Andre Drummond isn’t headed to college or Europe right now.
But he is headed for a change of scenery and he has cut his college list.
The 6-foot-10 Drummond told ESPN.com that his top five college options include UConn, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown and West Virginia.
“I have great respect for those coaching staffs,” he said. “They all have a chance to compete for a national championship, and they are committed to preparing their players for the next level.”
UConn remains the perceived favorite for Drummond, the Middletown, Conn., native who could have elected to attend college in 2011 but instead will do a post-graduate year at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts instead of St. Thomas More in Connecticut, where he has been the past two years.
There he will team with his good friend Kris Dunn, who will also transfer to the Massachusetts school from New London (Conn.) High.
“Andre certainly has a right to select any school that he wants to go to,” STM coach Jere Quinn told SNY.tv by phone. “It’s his right and his privilege. We think he grew tremendously here. He came with a stress fracture and now he’s healthy. He came and his academics were inconsistent and now he left as an honor student and he understands what it takes to be successful in school.
“In two years he’s academically solidified and physically stronger.
“As a basketball player he’s improved to the point where we won the national prep championship and he was the MVP of that team.”
On Friday, Drummond told SNY.tv by phone that, “As of right now…the plan” was to remain at St. Thomas More, but obviously this move has been in the works for some time.
As for his future plans, Drummond remains eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft and would likely be among the top few picks should he opt to skip college.
“It’s definitely an option but far from a done deal,” Drummond told ESPN.com. “I’m open, but I’m not going to be making any decisions before spring 2012 either way. I don’t think I’ll have too much to say about it until then. Most people have been really great about respecting my privacy throughout this process and I really appreciate that.”
As for Quinn, who is entering his 34th year at St. Thomas More, he must move forward without the No. 1 player in the nation.
“It doesn’t change our goals here,” he said, “which is it to take a bunch of kids who want to be here and make them better and get them into college. We’ve had some great players in the past, we’ll have some great players next year and we’ll have some great players in the future.
“With the all the experience I have I think I could’ve been a very positive influence and helped him with his decision-making but he’s choosing otherwise.
“I don’t want to sound bitter. We’re not. It’s his decision to go elsewhere and it was a pleasure to have him here.”
