Visit now, decision later for Willis

It was a summer of change for Ray Willis. The 6-foot-4 combo guard from Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake High School moved to a new state and he saw his stock go through a roller coaster of emotions.

With the dust settled from moving and traveling all over the country with his new AAU team, the Georgia Stars, Willis is laying the groundwork for his recruitment.

Willis, who lived in Orlando, Fla., prior to making his move to the Peach State, will return to the land of Mickey Mouse for an official visit on Sept. 15 to see Central Florida. Interestingly enough, the trip marks his first time on the campus despite living just 15 minutes away from the school when he was an Orlando resident.

"The way I look at it, it's a new thing down there. They have a new arena, a new football stadium. They have all of the tools in order to rebuild it into something new. Everything down there is basically brand new from what the coaches tell me," Willis said. "I'm going to go down there and see what they have to offer."

Willis said his familiarity with the area is an obvious plus.

"Yeah, it's definitely an advantage. I stayed not too far from there when I lived there. I have a lot of friends and family that are close by so that could play a part in my decision," Willis said.

While he didn't necessarily rule out a possible decision shortly after his trip to Central Florida, Willis said he remains open and doesn't plan on signing until after his senior season.

"To be honest, I was terrible in Orlando (at the AAU Super Showcase and Nationals)," he admitted. "I was not playing well enough for schools to move on me. That's kind of why I want to wait until after the season. We have a good national schedule and teams will have a chance to see what I can really do."

Oklahoma, Maryland, Georgia and Georgia Tech are also in the picture, Willis says, while South Alabama, Oregon and Georgia State have all offered scholarships.

Central Florida is also targeting his new Westlake teammate Gideon Gamble, who will take an official visit the week after Willis in Sept.