Related articles:

Arizona Wildcats basketball: Gaddy commits to Arizona Addition of Gaddy gives Cats nice class

Other articles by Bruce Pascoe:

UA recruiters look down the road Freshmen mean array of options Now that's a switch Like Fogg, Williams will come in unseen Cats gain one more of USC's recruits

Other articles by Patrick Finley:

UA voice, sport earn rare shot on ESPN Eagles' Stoglin likes facing 'best in town' Soul-searching: What price glory? Guard your space on Facebook page, Wildcats warned Winner Jacobs voices big hopes for his future

Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps Health Care
Sierra Tucson
Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Health Care
CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Health Care
Dependable Health Services
Physical Therapists

Abdul Gaddy, a premier point guard recruit who decommitted from Arizona in May, is coming to Tucson after all.

The Tacoma (Wash.) Bellarmine Prep product announced Monday he would attend Arizona starting with the 2009-10 season, said Garry Ward, his AAU coach.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 170-pounder is ranked as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, which lists Gaddy No. 2 among point guards and No. 13 nationally. He was Arizona's primary target for the 2009-10 season.

Gaddy chose Arizona over UCLA, Oregon and Kansas, among others. He visited UCLA the first weekend of September, and was in Tucson this past weekend.

"It was a hard decision before he took his official visit to Arizona," Ward said. "He said he knew in his mind and in his heart that was the place he wanted to be. That was the place he dreamed of going. That's where he always wanted to go to school at. He pulled the trigger."

Gaddy did not return phone messages Monday night.

He decommitted from the UA on May 29, a month after the Cactus Classic AAU tournament, citing concerns about the Wildcats' remodeled coaching staff.

"There's just a lot of change going on," Gaddy said then. "I don't really know the coaching staff. I know Lute Olson, but when I committed, I committed to Lute Olson, Kevin O'Neill, Josh Pastner and Miles Simon. I had a relationship with that coaching staff."

Ward said Gaddy was made comfortable by the UA's new coaches. He was originally set to announce the news today — after having told UCLA coach Ben Howland — but decided instead to call Olson on Monday, Ward said.

"Abdul called me and told me he had talked to Lute," said Ward, who coaches the Northwest Panthers. "He's going to be a Wildcat."

Gaddy joins forwards Solomon Hill and Mike Moser and guard Reger Dowell in Arizona's 2009-10 class. Moser and Gaddy are childhood friends.

Gaddy's commitment gives the Wildcats 14 scholarship players for the 2009-10 season — one over the NCAA limit. Juniors Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill, however, could depart early for the NBA.

Because he skipped second grade, Gaddy will not be eligible to declare for the NBA Draft until the conclusion of his sophomore year.

When reached Monday night, Bellarmine Prep coach Bernie Salazar — a former Salpointe Catholic coach — would not confirm Gaddy's decision. But he laughed a bit, knowing Gaddy was about to renew his Wildcat ties.

"Surprise, surprise," he said.