The 6-foot-1, 176-pound point guard from South Kent (Conn.) verbally pledged to Missouri on Saturday.

“Yeah, I did,” he told SNY.tv by phone. “I felt like it was a good fit for me. The coaches, they explained well how I would fit in and be able to contribute to the team right away.

“I felt like they had a good team. I felt like it was a good fit for me.”

Butler, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall and Western Kentucky also expressed interest in Rector recently.

The news was first reported by Scout.com.

Rector is the second point guard in coach Frank Haith’s 2013 class, joining Wesley Clark, the AAU teammate of Kentucky pledge James Young.

“One of us is going to start, but Coach Haith likes to play two point guards at a time as he  has done in the past,” Rector said.

“One of us is going to start. Both of us will be in the game and getting some time.”

Rector, who left St. Raymond’s of The Bronx for South Kent for his senior season, pledged to then-Rutgers coach Mike Rice in January.

He then decommitted earlier this month after Rice was fired, becoming the second former Rice commit to do so. JUCO wing Chris Griffin decommitted and later pledged to Auburn.

He drew interest from a number of schools but is now glad it’s over.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “It got a little hectic once I decommitted, getting a lot of calls and all type of stuff. It’s good to have a college again.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

Pressey will reportedly hire CAA to represent him, closing the door on a return to campus.

Pressey, who averaged 11.9 points, 7.1 assists and 3.5 turnovers this past season, is projected as a mid-second round pick by DraftExpress.com.

“Second round,” one veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv. “He will change the tempo off the bench. He’s fearless, second-generation NBA player.”

Pressey made this statement about his plans:

“Many college basketball players dream of this day, but when I had to finally make this decision it was difficult because it means I am leaving a place I love so much. I love my teammates, my coaches, Mike Alden and all of our fans, and I’m so glad I had the chance to play for Coach Haith these last two years. He had such a big impact on my career and because of that relationship I will help Missouri basketball anyway I can going forward.

“I wish we could have brought home a national championship banner, but coming to Mizzou was the best decision of my life. This is a special place and I will always be a Tiger.”

Garland Owens

“The coaching staff made me feel like I was a part of the family,” Owens, a Maryland native, told SNY.tv after it was previously reported by several outlets.

“They have something special in store for me. And it’s in the ACC, arguably the best conference in the world.”

Asked what skillset he will bring, Owens said, “Just my athleticism and my energy to make momentum-changing plays whether it be a dunk or a block, just big play-making ability.”

Owens’s choice leaves Seton Hall with Aquille Carr as its only committed 2013 player.

DANIEL TO IONA

Dwayne Daniel, a 5-11 2014 point guard from Lawrence High School on Long Island, pledged to Iona on Sunday, as first reported by SNY.tv.

“I chose Iona because it gives my family a chance to watch me play and compete at the highest level,” Daniel told SNY.tv. “I felt very comfortable speaking to the coaches. I feel I will help Iona continue its winning ways when I arrive in the fall of 2014.”

Daniel averaged 20.4 points last season for a Lawrence team that won its league title in Nassau County.

One source said Daniel should average more than 30 points per game this season and will be the “best point guard in the state in the 2014 class.”

Hofstra and Siena were also involved, but never offered.

“They spoke to him, nobody else offered,” Lawrence coach Joe Supple told SNY.tv. “He can fill it up,  can shoot from anywhere on the court. He’s super athletic, had a great sophomore year.”

JONES TO MIZZOU

Torren Jones, a 6-8 power forward from La Lumiere (IN), committed to Missouri just three days after the Tigers landed 6-8 forward Johnathan Williams III.

Jones is seen as a replacement for UConn transfer Alex Oriakhi after he leaves.

“I feel like [head] coach [Frank] Haith is a great coach,” Jones told the National Recruiting Spotlight. “He has helped me a lot on and off the court with life and as a man. It’s a great college town and a great atmosphere. I love the college town, it’s a nice landscape. It’s not just about basketball, I feel like I’d love to live at Missouri for four years.”

