Wright Trims List to Five

Canadian forward Ryan Wright made a strong first impression to recruiters back in April, then at the NBA Players Association camp he looked even better and at the Nike All-American camp, he proved that he was a high-major player. Now, the 6-foot-9, 225-pound prospect from Loyola High School in Mississauga, Ontario is ready to take five official visits to the schools still left in the race for his services.

Wright, the No. 54 ranked player in the class of 2005 by Rivals.com, is an explosive athlete that works well from block to block and knows he is an interior force. With a big reputation amongst his Canadian countrymen, Wright came to the Capitol Invitational in Washington D.C. in April and became a commodity amongst recruiters. Two months later, he had a chance to show the nation what he was all about.

“At the NBA camp, I feel like I got my name out there when I performed well,” Wright said. “By the end of the Nike All-American camp (in July), that’s when I feel like I solidified what I wanted to do all summer.”

He finally finished his busy summer tour earlier in the week after claiming the Under 17 National Championships in Saskatchewan, a tournament featuring the top players in Canada. With all of the tournaments and camps behind him, Wright has his sites set on making visits. He recently trimmed his list to five suitors.

“My top five schools are Michigan State, UCLA, Wisconsin, Stanford and Georgia Tech,” Wright said. “I’m going to take official visits to all of those schools unless something happens on one of the visits and I decide to cut the list even more. I’m not sure though, the visits will mean a lot.”

Wright said he’ll begin his visits in September, stopping by Wisconsin first. All of the schools have offered scholarships and will receive official visits, he says.

“When I go on the visits, I’m going to look at the players and try to get to know them,” Wright said. “Those are the guys that I’m going to basically live with. I’m also going to get to know the coaches because they are the most important people for your progression.

“I’m just basically taking all of this in and putting it down on a list. I think it’s a combination of playing at a good program but also getting a good education and being at a school that stresses academics.”

He has already taken a number of unofficial visits, stopping by UCLA, Stanford in a tour of California as well as tripping to Michigan and Michigan State. Wright said he’d like to have a decision made by November so he can ink in the early signing period.