Vinson headed west

Four-star prospect Terrell Vinson of Baltimore (Md.) St. Francis High School is off the board with an unconventional choice to go across the country and play in the West Coast Conference.

Shunning local high major schools Georgetown and Maryland, Vinson has cast his lot with Coach Bill Bayno and Loyola Marymount.

"I got to know Coach Bayno and feel he is very real about his word," said Vinson, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward. "He came to me with things that other coaches didn't. He told me things I need to work on, which I appreciated hearing. When I was at their elite camp, showed me things to help me get better going left and finishing, move my feet better and getting off the floor quicker."

And don't think that it was the bright lights of Los Angeles that drew Vinson to Loyola Marymount.

"It didn't matter if the school was somewhere it was cold or warm," he said. "I didn't pay any attention to it being in LA. If coach Bayno had been in Baltimore, then I'd have stayed home and played for him."

Vinson also noted the loyalty of Bayno to his former players.

"I know that Coach Bayno is still helping players out in life who have played for him 10 or 15 years ago," said Vinson. "He is very loyal to his players."

Vinson, the No. 81 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, joins three-star Edgar Garibay and two-star Given Kalipinde as 2009 Loyola Marymount commitments.