Fresno big man staying home

MORE: Class of 2012 Rivals150

Robert Upshaw did something in the fall that more players might want to consider.

After committing to Kansas State, the 7-foot center from Fresno (Calif.) Memorial signed financial aid agreement papers rather than a letter of intent.

That decision worked out very favorably for him when Frank Martin and his staff left for South Carolina.

Rather than having to slug it out with Kansas State administration over getting a release from his LOI, Upshaw was free to look around as soon as he decided that he didn't want to make his way to Manhattan.

Once he was back on the market, heavy speculation was that the four-star big man would look much more local the second time around. Speculation, that his family denied.

Sure enough, though, the No. 52 player in the final 2012 Rivals150 stayed as local as possible committing to Fresno State on Sunday.

"The reason I chose Fresno State was because of Coach Terry and my relationship with him over the past four years back to his time at Texas," said Upshaw. "There wasn't a month that he didn't talk to me. It was great, I built a real relationship with him. He knew my family, I knew his family. It was all good."

One of the most massive interior prospects in a class full of big men, Upshaw could be an immediate impact player for Rodney Terry's Bulldogs. He's a true back-to-the-basket guy, can dish out physical punishment and has massive, sure hands.

Upshaw didn't just like the direction of the basketball program at Fresno. He is encouraged by the direction of the entire athletic program.

"As a player I feel like I can help change this program as an individual," said Upshaw. "They are bringing in a great class, the football program is changing and it's all good. It's a great program for me."

Upshaw helps round out a solid recruiting class for the Bulldogs. Former Kansas commitment Braeden Anderson will be eligible in the fall, and he and Upshaw will be joined by three-star California guard Marvelle Harris, junior college big man Tanner Giddings and Oklahoma shooting guard Aaron Anderson.

While he could have easily looked around, Upshaw knew that he had limited time to make a decision so he went with his heart and has immediately felt the love from the local fanbase now that he's staying home.

"It took me three years to make the decision to go to Kansas State and now I only had three or four weeks to make a decision so I went where my heart was at," Upshaw told Rivals.com. "I didn't want to go where I didn't know anybody. I just felt comfortable at Fresno State.

"People heard about my press conference over the Internet. People that didn't even know me showed up and we had like 200 people at an establishment that holds something like 70 people. There were cameras and people and everything and it felt great."

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