Surprise! Hobson picks Wyoming

One of the more intriguing players in the class of 2007 is now off the board. Darrington Hobson, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward from Houston, Texas, committed over the holiday weekend and the four-star prospect probably isn't going to a school you'd expect.

While at his father's home in Las Vegas, Hobson decided he was ready to make a verbal pledge to the Wyoming Cowboys. Hobson, the No. 51 ranked player in the class of 2007, also had interest from the likes of USC, Kentucky, Florida, Illinois and Louisville but liked the opportunity he had to start right away for the Mountain West program.

"Coach V (Wyoming assistant Shawn Van Diver) was right there from the jump. He just kept coming at me," Hobson said. "Me and him are real cool. He's always told me that I can come in and play right away. I think a lot of the other schools were just sleeping on me. Nobody else was recruiting me as hard as they were from day one. That was the big thing. Plus, everyone at Wyoming was real cool with me and my dad."

At 6-foot-6, Hobson has a wide variety of schools worthy of serious recruitment from the high-major power players. He was one of the bright spots this summer with the Texas Ambassadors in Las Vegas. Wyoming made Hobson a major target early on. One of their biggest pitches was early playing time. That was music to Hobson's ears.

"I hate sitting on the bench. I want to play. If I don't start, I'd like to go somewhere that I can get some good minutes," Hobson, who has made no secrets about his intentions to get to the NBA as soon as possible, said. "Playing time had a whole lot to do with it. I don't think a lot of people know what I can do. That's why I want to go somewhere that I can play as much as possible."

Location played a key part, too.

"They are in the Mountain West and the conference tournament will be in Las Vegas so my family can come out and watch me play," Hobson said. "That was one of the main reasons why I picked them."

Hobson played last season at Gulf Shores Academy in Houston but moved to California to play for Stoneridge Prep and then left when head coach Ron Slater took the job at Calvary Christian. Hobson and his Calvary Christian team have still not started the season.