By SAM LANCE
Top-200 prospect Tristian Ford committed to the Murray State Racers and head coach Steve Prohm over the weekend. He made the announcement on X.com.
Ford — the 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard from Chicago Prep and the Bradley Beal Elite Nike EYBL AAU program — describes himself as a long guard who can make plays for others. He adds his speed, length and feel for the game separate him from other players. At Peach Jam, Ford had a great showing and averaged 13.2 points, 3.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in front of several coaches, including Prohm. The Murray State staff first started recruiting Ford hard and watched his games at the Indianapolis EYBL session. From there, the relationship built into a strong connection. And when Ford took his visit to Murray State the weekend of Aug. 24, he knew it was home. “When I got up there I didn’t want to leave,” Ford said. “Coach Prohm, he just kept it 100 with me. Just telling me how it would be. And coach [Brendan] Mullins has kept it 100 with me. They showed me around campus and I just fell in love with it.” Ford continued: “Murray State has been recruiting me since like my first year at Chicago Prep. So they’ve been recruiting me for a minute now. The time I knew it was the place for me is just when I got on campus. Like I said, I didn’t want to leave for real. It just felt good. It just felt like I can get better here. I can thrive here. I can be the best person I can be off the court and the best person I can be on the court for real.” Ford really enjoyed the homey feel of Murray (KY) as well. He’s from Rockford (IL), a city of approximately 150,000 people near Chicago. Murray is a town of about 17,000. “It’s like a small town, everybody knows everybody.” Ford said. “I like that. When I went to Murray it was peaceful. And then they said it’s one of the safest towns in the country. I’m big on that, just being safe and just being able to focus on basketball and school.” If he’s able, Ford would like to take another unofficial visit to campus this fall. He just needs to talk with Prohm and Mullins to see when he can get back out there. Coach Mullins is Ford’s “guy” and was a big reason Murray State was able to land the talented guard. “He was the first guy that text my phone and started recruiting me from Murray State,” Ford said. “He’s always calling me, texting me, asking me if I’m good. Checking in on me. Just being there for me.” Ford added that coach Prohm is a great players coach. “I got to know him and his family a little bit, he got to know my family,” Ford said. “He understands what players go through and he knows how to talk to them and have a feel them as well.” Murray State is currently recruiting another player that Ford played with this summer. Zyree Collins, a three-star point guard, officially visited the Racers this past weekend. Ford said he’s recruiting Collins, along with another BBE teammate in Christian Brown, a 6-foot-7, 185-pound three-star small forward from Franklin (TN). Ford is ranked the No. 198 player in the class of 2025 by 247Sports and the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois. He is Murray State’s first commit in the 2025 class. When Ford’s not playing basketball, he likes to joke around and have fun with his friends. He said off the court he always has a smile on his face. He also said he’s big on his faith in God. Ford’s message to Murray State fans: “Off the court, you’re going to get a good kid. I’m going to interact with you guys, the fans, and just — I’m not going to be big headed. I’m going to be involved with the fans and involved in the town. And then on the court, you’re going to get a guy that’s going to work hard for every minute. I’m going to come out there and I’m going to put on a show.” Follow Sam Lance on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookAGTG🙏🏾 #racernation #Committed pic.twitter.com/A7vOj3iHSS
— Tristian Ford (@4tford2) August 31, 2024
