The Public League basketball landscape changed dramatically Wednesday as Washington guard DeAndre Liggins gave an oral commitment to Kentucky and announced he will play his senior season at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.
''It's time for me to redefine myself and focus on my academics,'' Liggins said. ''It's best to do that at a place like Brewster.''
''It's time for me to redefine myself and focus on my academics,'' Liggins said. ''It's best to do that at a place like Brewster.''
Liggins, who visited Lexington last weekend, is the first area player to commit to Kentucky since Deerfield's Ryan Hogan in 1996.
Liggins, who visited Lexington last weekend, is the first area player to commit to Kentucky since Deerfield's Ryan Hogan in 1996.
''It was everything about the place,'' Liggins said. ''The coaching staff, the players, the facilities and especially the academic support system.''
Brewster is an elite prep school with an annual tuition of more than $30,000. The school's basketball program has sent 30 players to Division I schools in the last four seasons.
Homewood-Flossmoor's Andre Walker played at Brewster last season, and Thornwood's Trey Blue will play there this year.
With Liggins and highly regarded junior Michael Haynes, Washington was expected to compete with Young, Marshall and Farragut for the city title. The Minutemen lost to Simeon in the championship game the last two seasons.
''Liggins is an ideal Billy Gillispie player,'' said Roy Schmidt of Illinois Prep Bulls-eye Report, referring to the Kentucky coach. ''He loves athletes who are multidimensional, big guards. Liggins has the capability of playing three positions.''
The 6-5 Liggins chose the Wildcats over Illinois, Memphis, Kansas and Texas. Most national recruiting services have him ranked among the top 30 players in the country.
''Losing Liggins is not going to break Illinois' recruiting class,'' Schmidt said. ''There are quite a few other prospects that their class will be measured by.
''But it shows that Gillispie [a former Illinois assistant] is well-connected throughout Illinois and will be a recruiting force here.''
Illinois coach Bruce Weber will turn his attention to the top three remaining in-state players: Farragut's Michael Dunigan, Hales Franciscan's Matt Humphrey and Oak Park's Iman Shumpert.
Schmidt said Gillispie also is seriously in the hunt for Dunigan and Humphrey.
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