LOUISVILLE, Ky. — IU target Ibi Watson of Pickerington, Ohio, is closing in on making his college decision. The All-Ohio Red guard said he wants to verbally commit “sometime soon after this live period going into August,” referring to this weekend’s evaluation period — the last of three this month.
“It’s just wide open for me right now,” he said courtside at the Kentucky Expo Center after his team’s 82-57 victory at the AAU National Championship and Super Showcase on Wednesday night. “I haven’t really narrowed anything down, but after this tournament I want to narrow stuff down.”
For Watson, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, a school’s coaching staff is the most important factor in his decision, or in his words, “just having a great relationship with them, knowing that I’d be a great fit at a program.”
The Hoosiers are in the thick of things for the class of 2016 guard who stands at 6-foot-5 — not including his shoes or mohawk haircut. IU offered him a scholarship July 12.
“They’ve just been talking to me almost every day, telling me stuff I can work on, get better at and just stuff they’d love to see me do,” Watson said of IU’s involvement in his recruitment. “They pretty much told me they like when I play aggressive, like when I attack, and they think I have a lot of potential and have the potential to play early if I come in and work hard.”
IU Associate Head Coach Tim Buckley was in Louisville and watched Watson play Wednesday.
When asked if he plans on taking any visits before making his decision, Watson told the Indiana Daily Student he hasn’t finalized his plans but he would like to visit IU “for sure” and probably check several other schools as well.
Another Big Ten offer could materialize for Watson after this weekend. He said Michigan is evaluating him to see how his game progresses this summer. Michigan Assistant Coach Bacari Alexander sat behind one of the baselines to see All-Ohio Red’s victory firsthand. The Wolverines will call Watson on Monday, Watson said.
He has several other suitors.
“Dayton is a school that’s high on my list,” Watson said of the in-state school. “I love Dayton.”
He also cited UMass as a school talking to him “a lot,” as well as several MAC schools who have offered him a scholarship.
He said Florida, Missouri and VCU have recently entered his recruitment talks.
Coaches from the University of Buffalo, Florida, Gonzaga and Wofford were in attendance Wednesday night.
While Watson still has to decide where he wants to attend college, he has a plan for making his decision. After this weekend, he plans on going home, where he’ll talk with his mother and his coaches to make sure he makes the right decision.
“I’ll probably tell the coach first,” he said, “and then I’ll probably just tweet it out.”
