Bawinkel reaches a decision

After taking official visits to West Virginia and Georgetown and a number of unofficial visits to DePaul, Devan Bawinkel has made a decision about his future. The 6-foot-5, 185-pound combo guard from Winnebago (Ill) High School decided to put an end to his recruitment on Sunday evening.

"Yes, I have given a commitment to West Virginia," said Bawinkel. "It was just a gut feeling that I had inside of me. I called the coaching staff last night and told them that I was giving them a commitment. West Virginia has everything that I am looking for in a college.

"They have great facilities, great academics and a great coaching staff," he added. "I am going to be signing my Letter-of-Intent with West Virginia on November 9. I have made a final decision about my future and could not be happier."

Bawinkel, the three-star prospect, indicated that the decision to give a verbal commitment to West Virginia was more difficult than he expected. Coaches from Georgetown, DePaul and NIU did an outstanding job recruiting the combo guard.

"I just want to say that this was a very tough decision," said Bawinkel. "Georgetown and DePaul did an outstanding job recruiting me. "Coach Rob Judson and Coach Carl Arnato from NIU also did a great job during my recruitment. I just want to say that I have a lot of respect for those coaches. It was definitely a tough decision, but I am happy with my choice to attend West Virginia."

Devan Bawinkel Scouting Report: Bawinkel excels at making shots in the mid-range area. Strong but not a fluid athlete, Bawinkel has a solid skill package and can defend. Shooting range and mechanics need work. -Jerry Meyer