Morris Finally Decides on School

Randolph Morris wanted to look at his recruitment like a marriage. He knew it was a long-term commitment and he knew he wanted to honor it. On Thursday evening, amongst friends and family at a favorite Atlanta restaurant, Morris didn't have a case of cold feet and decided to go forward in the process by announcing his college decision.

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound center from Landmark Christian in Fairburn, Ga., said he won’t be playing close to home but he won‘t be leaving the South either. The No. 10 player on the Rivals150 list will be playing for the University of Kentucky next year.

"It's a great fit for me," Morris said. "Kentucky is the best place for me as a student athlete. I am a Wildcat as of right now."

Morris chose Kentucky over Georgia Tech. He said that he did not feel comfortable being a student athlete for the Yellow Jackets. His time spent with incoming Wildcat recruits Rajon Rondo and Joe Crawford at the McDonald's All American game was also a big factor, he said.

"I basically knew after the McDonald's All American game that it was Kentucky," Morris said at the press conference. "I had a chance to play and see what they had coming in (referring to Rando and Crawford) and it just felt like the place for me."

He gave the gathered crowd a panic when he said in all seriousness that he would be putting his name in the 2004 NBA Draft but bursted out with laughter, dispelling the rumor that had been circulated for the last couple of months. Moments later he said he would be attending Kentucky.

Morris is the third McDonald’s All American to commit to the Wildcats in the incoming class of 2004. Crawford and Rondo have also committed to the SEC program. The all-star trio helps bolster Kentucky’s overall class rankings and could propel the group into the top five in the country.

Ramel Bradley and Adam Williams have already signed with Kentucky and former Western Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks will suit up next season, too.