The top-ranked basketball player in California and recent the562.org All-City Athlete of the Year awardee Peyton Watson announced his college decision Monday night on a nationally-televised broadcast on Fox Sports. The senior-to-be had his pick of the litter in terms of colleges but the five-star recruit stuck with his personal philosophy in picking hometown UCLA as his destination.
Watson could have gone to any private high school or prep powerhouse in the nation following his sophomore season, as his recruitment began to pick up. But he chose to stay at his home school of Long Beach Poly, and to continue playing for his high school coach, Shelton Diggs. Watson used similar language in describing his decision to stay at UCLA, saying it had been a dream since he was a kid and that he wanted to stay close enough for his family to come to his games, and to be able to see Poly games during his younger brother Christian’s senior season.
We’ll have more on this story including a behind-the-scenes feature on the Watsons’ Monday night later today.