By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
ATLANTA, Ga. – The suspense ended on national television when the nation’s No. 1 high school basketball player, Derrick Favors, picked a hat emblazoned with “GT” out of a bag, proudly put it on his head and announced to the world that he will attend Georgia Tech University next fall.
The 6-foot-9, 234-pound South Atlanta senior made the announcement earlier today on ESPNU, leaving Georgia and North Carolina State as his only other serious choices.
South Atlanta coach Michael Reddick estimated that his young superstar had solid offers from close to 40 of the top 50 college basketball programs across the nation.
Favors said he chose Tech because “I like the style they play, it’s close to home and I wanted my family and friends to be able to come see me play. I thought about it long and hard.”
Only a handful of people close to Favors knew in advance about his decision. Not even Tech coach Paul Hewitt, who attended Favors’ game the previous night, knew of his choice. “I think, deep down, he knew I was going to come,” Favors said.
Coach Reddick told MaxPreps, “It’s a good decision. They have done well with talented players. It’s close and I know I can come down and watch him. Once he gets on campus and starts training, he’ll fit right in with those guys. They’ll be able to allow him to operate more inside.”
Favors has averaged an impressive 30 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots while leading the Hornets to a 14-1 record and the nation’s No. 10 ranking in MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25.
With one challenge out of the way, however, he now faces two huge games. On Thursday the Hornets will play No. 12 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) and its 6-9 senior star, DeMarcus Cousins, in a nationally-televised game at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. On Saturday they will take on No. 2 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.
