Arizona Wildcats: 5-star forward TJ Leaf commits
By Jacob Rude
Sean Miller and the Arizona Wildcats continue to reel in the big commitments. After piecing together back-to-back top classes for 2014 and 2015, he’s starting off the 2016 class with a bang by reeling in T.J. Leaf, a five-star forward.
6-10 TJ Leaf #FoothillsChristian has pledged to the University of Arizona. @Tyleaf_22 tops in 2016 nationally pic.twitter.com/i83zL2PgPi
— Compton Magic (@Compton_Magic) November 19, 2014
I've decided that I'm committing to the University Of Arizona! #beardown so excited to have this opportunity! #ArizonaWildcats
— Tj Leaf (@leafsquad22) November 19, 2014
Leaf had the who’s who of colleges lining up for his services, from Arizona to Florida and Duke and UCLA, among others. In the end, though, Leaf chose the Wildcats over the Gators, giving Miller yet another five-star recruit.
From 2011 to 2015, Sean Miller has reeled in 10 five-stars & 9 other top 100 players. T.J. Leaf, a 2016 prospect, gives him 11 five-stars.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) November 19, 2014
Leaf talked to Evan Daniels of Scout about the reasoning behind going with the Wildcats:
"“I have a really good relationship with all the coaches there,” Leaf said when asked about his commitment. “I have a really good relationship with coach Miller, coach [Joe] Pasternack, coach Book [Richardson] and coach [Damon] Stoudamire as well. It helps a lot when you have great relationship with all of their coaches.”“I feel like with the way they play their fours and how it’s interchangeable with the three that’s what I’m looking for,” Leaf added. “That’s really appealing to me as well.”"
247Sports’ Jerry Meyer calls Leaf a “cross between Kyle Singler and Chandler Parsons.” He’s the first pledge of ‘Zona’s 2016 class and comes in as Scout’s #11 overall recruit, the #2 power forward. With the Wildcats likely to see a big roster turnover this spring, Leaf will likely be a focal point of the team in the near future.