5-star Henry is Memphis bound

Xavier Henry was being pulled in two very distinct directions. Should he play with his brother at Memphis? Or should he follow in his father's footsteps at Kansas? Early Tuesday morning the five-star guard made his decision known.

Henry announced he will sign with Memphis.

Henry's older brother C.J. is a freshman guard at Memphis. Before joining John Calipari's team, the elder Henry played in the New York Yankees minor league system.

"The deciding factor was getting my last chance to play together with my brother at Memphis and keeping my family together so everyone could watch us," the 6-foot-6 scorer from Oklahoma City (Okla.) Putnam City said on ESPN Tuesday morning. "We both know how to play and we play great. We should be able to take over Memphis."

Henry, one of the elite scorers in the nation, joins top 50 guard Nolan Dennis and four-star junior college transfers Will Coleman and Darnell Dodson in Memphis's 2009 recruiting class.

Prior to Henry's commitment, Memphis sat at No. 17 overall in the 2009 team recruiting rankings. The updated team rankings will be released on Thursday on Rivals.com.

Henry's decision is a big blow to the Jayhawks. Kansas learned last week that Michael Snaer, one of the top dozen players in the country, would not be coming to Lawrence for college. Snaer opted for Florida State.

"It was really hard [saying no to Kansas]. I loved everything about the school, the coaches, the players. I knew who I'd be playing with and everything. It was the same thing with both schools," Henry said. "I had to figure out what was most important to me."

Seven five-star prospects remain uncommitted as the early signing period is less than 48 hours away from closing on Wednesday night.