Mitchell Wilbekin, rated by Scout.com as a three-star national point guard prospect, confirmed on Monday night his commitment to the University of Tulsa basketball program.
“I’m really excited about it,” said Wilbekin, a senior at The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla., and the younger brother of University of Florida senior guard Scottie Wilbekin. Last season, Scottie Wilbekin averaged 9.1 points and six assists for the Gators.
At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Mitchell Wilbekin averaged 11 points and shot 60 percent from 3-point range during his junior season at The Rock.
Wilbekin was recruited first by Golden Hurricane assistant Wendell Moore, and then by head coach Danny Manning.
“I knew who Danny Manning was, but I didn’t know a lot about him,” Wilbekin explained. “I recognized the name. And then after I talked to some older guys about coach Manning, I found out a lot more. I found out that he was a great player.”
Wilbekin visited the TU campus during the weekend of Sept. 6-8. He attended the Colorado State-TU football game and was given a comprehensive tour of the campus and Reynolds Center. Last week, Manning visited Wilbekin at his home in Florida.
“When Mitchell was out at Tulsa, it just felt like home to him,” The Rock coach Justin Hardin said. “Coach Manning is a nice guy and has a great desire to see that program get turned around.
“Mitchell and Scottie have a great basketball IQ. Their dad is a former coach at The Rock, and both of them have great minds for the game. Mitchell isn’t afraid of the weight room or hard work. He’ll do very well at Tulsa. He’s a motivated guy.”
Verbal commitments are not binding. Recruits may sign national letters of intent on Nov. 13 (the first day of the early signing period for basketball athletes). The TU roster currently includes two sophomore scholarship point guards – Shaquille Harrison and Rashad Ray.
-- Bill Haisten
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