MSU men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo can now cross three names off the list of possible recruits for the 2004 season.
Grand Ledge junior Al Horford announced his verbal commitment to U-M on Thursday, ending days of speculation that the 6-foot-8, 211-pound forward would commit to the Wolverines. Days before, 6-11 center Alexander Kaun from Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla., narrowed his choices to Duke and Kansas and 6-8 Aurora, Ill., power forward Shaun Pruitt committed to Illinois.
The three recruitment losses put a strong premium on big men for the 2004 Spartan recruiting class. Two scholarships remain open for the 2004 class.
"(Horford) just felt that Michigan was a good fit for him," said Tony Sweet, Horford's coach at Grand Ledge. "He worked out at Crisler (Arena) with the guys and was real excited about the campus. He likes his team and coach (Tommy) Amaker."
Horford, a Class A All-State selection, averaged 18.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots last season while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. His father, Tito Horford, played three seasons in the NBA.
Despite an NCAA ruling earlier this year that restricts scholarships and bars Michigan from playing in any postseason tournament this season, Sweet said Horford's decision to attend school in Ann Arbor next year was a gut decision.
"It's like picking your wife," Sweet said. "Just somehow you know it's the right person. (Al) just knew Michigan was the right place for him to go."
Horford's two other top choices were MSU and Florida, despite not making any official visits to those schools. Sweet said he was surprised at Horford's decisiveness, calling his commitment "early."
Kaun, one of the most hyped prep stars of the 2004 recruiting season, will attend either Duke or Kansas after eliminating MSU from contention earlier this week.
A Siberian-born post player with a soft passing and shooting touch, Kaun visited MSU earlier this month during the recruitment process. Aubin Goporo, his coach at Florida Air Academy, said Kaun was keeping a clear head throughout his courtship from major basketball programs.
"(Alexander) is typically European," Goporo said. "Education is more important to him. He doesn't let all of this hype get to his head."
With three frontcourt players now off the recruitment radar, the Spartans are expected to hone in on Lansing Everett's 6-foot-10 center Goran Suton. Suton visited with Izzo Thursday afternoon.
MSU has already received one verbal commitment for the 2005 season from Bay City Central guard Eric Devendorf. Devendorf committed to the Spartans after a visit earlier this month.
Two verbal commitments from Flint Beecher's Marquise Gray and Drew Neitzel from Wyoming, Mich. round out the Spartans' 2004 recruiting class.
