5-star center Bol Bol, son of Manute, commits to Oregon
Five-star center Bol Bol announced his commitment to Oregon on Monday through The Players' Tribune, passing up second choice Kentucky.
I would like To thank everyone who recruited me. I had a tough decision to make. Today I would like to announce I have committed to Oregon https://t.co/kWOmpiKTt8 pic.twitter.com/cdyMrp5JQg
— Bol Bol (@bolmanutebol) November 20, 2017
The ESPN 100 for 2018 lists Bol as the No. 4 recruit overall and the top center for next year's class. He's currently attending Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif.
The 7-foot-2 Bol is the son of late Sudanese basketball icon Manute Bol, who leveraged his 7-foot-7 frame into a 10-year NBA career - including an All-Defensive second team selection in 1985-86. Manute Bol passed away in 2010 at age 47 due to kidney failure.
"I've been thinking about my dad these last few days, while I've been making my college decision," the younger Bol explained in his personal essay. "I wonder what he would have done if he was alive right now."
Hbelieved his father would respect his decision to eschew offers from higher-profile schools like Kentucky to blaze his own trail at the Ducks' green-and-yellow outpost in the Pacific Northwest.
"Most of all, I know he'd want me to be my own person."