UCF lands 3-star McSpadden
Last September, rumors circulated that Winter Haven (Fla.) SG Chance McSpadden committed to UCF, then quickly reopened his recruitment. Thursday night, McSpadden's father confirmed to Rivals.com that his son committed to Donnie Jones and became the second member of the Knights' 2015 class.
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"I didn't know he was ready to commit, he just told me this evening," said his father, Thomas. "I didn't want him to rush, but he said that this is what he wants to do."
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game this past season for Winter Haven, helping to lead the team to a 19-9 record and a trip to the regional quarterfinals.
"I called coach (Darren) Tillis and he conferenced in coach Jones," Chance said. "When I committed, Coach Jones at first thought I was playing with him. He said 'Don't play with me.' I told him I was serious."
Playing for Nike Team Florida in the EYBL, many expected McSpadden's recruitment to go national following the summer. So why end things at this point?
"A lot of things led up to making the decision now," McSpadden said. "It all started when UCF offered me my ninth grade year, and they stayed in touch with me and told me how much they wanted me. I have a great relationship, not just with Coach Jones, but also with the whole coaching staff. I've been on campus a lot and played with the team; plus, I've got good chemistry with my Nike Team Florida teammate Chad Brown (a 2015 UCF commit)."
In addition to UCF, McSpadden also held offers from Florida, Virginia Tech and USF. Florida Gulf Coast, Wichita State, Virginia Commonwealth and East Carolina were showing interest.
"I enjoyed the process, I just felt UCF was the best for me," McSpadden said. "I do feel relieved. Now I can just focus on getting better, the AAU season and winning a championship."
Last fall, two Rivals150 prospects committed to UCF and reopened their recruitment within two months. As excited as Knights fans will be with McSpadden's commitment, he knows some will also have some trepidation about this commitment being solid.
"It's definitely going to stick," he said.
Russ Wood is a contributing national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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