Finally.
The year-long saga of Detroit prep phenom Malik Hairston’s
recruitment ended Wednesday afternoon in the most surprising
fashion possible.
The 6-foot-5 swingman spurned longtime suitors UCLA, Kansas and
Ohio State in favor of newbie Oregon, a program that began
recruiting him less than a month ago.
“They kind of came out of nowhere,” Hairston told
the Detroit Free Press. “But my father urged me to look at
(Oregon).”
The 17-year old Hairston, who had whittled his final list down
to two schools ““ Kansas and Oregon, made his decision
official at a press conference at his high school Wednesday
afternoon. He called the UCLA coaching staff the previous day to
inform them that he would not be coming to Westwood.
“Kansas has a lot to offer but my heart told me to go to
Oregon,” Hairston told www.TheInsiders.com.
Many had speculated that distance would be the reason why the
Detroit resident might pass on UCLA, but that apparently was not
the case.
Hairston shunned the Bruins in favor of coach Ernie Kent’s
Oregon, a school no closer to his hometown than Westwood.
“I don’t think it was one thing that was more
important than the other,” Hairston told TheInsiders.com.
“I liked the area and the coach has a great temperament. He
really develops his players and he’s had a lot of wings go to
the league the last few years.”
The nation’s top unsigned prep senior, Hairston still must
give Oregon official word of his decision.
“We haven’t received anything official — that would
be his national letter of intent,” Oregon basketball
spokesman Greg Walker told the Associated Press. “And until
we get that, I really can’t comment.”