The coaching staff at Georgia Tech has used their trip to the National Championship game to their advantage by recruiting more on a national level than they usually have. But late Thursday night, they didn’t have to travel very far to land one of the top players in the southeast.

Alade Aminu, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward from Stephenson (Ga.) High School decided to stay close to home and play for the Yellow Jackets, according to sources close to the ACC program.

Aminu, who is ranked as the No. 102 player on the Rivals150, is the first commitment for Georgia Tech in the class of 2005. He is the first major in-state recruit for the program since B.J. Elder and Isma‘il Muhammad.

He was recently offered a scholarship and decided to end the recruiting process before the busy summer months. Aminu and his parents made an official visit last weekend to the Atlanta school.

He was unavailable for comment due to travel with his Georgia Stars AAU program. The team will be playing in New Orleans for the Nike Memorial Day Classic. Norman Parker, the head coach of the Stars, said the Jackets landed a well-rounded player.

“Coach Hewitt that they not only liked him as a player but as a player,” Parker said. “Alade is a great kid. He’s just scratching the surface as far as basketball goes. It think it is a good fit for him going to GT.”

With Aminu, the Yellow Jackets add a player with strong upside and improved post skills. He has been playing basketball for just two years but the rising senior has made big strides in his game. He averaged 18 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four steals as a junior at Stephenson High School. He admitted in the past that he needs to add strength and more time in the paint in order to become an effective four man in the ACC.

Aminu boasted offers from Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee.