Jahlil Okafor, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2014, has cut his list to eight schools.
He Tweeted: “In no particular order: My final 8 Arizona Baylor Duke Illinois Kentucky Kansas Michigan state Ohio state.”
“I always knew that Baylor, Duke, Michigan State, Ohio State and Kansas would make the list because I had such great in-home visits with all of those schools and I’ve gotten really close to them,” the 6-foot-10 Whitney Young junior wrote in his USA Today blog. “They left a huge impression on me and my family.
“With Illinois I just love what Coach (John) Groce is doing there and I really believe in what he’s done and what he’s capable of. Then Arizona is a school that’s always been there with Coach (Sean) Miller. I went out there my freshman year and I just love everything about it.
“Kentucky speaks for itself.
“I talk to Coach (John) Calipari and Coach Orlando (Antigua) often and we’ve got a great relationship. It just speaks for itself there.”
Some schools that didn’t make the cut include North Carolina, Georgetown and Florida.
Okafor and Minnesota point guard Tyus Jones want to attend school together and Baylor, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Ohio State are on the list for both.
Jones is also considering Minnesota.
“Everyone know[s] hat me and Tyus are playing together in college,” Okafor wrote.
Jones and Okafor will take an official to Baylor at the end of August.
“Right now I’ve only got one official set and that’s to Baylor on August 31,” Okafor wrote. “Me and Tyus will probably take that one together.”
It remains unclear if their friend, Justise Winslow, will join them on the Baylor visit.
Tim Schumacher, Winslow’s AAU coach with the Houston Hoops, told SNY.tv that he had no officials planned as of yet.
Winslow is considering 10 schools.