“I just felt like they’re one of the best coaching staffs and he’s a winning coach,” he continued. “He gets to the [NCAA] tournament and that’s exactly what I want to do.”

Jones follows Williams III and guards Wes Clark and Travis Jorgenson in Mizzou’s 2013 class.

Photo: Standardli.com

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

Four-star power forward Johnathan Williams III is headed to Missouri.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Memphis Southwind announced for the Tigers over Georgetown, Michigan State  and Tennessee during a press conference Thursday night.

“It’s just a great situation,” Williams told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I went to their workouts, saw their workouts, and they work extremely hard. I know they’re gonna do big things this year and then next year when I get there.”

“He’s a multi-dimensional player, a skilled player,” Southwind coach Paul Edwards previously told SNY.tv. “He plays the one, two, three and four.

“He reminds you of a young Lamar Odom.”

Williams III joins guards Travis Jorgenson and Wesley Clark in coach Frank Haith’s 2013 recruiting class.

JOHNSON TO ANNOUNCE NOV. 2

Williams’s teammate, shooting guard JaJuan Johnson, will announce his college choice Nov. 2, his mother told SNY.tv Thursday.

The 6-foot-5, 188-pound Johnson will decide between Alabama, Marquette and Miami after opting not to visit UConn this weekend.

Johnson visited Marquette last weekend for Midnight Madness and said Marquette’s committed players wanted him to join him there for 2013.

“It’s all on him,” Shaun Williams, Johnson’s mother, told SNY.tv. “Whatever he feels will be his best fit academically, style of play and where he can make an impact early.”

NICHOLS VISITING TENNESSEE

Austin Nichols, a 6-8 power forward from Briarcrest Christian (Tenn.) visits Tennessee this weekend after having visited Memphis last weekend.

He is also considering Vanderbilt, Duke, Virginia and Auburn.

“We’re excited about the visit,” Mark Nichols, Austin’s father, told GoVolsExtra.com. “It should be an awesome weekend.”

Still, he also said he didn’t think Tennessee was a good fit for his son.

“I don’t know if that would be a good fit for him, you know because Tennessee has a grind-out style type of play and I think a more open offense would be more conducive to Austin now,” Mark Nichols said.

“I’m not saying it wouldn’t work, but I’m saying I just think he would fit better other places. If he chooses Tennessee, I’ll be happy for him and we’ll go on with it. It’ll be up to Cuonzo to get the best out of him. Hopefully he’d have a system that works for him.”

Tennessee has already landed Nichols’ AAU teammate, shooting guard Robert Hubbs Jr.

Mark Nichols said his son expects to commit in November.

“I don’t know if we’re going to sign early yet, but we’re going to hopefully commit in three weeks, if possible,” he said.

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

St. John’s and Wagner combined to get three of the top six plays on the SportsCenter  Top 10 Friday night — all on dunks — but Mizzou’s Keion Bell took the No. 1 spot with the above dunk over six people courtesy WMOUSports.

Wagner senior Josh Thompson came in at No. 2 with this  dunk over two people — his parents, Josh and Diane.

Thompson does clip his dad a little off the head as he tries to stick the landing, but, still, this is one of the most creative dunks you’ll ever see.

St. John’s frosh JaKarr Sampson chimed in at No. 4 thanks to this assist from fellow frosh Orlando Sanchez.

Michigan State transfer Dwaun Anderson wasn’t outdone, though. He came in at No. 6 thanks to this

through-the-legs gem.

(Courtesy Wagner Athletics)

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Kim English

“I can say this now that I’m gone but I expect them to win a national championship without a doubt,” the 6-foot-6 English said following a workout Thursday with the Knicks.

“We should’ve at least went to the Final Four this past year and it definitely left a sour taste in a lot of guys’ mouth out there, but they should win a national championship. They’re the best team in the nation heading into next season.”

In March, English and No. 2 Mizzou were upset by No. 15 Norfolk State, 86-84, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. English had two points on 1-of-7 shooting in the game.

