For Whitmer guard Antione West, Jr., the college recruiting process, while still under way, has been going on for a while now.
The talented combo guard has made waves since he stepped on the court for coach Anthony Stacey and the Panthers as a freshman, and college coaches around the country have taken notice.
West, a class of 2025 recruit, has a three-star rating according to 247Sports with a 247Sports composite score of 0.9214, which ranks 155th nationally, 26th nationally at the shooting guard position, and No. 3 overall in the state of Ohio.
Last season, West led Whitmer to a state final-four appearance in Division I as a junior, averaging 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He shot 48.3 percent on 2s, 36.7 percent from 3, and 82.9 percent from the foul line.
As his recruitment continues, West took to social media Tuesday to announce his final four schools: Ohio State, Purdue, Nebraska, and Dayton.
Down to 4 pic.twitter.com/A3SyXYKGnJ
— Antione West Jr (@antione_west) August 20, 2024
“It's been a great process actually,” West said. “It started early freshman year. My first major offer came sophomore year from Penn State. It's been hard really narrowing it down from the standpoint that you love and appreciate all the support that each school offers you and puts the time in to scout you. You appreciate it, but at the end of the day, it just comes down to the schools that meet your needs and what you want in a school.”
West says he is trying not to get too worked up or stressed out about the process and he truly believes that the right fit will reveal itself in a way when he gets on campus and takes official visits.
“I think it's really going to be more of a feel thing more than anything when I get on campus and meet the players and the staff and their families and am in that environment,” he said.
West said he has already visited Dayton and has a September visit to Nebraska scheduled with October visits to Purdue and Ohio State. Before he makes his final decision, West took some time to speak with The Blade about each of his final four choices.
OHIO STATE: “That's a school that I watched all the time growing up as a kid. It's just a great place, to be honest, and a place I always thought about being as a kid is Ohio State. They are really cool there and [head coach Jake Diebler] is a great coach and he's shown a lot of support. He's a real player's coach and he just gets players and how the game is changing and is adapting to that. He's done a lot of good for Ohio State and hopefully will do a lot of good moving forward.”
PURDUE: “They are a great school, too. That's another school that I grew up watching a lot of their basketball. Just seeing them being so successful is great. I just know that’s where I want to be in the next few years — a school that is successful and gives me a chance to be successful at the next level. They obviously have that down well. [Head coach Matt Painter] is a great coach, and they have a great staff that has been there for a long time. It's really family there.”
NEBRASKA: “They are a developing school. They had a great season last year, and they are trying to continue that. They won a lot more than they have in recent years, and [head coach Fred Hoiberg] is a great coach and spent a lot of time in the NBA. They really develop their players and are trying to get them to the next level and that is something that interests me a lot in their school. They've shown a lot of support for a while now.”
DAYTON: “They are another really good school and have a really good family atmosphere there. They have a great coaching staff, and I get along with all the coaches there really well. The development process in getting guys to the league, I feel like they do a good job of that. [Head coach Anthony Grant] has been doing it for a long time at a lot of different schools. He's really down to earth and will tell it to you like it is and really get straight to the point. He's just really shown a lot of love and a lot of interest in making sure that I know that they really want me there.”
First Published August 20, 2024, 2:30 p.m.
