A big man made a big decision Thursday. And it was good news for Auburn basektball coach Jeff Lebo.
Ty Armstrong, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound center/forward from Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla., said he will sign with Auburn. He plans to enroll in school this summer.
Armstrong visited Auburn last weekend and was convinced. He chose the Tigers over Arizona State, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Penn State.
Originally, Armstrong was expected to graduate next year. But instead, he will graduate in May. He has made the required test score.
Here is the ESPN.com evaluation for Armstrong, rated the nation's No. 32 power forward:
"Upside is the best way to describe this long and athletic post player. Armstrong has a good basketball body. He plays hard with great hustle at all times. He beats his man down the floor in transition on a regular basis and can finish above the rim on a breakaway or in traffic. He is a relentless rebounder especially on the offensive end where he scores over or around attempted box outs. He is an excellent shot blocker on the ball or helping from the weak side.
"In the post he showed the jump hook with either hand and good ball handling ability in transition and attacking from the high post. He also does a great job finshing plays from drop off passes through contact. Armstrong is a true live body that is always near the action. Without a doubt his best playing days are ahead."
Meanwhile, the top unsigned prospect in Alabama has also made a decision. Wendell Lewis from Selma High School signed Wednesday with Mississippi State.
"It feels good," Lewis said, according to BulldawgJunction.com. "I'm happy I got it out of the way."
For Lewis, the last six months have been a whirlwind experience. He committed to Middle Tennessee State in October partly for academic reasons. However, he quickly backed out of the commitment. As basketball season rolled around and his grades improved, it became apparent that the decision paid off.
His stock skyrocketed in the past two months, and his list of suitors expanded to include most of the Sun Belt Conference and five SEC schools: Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
"It's a great, terrific achievement just to be recruited by an SEC school," said Selma coach Woodie Jackson. "Wendell was blessed that his stock went up
tremendously."
Lewis visited Mississippi State last weekend and was impressed by what he saw. He said the facilities blew him away, and he enjoyed the opportunity to bond with current Mississippi State players Dee Bost, Romero Osby and shot-blocking phenom Jarvis Varnado. He says he's already taller than all three players, but concedes that Varnado has the longer arms.
Moreover, he was equally impressed by Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury.
"He's a real nice guy," said Lewis. "He's straight up with you. He's going to tell you the truth. He ain't just going to tell you what you want to hear."
However, with Western Kentucky and Auburn still on his mind, Lewis was still
uncertain of his destination on Monday. He picked the Bulldogs on Tuesday,
and made it final on Wednesday.
With the signing over, Lewis is now focused on finishing his academic career
in Selma on a high note and make the move to Starkville in time for summer
school.
"My grades are looking good," said Lewis. "I'm going to finish up strong this year."
