By MARK BAIROS & ADAM ZAGORIA
Trey Lyles has set an official visit for Florida and the 6-foot-10 Canadian forward is being personally recruited by Gators head coach Billy Donovan.
“It is official…date will be the 5th of October,” Tom Lyles, Trey’s father, told SNY.tv.
Florida hosts Arkansas in football that weekend.
“He [Trey] likes the way they play as well as the guys that have come from the program and how things are going for them with the fact the weather is nice year round,” Tom Lyles added.
Donovan, who this summer led the U.S. U19 team to the World Championship in Prague and coached against Lyles’ Canadian team at the event, is personally recruiting Lyles.
“Literally, it’s been all Billy Donovan,” Tom Lyles said. “Pretty much for every one of these programs it’s been the head coach. Personally I spend more time talking a lot with the assistants and the head coach spends more time talking to Trey.”
The 6-foot-10 Canadian will also visit Louisville Aug. 31 and Kentucky Oct. 18, as previously reported here.
He’s also considering Butler despite the coaching change that brought in Brandon Miller.
“I would say they’re definitely in the race,” Tom Lyles said. “I wouldn’t say they’re neck-and-neck, only because of the factor that we haven’t talked much with coach Miller since he’s taken over for [Brad] Stevens. I will say though the school and the program kind of speak for itself….Education is huge in the (Lyles) family.”
At this point, none of the four schools has an edge.
“At this point everyone has said pretty much the same thing,” Tom Lyles said. “I told each one of the four, for open gym we do not want them to come. No point. It’s time to talk particulars.”Meantime, James Blackmon, a shooting guard who, like Lyles, decommitted from Indiana, has set several visits. He will trip to Michigan State this weekend, as reported by ESPN.com. As reported by the Courier-Journal, he will then visit Kentucky unofficially Aug. 29 and expects to visit that school officially later. Blackmon’s official could also come Oct. 18 when Lyles visits. Blackmon could also visit Louisville unofficially Aug. 31 when Lyles comes. “I haven’t set it up yet,” he said by text of the Louisville visit.
