Trending News

College Basketball Recruiting News: TJ Leaf Leaves Arizona Commitment, Already Favoring UCLA?

By

T.J. Leaf, one of the highest rated forward in the class of 2016, announced his de-commitment from Arizona.

Ranking ninth overall on the ESPN 100, and the third power forward on the list, Leaf will re-consider where to play basketball next season. In addition to the possibility of going back to Arizona, Leaf will reportedly consider offers from Duke, Florida, Michigan, and UCLA.

Leaf told ESPN.com of his decision Thursday, despite lauding Arizona in Nov. for their early and focused approach to recruiting him.

"They recruited me harder than anyone else in the country," he told ESPN.com at the time. "They showed me they wanted me really bad."

247 Sports gave the five-star power forward a 0.9952 composite ranking, making him one of his class' top prospects. The website also classified his interest in UCLA as "warm," giving the school a 67 percent chance of landing six-foot-nine power forward.

"This is definitely one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I have decided to decommit from Arizona and reopen my recruitment," Leaf said in a statement posted to his Twitter account. "The school and staff of Arizona have been great to me, and I have nothing but respect for Coach Miller and the entire staff and wish them nothing but the best. But at this point in my life I know it is best to explore my options and pursue other basketball opportunities."

© 2024 University Herald, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics