Pateev packing it up for Pac-10

Montverde (Fla.) Academy center Ruslan Pateev decided to wait until the first day of the early signing period to make his college decision known.

On Wednesday, the three-star big man from Russia announced he will be signing with Arizona State at a press conference at his school.

"He had three unbelieveable choices and it was a difficult decision to make but at the end of the day he was very comfortable with Arizona State," Montverde head coach Kevin Sutton said. "He felt like he could find success there and he was really comfortable with his decision. He should be able to find everything he is looking for academically, athletically and socially."

Pateev joins Trent Lockett in Arizona State's 2009 recruiting class. Pateev, a skilled 7-footer, should be a fine fit for Herb Sendek's style of play, Sutton said.

"Ruslan has a high skill set and he came to the United States as a good basketball player already. He has a high basketball IQ and he was well taught back in Russia," Sutton said. "In his two years with us, he worked on his skills with [numerous other Division I big men] here at Montverde. Ruslan is going to be a good player because he has a high skill set."

Pateev also considered Florida State, N.C. State and SMU.