the Class of 2008, has announced that he will headed to Louisville. "It just seemed like the perfect opportunity," Samuels said. "I talked with Coach (Rick Pitino) about what I needed to do and what he is going to do for me. (Pitino) was excited, and I'll make it work. I really liked it there." The 6-9 forward made a visit to Louisville over the weekend, reportedly vaulting the Cardinals past North Carolina and Connecticut on his list. "To tell you the truth, I thought it was just another trip," Samuels said of his expectations. "But when I went down there and started seeing things and picturing things happening and what can I do at this place, it was perfect." Playing time and head coach Rick Pitino were key factors in his decision. "I am going to get better as a player under Coach," he said. "He knows what it takes to help me get to the next level.” Samuels is ranked as the No. 6 player in the country by both Scout.com and Rivals.com.

According to the Nevada Appeal, high school All-American Luke Babbitt has announced that he is going to opt out of his verbal agreement with Ohio State and attend Nevada. "Basically I had a change of heart," the 6-8 forward said. "I just decided that I wanted to stay close to home. Obviously Nevada is getting better and better, and I want to try and help them keep winning. Coach (Mark) Fox has done a great job up there, and I've always liked him. He's a great guy, and I'm looking forward to playing for him." Although Babbitt cannot sign anything official until November, he says his decision is final. "I thought about it (calling the other schools)," Babbitt said. "This is it for me. I don't want to be re-recruited. I'm sure I want to go to Nevada. I wanted to let people know as soon as possible." Babbitt is ranked No. 37 in the country by Scout.com.

According to multiple sources, Brandon Jennings, the top-rated point guard in the Class of 2008, will be headed to Arizona. “By taking a visit, I knew right then and there this was something I wanted to do,” Jennings said. “I got to meet the AD (Jim Livengood), the academic people and stuff like that." He also liked the lineage at Point Guard U. “I like all the point guards who came out of there -- they’re all stars in the league,” he said. “I believe Arizona can get me ready for the next level. Look at (Mike) Bibby, Jason Terry, Gilbert Arenas.”

“He’s going to be a Wildcat,” Jennings’ mother, Alice Knox, told the Tuscon Citizen. “He’s very excited about it and very comfortable with it.” One of Jennings' coaches, Kelly Williams, said that it came down to location. "He said he wants to be closer to home," he told Jeff Goodman of FOX Sports. "He wants to be closer so his mom and his family are able to come and see him play." Jennings originally committed to USC, but re-opened his recruitment and ended up choosing the Wildcats over Connecticut.

Consensus top 20 recruit Patrick Patterson announced on Wednesday that he will attend the University of Kentucky. The decision is another major coup for new head coach Billy Gillispie, as Patterson's other two final choices were Duke and Florida. The major deciding factors for Patterson are Kentucky's proximity to his home in West Virginia, and the availability of an immediate starting spot. Patterson is the final major blue chip prospect to sign, coming two days after Jai Lucas announced he will be a Florida Gator.

Drew Gordon, the top-ranked junior big man on the West Coast, has announced his plans to attend UCLA. "All the schools were great schools, all the coaches were excellent coaches," Gordon said. "UCLA and its staff would be the best fit for me at this point in time to be able to further my career beyond college. Basically, that's what it came down to.” He chose the Bruins over Washington, California, Arizona, North Carolina, and Duke. Gordon, who averaged 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game this past season, is ranked No. 20 by Scout.com and No. 25 by Rivals.com.

Ken Tysiac of the Charlotte Observer reports that Patrick Patterson, the nation’s top unsigned recruit will announce his college plans on May 16. According to Patterson’s high school coach, Lloyd McGuffin, he will decide this weekend between Duke, Kentucky, and Florida. Patterson is ranked No. 11 by Scout.com, and No 15 by Rivals.com.

The new charismatic Kentucky head coach is expected to get a letter-of-intent from Alex Legion, one of the top seniors in the country, within the next 24 hours.

According to Fox Sports, Top 50 prospect Alex Legion is expected to sign with Kentucky today. The 6-4 shooting guard out of Oak Hill Academy (Va.) was released from his letter from Michigan earlier in the month. Legion decided to leave Michigan when Tommy Amaker was fired and replaced by John Beilein.

This is a major coup for new Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, who accomplishes in his first few weeks what Tubby Smith could never do: land a big time recruit.

After visiting Lexington this past weekend, Legion came away impressed. "It's a done deal," said Fox Sport's source.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, four-star recruit Anthony McClain has committed to Cincinnati. The 6-11 McClain, who chose the Bearcats over Connecticut, was the top unsigned center in the country. His high school coach Trevor Brown said that McClain picked Cincinnati and coach Mick Cronin because of the familiarity Brown had with the program as well as the immediate opportunity to make an impact. “He liked the coaching staff and I know all those guys up there,” Brown said. “I know they’re a good staff and I know they’re going to build a good program. Plus, playing time. He should be able to play right away.” McClain was the 6th-ranked center by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, and is a consensus Top 50 player nationally.