But Mizzou coach Frank Haith has been active on the transfer market, adding Alex Oriakhi (UConn), Jabari Brown (Oregon), Keion Bell (Pepperdine) and Earnest Ross (Auburn).

“They have Phil Pressey and Mike Dixon returning,” English said. “Lawrence Bowers, who was all-league as a junior, tore his ACL and couldn’t play last year. They have three really, really good transfers, Jabari Brown, Keion Bell and Earnest Ross, plus Alex, so they’ll be a really good team.”

As for English, who averaged 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, he is projected to go mid-second round in next week’s NBA Draft.

“We got a pretty good feel of what range, but I’m not a prima donna,” said English, a native of Baltimore who is repped by Leon Rose of CAA, which also reps head coach Mike Woodson and Carmelo Anthony. “I’ll work out for anybody, against anybody and team’s respect that.

“I work out for Atlanta at [draft pick No.] 23 in a few days and I worked out for New York at 48. I worked out for San Antonio at 59, like I don’t care. Go anywhere.”

The Knicks workouts are closed to the media but English, 23, said he played well and showed his defensive instincts.

“Just the competitive nature defensively is what you would expect from a Mike Woodson team, and that’s what it was. We got after it. We competed. It was a really good, tough group. Tony Mitchell, Chris Johnson, Dominic Cheek, Quincy Acy, it was a real tough group.

“So it was fun. It’s always fun to go against competitors.”

Offensively, he said he patterns his game after Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton.

“Whatever team picks me,” he said, “they’re going to get a really good shooting guard for the next 12 years. So I don’t care where I go, wherever I go I’m gonna stick.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

“I’m comfortable with Coach [Frank] Haith and the team,” Clarkson, who averaged 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists, told CBS. “Coach Haith’s had a lot of success with transfers and it just felt like the right place for me.”

A first-team All-Conference USA first-team last season, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Clarkson also considered  UCLA and Illinois.

He opted to leave following the coaching change that brought in Danny Manning.

The addition of Clarkson may take MIssouri out of the running for 6-8 Devonta Pollard, who is also considering Alabama, Georgetown and Texas.

Clarkson joins former UConn big man Alex Oriakhi in offseason transfers to Missouri.

The Tigers will also add transfers Jabari Brown (Oregon), Keion Bell (Pepperdine) and Earnest Ross (Auburn).

Photo: KC Star

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

He will be eligible right away because UConn is banned from the postseason for the 2012-13 season.

“Missouri needs a center, and I’m going to be the center,” he told the Kansas City Star. “It’s a perfect match.”

Oriakhi visited Missouri beginning Friday and chose to reunite with his former BABC teammate, Phil Pressey. 

“This is where I wanted to go from the beginning. It was just a matter of me visiting,” Oriakhi told the Star.

“We went right to the gym (Thursday night),” Oriakhi added. “A lot of these guys, from what I’ve seen, they’re all workhorses, and they sleep in the gym. I want to be a part of a team like that.”

Oriakhi was to have visited Kentucky next weekend and also considered North Carolina.

Now he’s done to Missouri and will team in the frontcourt with Lawrence Bowers in what will be an imposing two-some. The Tigers also return Pressey and fellow guards Michael Dixon and Keion Bell.

A key contributor on the 2011 UConn NCAA championship team, Oriakhi never got comfortable playing alongside Andre Drummond and often became the whipping boy for coach Jim Calhoun. 

After averaging 9.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 29.1 minutes as a sophomore, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes this year

“We’re very excited to add a talented and proven player like Alex to our program,” Tigers coach Frank Haith said in a statement. “Addressing our front-court depth has been a major emphasis of ours for this next year, and when you add Alex to a group of newcomers including Stefan Jankovic, Ryan Rosburg and Tony Criswell, we are definitely heading the right direction.

“Alex is a very hard worker, he’s somebody who we expect to fit into our program’s culture right away. He will do whatever he’s asked to help the team, and he can impact a game any number of ways, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or defending.”

Missouri has one scholarship remaining and another one possible, a source close to the staff told SNY.tv.

The news was first reported by CBSSports.com.

