Devontae Shuler is the second commitment in Andy Kennedy’s 2017 class. (Photo courtesy of Facebook.com)
Ole Miss basketball received a verbal commitment from one of the nation’s highest ranked combo guards on Monday night.
Oak Hill Academy’s (South Carolina) Devontae Shuler chose the Rebels over Oklahoma State. After visiting Ole Miss this past weekend, Shuler announced on Sunday that he would make a final decision Monday night.
While Ole Miss was having a bye week for football, Shuler was touring the campus and spending time with his future teammates.
He said he felt comfortable around his teammates and coaches and felt like he established a good relationship with basketball Head Coach Andy Kennedy.
“He is a great guy. He is going to keep it real with you, and I feel like I grew a relationship with him to where I would feel so comfortable to play on his team,” Shuler said.
This weekend gave Shuler a glimpse into the future of Ole Miss basketball.
“Being around the teammates and being toured around the whole school helped me see new things I had never seen, and it really helped me feel like I was already a part of the school,” Shuler said.
Shuler will be a part of the second full season played in The Pavilion, which was completed back in the spring. According to Shuler, being able to play on a new court is something he looks forward to and contributed to his decision.
“It is a big impact for me to come in and play in a new arena knowing that not too many people have played on it,” Shuler said. “Just knowing that I can be one of the first ones to start something there means a lot to me.”
He will be able to make his decision official Nov. 9-16 during the early fall signing period.
During his junior year, Shuler, who is 6-feet-3-inches, averaged 10 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists for Oak Hill. The Warriors finished as No. 2 in the USA Today Super 25 poll after winning the Dick’s Sporting Goods National Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Shuler said he sees a bright future in the Ole Miss program.
“I feel like the year that I come is going to be the one that we win an SEC championship. Hopefully from there we can go on and also win other championships,” he said.
247Sports ranks him as the 24th best shooting guard, and as No. 100 in the top 100 list for the 2017 class. During the summer, he played for CP3 and average 12.3 points with 50 percent shots from the field.
Shuler is the second Rebels commit for the basketball class of 2017 along with Union County (Columbus, Ohio) guard Parker Stewart.
