Bol Bol Signs with Oregon
11/20/17 | Men's Basketball
Building on the strength of last year's Final Four run and back-to-back Pac-12 championships and NCAA Elite Eight appearances, the Ducks have signed the nation's top-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports.com.
EUGENE, Ore. – Five-star center Bol Bol has signed a National Letter of Intent with Oregon, head coach Dana Altman announced Monday. Rated as the No. 3 overall player nationally by 247Sports.com and No. 4 by ESPN, the Kansas City, Mo., native becomes the highest-ranked player to ever sign with Oregon.
"We are really excited to welcome Bol Bol to our program," said Altman. "Obviously he is a very unique player with a special basketball history and a great basketball family.
"Coach Tony Stubblefield developed a strong relationship with Bol and his mother and we are really looking forward to watch Bol develop both as a player and a person."
Building on the strength of last year's Final Four run and back-to-back Pac-12 championships and NCAA Elite Eight appearances, the Ducks have signed the nation's top-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports.com. Bol will join forward Louis King (No. 16 overall, 247Sports), guard Will Richardson (No. 38 overall, ESPN) and Miles Norris (No. 48 overall, ESPN) to give Oregon four players in the national top 50.
Altman said the signing class capitalized on momentum built by the Elite Eight run in 2016, following by a spring of 2017 that featured a Final Four appearance and three Ducks being selected in the NBA draft.
"If we didn't have a good recruiting year this year, we never were going to have one," Altman said Monday afternoon at a press conference. "I told that to our staff: 'Fellas, this is a unique opportunity for us. If we don't work our tails off and get ourselves in on some good prospects, guys we really feel fit our program, we've got no one to blame but ourselves. …
"We had a lot of good things to see. If it wasn't going to happen this year, it wasn't going to happen."
Prior to Bol, Oregon's highest signee was Malik Hairston, who was ranked No. 7 overall. Altman said he expects Bol to be a "one-and-done" player with the Ducks.
"Our job is to get him here in the summer and help him grow as a person," Altman said. "Get him some communications classes, things that will help him; some finance classes that will help him. And then try to help him as a player."
The Ducks have now signed three of the top four highest-ranked players in school history in the last two seasons in Bol, King and current freshman Troy Brown Jr.
Oregon's previous high national class ranking of No. 12 came just last year when the Ducks signed Brown Jr., Victor Bailey Jr., Abu Kigab and Kenny Wooten.
The Ducks' 2004 class, that included Hairston, Maarty Leunen, Chamberlain Oguchi and Bryce Taylor, was 14th nationally.
Bol Bol, C, 7-2, Kansas City, Mo. (Findlay Prep)
Five-star recruit with a scout grade of 95 according to ESPN … Listed as the No. 3 recruit in the nation by 247Sport.com's composite rating … Ranked fourth in ESPN's top 100 for the class of 2018 … Listed as the No. 1 center in the nation by both ESPN and 247Sports.com … Participant in the 2017 USA Men's Junior National Team minicamp in October … One of 16 finalists for the 2017 Men's U19 World Cup Team … Played for Cal Supreme on the 2017 Nike EYBL circuit averaging 24.1 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game … Earned MVP honors for the Nike EYBL regular season by D1 Circuit … Spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kan., before transferring to Mater Dei High School … Earned class 4A-I first-team honors as a sophomore at Bishop Miege … Led Bishop Miege to a 22-win season and a class 4A-Division I state championship as a sophomore … Averaged 16.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game for Mater Dei as a junior … Led Mater Dei to a 33-win season as well as a CIF runner-up finish … Will complete his senior year of high school at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas … Mother is Ajoke Deng … Father is the late Manute Bol, the former NBA center who played with the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers, among other teams.
Will Richardson, G, 6-4, 170, Hinesville, Ga. (Oak Hill Academy)
Four-star recruit with a scout grade of 88 according to ESPN … Ranked as the No. 38 recruit in ESPN's top 100 … Listed as the ninth-best point guard in the class of 2018 according to ESPN … Slotted as the 47th-best player overall player by 247Sports.com, and the No. 7 shooting guard … Spent his first three prep seasons at Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Ga., before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., for his senior year … Averaged 31.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assist per game during his junior season for Liberty County … As a sophomore, averaged 13.2 points 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game … Helped lead Liberty County to the Class 4A state title as a sophomore … Named the Region 2-3A player of the year and earned first-team honors by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution his junior year … Competed in the 2017 Nike EYBL Circuit for E1T1 United where he averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game … Played in the Nike Peach Jam where he hit a game-winner against Team Melo to keep his team undefeated in pool play … Averaged 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game at the Nike Peach Jam for E1T1 United.
Louis King, F, 6-8, 195, Burlington, N.J. (Hudson Catholic High School)
On Tuesday, King was named to the 2017-18 Naismith Boys High School Watch List ... A five-star recruit with a scout grade of 91 according to ESPN … Listed as the No. 16 recruit in the nation by 247Sports.com, and the fifth-best small forward … Ranked by ESPN as the sixth-best small forward in the 2018 recruiting class … Member of the 2017 USA Men's U19 World Cup team where he averaged 6.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game … Averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for Hudson Catholic High School in his junior season … Led Hudson Catholic to a 26-4 record and a NJSIAA Non-Public B final appearance as a junior …Played for Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit in the summer where he averaged 17.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game … Scored 25 points or more in five Nike EYBL circuit games … Earned Nike EYBL all-Atlanta third team honors.
Miles Norris, PF, 6-10, 185, Chula Vista, Calif. (Brewster Academy)
A four-star recruit with a scout grade of 87 by ESPN … Ranked 48th in ESPN's top 60 for the class of 2018 … Listed as the No. 73 player nationally and the 19th-best power forward by 247Sports.com … The No. 3 power forward of the 2018 class to come out of California and the west region as a whole … Spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Mater Dei Catholic High School … Compiled 786 points, 572 rebounds, 102 assists, and 137 steals during his time at Mater Dei … Selected as the Metro Mesa League freshman of the year … Was named to the All-Metro Mesa League first team both his freshman and sophomore years … Earned Cal-Hi Sports California all-sophomore first team and all-freshman first team … Was also named All-California Southern Section first team during his freshman and sophomore year ... Earned the title of Metro Mesa all-league player his sophomore year … During his sophomore year he was also named to the California Interscholastic Federation All-San Diego Section first team … In 2015-16, helped lead Mater Dei to a league championship and the CIF San Diego Section Semifinals ... Transferred to Helix High School for his junior season … Contributed to Helix's 31-win season … Led Helix to the Division IV CIF state championship game where he recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds ... Attending Brewster Academy for his senior season … Participated in the 2016 USA U17 world championship team training camp.
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