Billy Preston, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound senior forward from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., who is ranked No. 8 in the recruiting Class of 2017 by Rivals.com, on Friday announced he'd be playing basketball at Kansas.
He chose KU over Southern California, Indiana and Syracuse.
Preston, who averaged 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds a game last season at Advanced Prep International in Dallas and 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during the Nike EYBL circuit last summer, visited KU for the Oct. 1 Late Night in the Phog.
"Next year I'll be attending the University of Kansas," Preston said on ESPNU, placing a Jayhawks hat on his head Friday afternoon while seated in an ESPN studio wearing a gray shirt with bow tie and fashionable glasses.
"It was my relationship with Coach (Bill) Self and the rest of the staff. I felt comfortable there. I feel they have my best interest at heart. They wanted me to come in and right off the bat make some changes. Hopefully next year we can win a national championship. I just think coach Self and the rest of the coaching staff saw the best in me."
Asked what KU fans should expect, Preston said: "They are going to expect a lot of highlights, a lot of energy, a lot of talk going on the floor, a lot of everything."
Rivals.com reported that Preston indeed signed a letter-of-intent on Wednesday before the end of the early signing period, thus KU should be able to announce his signing soon.
"All over the floor," Preston said of his impending role at KU. "Rebounding, the outlet, pushing the ball up the floor, bringing the ball up the floor. He (Self) sees me being a versatile player. He could play me anywhere on the floor."
Asked to identify the player he compares himself to, Preston, a native of Los Angeles, said: "LeBron, LeBron James."
The experts believe Preston is an impact player.
"Billy is an exceptionally talented prospect and there isn't much he can't do during a game," Paul Biancardi, ESPN's National Recruiting Director, said in an ESPNU release. "At 6-10, he is a multidimensional player, a natural power forward, and arguably one of the most talented athletes in his class."
Earlier this week, Preston told USA Today that his national ranking of 20 in ESPN's 100 was not accurate.
"There aren't 19 players in the country better than me," Preston said. "I just don't see that."
"I've never coached a player at his size with his skills," Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith told USA Today. "I don't think he's fully aware of how good he is, but he's starting to realize it. He's just happier now.
Preston is attending his fifth school in five years. He spent his freshman year at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif., his sophomore year at both Redondo Union in Southern California and Prime Prep in Dallas and his junior year at Advanced Prep International in Dallas, which has had some trouble getting players qualified in college.
"I used to watch him last year and he just wasn't engaged and he'd just go through the motions, but I told him before he came, 'You can't play like that if you want to play for me,'" Oak Hill's Smith told USA Today. "Since he's been here it's been like night and day. He's a great kid and he really just wants to get better."
Preston added to USA Today: "I definitely feel like I'm misunderstood, but, at the same time, I understand why people think what they think. I can't worry about what other people think, though. Things are just different for me now. I always wanted to play for a coach that I would do anything for and I've definitely found that in coach Smith."
KU has filled two of three available scholarships in the Class of 2017. The Jayhawks have signed Marcus Garrett, a 6-foot-5 senior combo guard from Dallas Skyline High. He chose KU over Baylor, Texas, Connecticut and Oklahoma State. KU has one scholarship left to give, more if any non-seniors turn pro.
