A pair of MaxPreps.com Top 100 basketball talents made their college choices Wednesday and both cast their lot with in-state schools.
Rashad Madden, a 6-foot-4 point guard from East Poinsett County (Lepanto, Ark.), elected to stay close and play for Arkansas, while Josh Oglesby, a 6-5 guard from Washington (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), made a verbal commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Madden is rated the No. 43 senior in America by MaxPreps. Oglesby checks in at No. 73.
Madden, who picked the Razorbacks over Mississippi during an announcement ceremony held at his high school, averaged over 20 points per game as a junior while leading East Poinsett County to a 30-4 record. His pledge gives Arkansas its fourth Top 100 commitment in the 2011 class.
Also on board for head coach John Pelphrey's program is scoring point guard B.J. Young of McCluer North (Florissant, Mo.), ranked No. 49 overall in the class. Natural State forwards Hunter Mickelson of Westside (Jonesboro, Ark.) and Aaron Ross of Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.) check in at Nos. 55 and 90, respectively.
Oglesby posted 16.3 points per game as a junior at Washington, but really saw his stock rise over the summer with the Iowa Barnstormers travel team. Along with Wisconsin commitment Jarrod Uthoff, he helped lead Harrison Barnes' former club to the finals of the Fab 48 tournament in Las Vegas in July.
"Coach (Fran) McCaffery was somebody that I could see myself playing for," Oglesby told MaxPreps shortly after his announcement. "Staying close to home and being loyal to the state of Iowa was a big part of the decision.
"When I was younger, I used to watch Jeff Horner when he played there and get mad when they lost. (Former Iowa head coach Todd) Lickliter didn't get recruit me, so I opened my options and took a closer look at other programs."
Oglesby, who chose the Hawkeyes over Arizona State, Illinois and Minnesota, is Iowa's first 2011 verbal commitment.
