Why Hughes Chose Oregon State

Liam Hughes, a developing 7-2, 260 pound center from Modesto Christian H.S. in Modesto, Calif., has committed to Oregon State.

Hughes took a trio of official visits this fall before picking the Beavers. He first visited Oregon from Sept. 27-29, and then Washington (Oct. 4-6) and Oregon State (Oct. 11-13) before arriving at a decision.

He had also considered Washington State, UC-Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Stanford.

"Obviously, I liked the coaches, the players and the general atmosphere, but I was really impressed after watching the post players work out," Hughes said. "Coach [Jay] John is a big man coach, and they have another big man coach on the staff, so they will have a big man oriented style, and that's I think really good for me."

A native of Hull Bridge, England, Hughes is one of the biggest players in terms of sheer physical size in the Class of 2003. He has a good size frame relative to his height, but he will be best suited for a halfcourt style of play at the major Division I level.

Hughes said that there's a chance that he could redshirt next year at Oregon State, although a determination probably won't be made on that until next fall.

"Oregon State is losing two of their top big men who are upperclassmen now, either juniors or seniors," Hughes said. "So they are looking for me to come in and fill their spots after a year and develop."

Hughes plans on signing a national letter of intent with Oregon State in November.