Five-star basketball recruit Jalen Duren is headed to Memphis.
The 6-foot-10 center from Philadelphia announced his choice from the headquarters of his Team Final club program in Wilmington, Del., on Friday night.
Duren, the top-ranked prospect in the class of 2022, picked the Tigers over his two other college options — Kentucky and Miami — and his two professional options — the G League or the NBL of Australia.
Duren also announced he would reclassify academically to the class of 2021, meaning he will enroll for classes at Memphis this fall and be eligible to play collegiately this season. Duren is already projected as a top-five pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Duren led Montverde (Fla.) Academy to a high school national championship last winter, then won the Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship with Team Final this summer.
Kentucky at one point this summer appeared to be a favorite to secure Duren’s commitment but the coveted big man’s intentions began to lean more toward Memphis in recent weeks — although Duren’s recruitment was played close to the vest from the outset.
The Wildcats, who added four transfers and three new recruits this offseason, now appear to be set to go into the 2021-22 season with a roster that looks this way:
Backcourt: Dontaie Allen, CJ Fredrick, Kellan Grady, Davion Mintz, TyTy Washington, Sahvir Wheeler.
Frontcourt: Keion Brooks, Daimion Collins, Bryce Hopkins, Jacob Toppin, Oscar Tshiebwe, Lance Ware.
Memphis, coached by former NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway, finished 20-8 last season and won the National Invitation Tournament.
Previously, Hardaway landed top big-man recruit James Wiseman, who went on to become the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.