Published Nov 14, 2006
Lucas comes to a resolution
Jerry Meyer
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Recruiting Analyst
The recruitment of four-star point guard Jai Lucas has grabbed the attention of fans of his top four schools over the past couple months. Now that the early signing period is coming to an end, what do these fans have to look forward to on Wednesday?
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Nothing.
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound point guard from Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas is waiting till the spring to sign a letter-of-intent.
"I couldn't really make up my mind," Lucas told Rivals.com. "I looked at the rosters of the schools recruiting me, and they all have young guards, so I knew it wouldn't hurt them if I wait.
"Now I'm going to watch these teams play during the year, and see where I'm most needed. I know I can be an impact player anywhere I go, but I want to go where I can have the biggest impact."
Lucas, the No. 42 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, was down to Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Will it come down once again to these four schools in the spring?
"It still pretty much the same list," he said. "All the schools were fine with my decision and understood my reasoning. They said they would still be in there for the long run.
"If another school came in, there would have to be a very good reason for them to be in there."
Despite talk of Lucas favoring each of his top four schools at some point in the process, Lucas maintains that he has been without a true leader throughout the whole process.
"It's been really hard," he said. "Honestly I haven't had a leader. There are times when I think I like a school better than the rest, but then I change my mind the next hour."
Jai Lucas scouting report:
The son of former NBA player and coach John Lucas, Jai Lucas brings to the court a feel for the game well beyond his years. A good shooter from three, Lucas specializes in scoring with floaters and runners in the mid-range. Adept at pushing the tempo and playing fast with the ball, Lucas does need to continue getting stronger and to continue improving his left hand.