By RYAN McMULLEN & ADAM ZAGORIA
Scottie Lewis, the 6-foot-5 forward from the Ranney School (NJ), announced his commitment to Florida on Tuesday.
Ranked No. 13 by ESPN.com in the Class of 2019, Lewis chose the Gators over fellow SEC foe Kentucky. He had recently narrowed his list to those two schools, cutting St. John’s, Stanford and Villanova, among others.
After persistent efforts, head coach Mike White and staff got their second commitment in the past 24 hours as four-star big man, Omar Payne, chose to take his talents to Tallahassee. Lewis met with Kentucky assistant Tony Barbee and Florida assistant Darris Nichols on Tuesday at Ranney.
“The family message,” Lewis said recently of Florida to Flohoops. “They recruited me the longest for five years. I’ve known those guys ever since I was 15 years old. Just telling me who I’ll be playing with and what I can bring to the table.
Kentucky already has commitments from Roselle (N.J.) Catholic wing Kahlil Whitney, and guards Dontaie Allen and Tyrese Maxey. Lewis had said he was on a group text with Whitney and Maxey.
Mike Rice, the head coach of Team Rio, has coached Lewis on the summer circuit.
“Scottie is a relentless winner on and off the court,” Rice said. “Coach Mike White and the staff will be getting a superstar who cares more about his teammates than he does his personal stats.”
Said Ranney coach Tahj Holden: “Florida is getting a great basketball player, but an even better person. His skill set has caught up with his athleticism, but what makes him truly unique is his ability to guard 1-5 at an elite level. Florida is getting a great kid, with elite ability who’s only going to get better.”
According to 247Sports, Lewis is a five-star prospect, ranked No. 11 nationally, and is the No. 2 player from New Jersey.
He is the fourth commit for UF’s 2019 class as teams up with five-star Tre Mann, four-star Omar Payne, and walk-on shooting guard Alex Klatsky.
Lewis joins fellow Ranney and Team Rio school teammate Bryan Antoine in making a commitment. Antoine chose Villanova over Duke in August.
Both players will compete this weekend in the USA Basketball mini-camp in Colorado Springs, CO.
GO GATORS ??? @hoopmajorhm pic.twitter.com/V1zdK7sH1F
— Scottie Lewis (@Scott_lewis_23) October 3, 2018
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