Ayton's announcement: Nation's top player picks Arizona

RELATED: New 2017 rankings released

The nation's top player in the class of 2017, DeAndre Ayton wasn't expected to make his college choice until next spring.

That all changed Tuesday night when the 7-foot big man from Phoenix (Ariz.) Hillcrest announced on ESPN that he will play his college ball at Arizona.

"I'm to go to the University of Arizona," said Ayton. "I've made Arizona home here at Hillcrest Prep. My mom can benefit from coming to my games and coach (Joe) Pasternak and Sean Miller, we really trust those guys, and their program and we know they can help me get to the next level."

Ayton's decision is obviously an important one for many reasons and the Wildcats are landing an instant impact player.

First of all, Ayton is the type of big man who should arrive on campus ready to produce right away.

We aren't taking about some raw big man who needs development on the offensive end. In fact, he should be the type of big man who can be relied upon to be the focus of a college offense from day one.

Ayton already has college-, if not NBA-ready strength, skill and athleticism. He runs the floor very well and he does a good job of beating other big men from rim to rim. In the low block he establishes and holds position, and is a skillful scorer who can make jump hooks, pass out of double teams or simply bulldoze the defender out of his way and dunk on them. He's also a very good passer when facing the rim and is a legitimate threat to 20 feet in pick and pop situations.

Defensively, Ayton is an above average rebounder who covers a lot of ground as a glass eater. He's a good positional defender who has learned to avoid fouls and keep himself on the court. He's not yet a big-time shot blocker, but he has made huge strides as a rim protector.

With Ayton now committed, Miller and the Wildcats hold commitments from a pair of 2017 prospects. Ayton joins four-star point guard Alex Barcello, who committed just a few weeks ago.