UA Sports

San Diego recruit Withey commits to Arizona

Top 35 center Jeff Withey announced his commitment to play basketball for Arizona today, filling the Wildcats' greatest need in the 2008-09 recruiting class. Withey, a 6-foot-11, 215-pound senior-to-be at Horizon High School of San Diego, decommitted to Louisville earlier this month. He also considered UCLA, San Diego State and USC but only took an unofficial visit to Arizona, joining the Wildcats last Thursday and Friday. "I just love the city and all the fans," Withey said. "I'm ready to be a Wildcat." Withey arrived in Tucson last Wednesday, toured campus and played pick-up basketball with the Wildcats on Thursday and committed on Friday. But he did not begin announcing the decision until after he returned to San Diego over the weekend. "I just wanted to talk to my family and have a little time of just being happy and everything, not having everybody call," Withey said. Actually, Withey had his mind pretty much made up even before he arrived in Tucson, wanting to go to a school that was closer to home, ran an uptempo system and had an opportunity for a big man to play immediately. Arizona fit all those criteria. "It literally was a no-brainer," said Trent Suzuki, Withey's personal trainer. "He's going to be able to play big minutes immediately. Arizona affords the perfect opportunity. Plus he really appreciated that the coaches said how important he was to the future of the program." Withey said he also liked Arizona because it was the first school to recruit him. The Wildcats were on Withey as a freshman, and were the first to call him directly when NCAA rules allowed, last summer. With Kirk Walters and Bret Brielmaier departing after next season, Withey has an opportunity to come in and start alongside Jordan Hill in the post as a freshman in 2008-09. He appears to have the skills for such as role. Ranked No. 32 in the class of 2008 by Rivals and No. 35 by Scout, Withey is known for having a skilled, athletic, if slender frame. He held his own during a pick-up game with current UA players, including senior center Kirk Walters and freshman Alex Jacobson, on Thursday at McKale Center. Withey said Arizona coach also help him achieve his long-term goal, to reach the NBA, after speaking with new UA assistant coach Kevin O'Neill, who spent six years in the NBA including one year as head coach of the Toronto Raptors. "Coach O'Neill played a big part in this," Withey said. "He was very impressive. He's been a head coach in the NBA and he knows so much about the game and can teach me so much." Withey will be eligible to sign a binding letter-of-intent in November, along with UA's three other 2008 recruits: Guard Brandon Jennings, forward Emmanuel Negedu and wing Brendon Lavender. Withey becomes the third San Diego-area player the Wildcats have landed in successive years. UA signed wing Chase Budinger in 2005, wing Jamelle Horne last fall and now Withey. Horne will be a freshman next season while Withey will not be a Wildcat until 2008-09. Withey and Budinger are both clients of the Carlsbad, Calif.-based Suzuki, who also works with several NBA clients. Though it has four commitments, Arizona has only three scholarships to offer the 2008-09 class on paper. But it is expecting Budinger to leave for the NBA after next season or to lose another player to an early exit or transfer. It might even offer a fifth scholarship considering the expected losses.