BY CHIP MILLER
Antonio Blakeney, the 2015 five-star shooting guard out of Sarasota (Fla) Oak Ridge High, committed to Johnny Jones and LSU on Friday, choosing the Tigers over Kentucky and Missouri.
“I will be attending LSU,” Blakeney said on ESPNU. “Really, my relationship with the coaches and the plan they have for the program. They have only been there a few years. It’s up and coming. It’s really a football school right now, but they are trying to change the culture. I really want to be be part of that. That’s something I would love to be a part of.”
This is the second time the prolific scoring guard has committed, with his original pledge given to Rick Pitino and Louisville in early September, only four days after completing his official visit. But that pledge lasted only ten days as Blakeney announced he had withdrew his pledge and reopened his recruitment.
“I made a quick and emotional decision based on some of the wrong reasons,” Blakeney told ESPN at the time.
This time, Blakeney took his time, hosting several coaches as well as taking official visits to all three of his finalists before eventually choosing the Tigers.
The overall No-17 ranked player in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Blakeney is the second player in the 2015 class to commit to the Tigers, joining No. 1-ranked Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy in Florida. Simmons is projected as a top-2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
“[Simmons] factored in a lot, because I know how good he is and how good he can make a team,” said Blakeney. “Me and him together can take a lot of stress off each other on the court. We have good chemistry on and off the court.”
Simmons and Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy guard JaQuan Lyle joined Blakeney while on his official visit to LSU. Afterwards, Lyle told SNY.tv that Simmons was recruiting both Blakeney and himself to join him to form a one-two-three freshman punch in Baton Rouge.
“They’re great players, they’d be a good fit,” Simmons said then on ESPNU. “But they’re going to have their own decisions and personal preferences for schools, but I think it would be a good look for LSU.”
So what is LSU getting in Blakeney?
“Simply put, Blakeney is an electric scorer,” 247Sports National Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer told SNY.tv via text. “He has the ability to get his shot at any time. If he develops his overall play making game, specifically as a passer, watch out. He also has great potential as a dual-positional defender.”
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