Photo: Getty Images

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

Oriakhi later confirmed a report by CBSSports.com that he plans to visit Missouri next weekend (April 13) and Kentucky the following weekend.

Kentucky, Xavier and Missouri are offering major playing time next season, Oriakhi told SNY.tv, and he is also considering North Carolina and Duke.

As for the visit with Calipari, Oriakhi said: “It went real well. Coach Calipari, he broke it down for me. He told me he wasn’t going to promise me anything, which I like. He’s not going to promise me anything.

“He would like for me to come in and lead right away and I definitely feel he was honest. He did present Kentucky very well. He talked about how the basktball players have a high GPA so he values education with his players. I think it really went well.”

Kentucky could lose its entire starting five to the NBA and is hoping to land some combination of Shabazz Muhammad, Nerlens Noel and Anthony Bennett.

“He just told me he has two players returning,” Oriakhi said of Calipari. “He has nobody.”

Asked if that was appealing, Oriakhi said, “That’s definitely appealing to know that he doesn’t have anybody coming back. It means major minutes are definitely there. It’s definitely appealing. Obviously, he’s the best at having guys one and done.”

Oriakhi also met with Mack, who is also offering playing time.

“They are not a big-time school but basically they just do as much as those big-time schools,” he said of Xavier. “He basically gave me the depth chart and said, ‘We don’t just want you, we need you.’

“They don’t really have any post players. They definitely need me. That’s a plus.”

Oriakhi also met Friday with Missouri’s Haith.

“He’s a down to earth guy,” Oriakhi said. “He said the same thing that Xavier said. They don’t just want me, they need me. They have one of the best playmakers in college basketball [in Phil Pressey].

“We have played with each other since the 8th grade.”

Asked if that would be a factor for him, Oriakhi said, “I can’t go to a school based on one person. I gotta do this for me. He definitely understands but he would love to play with me again.”

Oriakhi said he’s also considering North Carolina and Duke and reports that Duke was out are untrue.

“I never said they were out,” he said. I’m talking to North Carolina and Duke as well. I’m pretty sure visits are going to come in the future. I don’t want to  miss classes.”

Oriakhi said Washington was out basically because, “Why go that far?”

As far as when he may decide, Oriakhi said, “I really don’t have a timetable. It’s not something Im going to rush, either.

“Probably by the end of the month.”

Oriakhi also said he thinks both Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond will declare for the NBA Draft.

“In my opinion,” he said, “I think they’ll go.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook

Jabari Brown

The 6-foot-5 California shooting guard officially pledged to the No. 9 Tigers (11-0) Monday. As SNY.tv first reported earlier Monday, Georgia Tech pulled out of of the Brown sweepstakes.

“Jabari Brown to Mizzou as of today,” David Brown, Jabari’s father, told SNY.tv by text. “This has been a tough, tough time for him. He went to Oregon with every intention of making it work. He’s grateful for the opportunity they gave him. And he regrets that it didn’t work.”

With the departure of star Marcus Denmon, head coach Frank Haith will look to Brown to step into that shooting guard role next season when the Tigers move to the SEC.

The Tigers have a strong five-man class coming in, led by Huntington (W.V.) Prep shooting guard Negus Webster-Chan and power forward Stefan Jankovic.

The Tigers already have a dangerous two-headed point guard monster of Phil Pressey and Mike Dixon, and now they can add a catch-and-shoot guy in Brown, assuming he can learn to play the team concept. He is known for wanting to hoist a fair number of shots.

Brown will join transfers Keion Bell, a guard who averaged 16.4 points at Pepperdine, and former Auburn guard Earnest Ross, who averaged 13.1 points last year.

The staff feels Bell can be an upgrade from Matt Pressey, who graduates, and Ross can be an improvement over Kim English.

The Tigers will also get 6-8 forward Lawrence Bowers back from an ACL injury.

If Haith can get Brown and the other new guys to buy into the team concept, the Tigers could be really good for years to come.

Photo: US Presswire

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

And like ZAGS on Facebook