De'Aaron Fox to Kentucky: Wildcats Land 5-Star Guard Prospect

The Kentucky Wildcats have just landed one of the best guard prospects in the nation, as 5-star guard De'Aaron Fox committed to the school as part of the class of 2016 on Thursday, per ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello.

The Cypress Lakes High School point guard is ranked first overall in the state of Texas, third in the nation and first at his position, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.   

He had plenty of offers, as over a dozen schools came calling, including Kansas, Louisville and Texas, but it looked like Kentucky would be his choice when the Wildcats went "all-in with [their] recruitment" after head coach John Calipari visited in July to watch Fox play, per Jerry Meyer of 247Sports.  

According to Max Preps, Fox averaged 23.8 points per game, 3.5 assists and 2.7 steals in 2014-15—numbers well above the national average. 

Former Wildcat and current Washington Wizards star John Wall congratulated Fox on Twitter: 

An aggressive guard, the 6'4", 170-pounder has the physicality and playmaking ability to thrive from all areas of the floor. He is not afraid to drive to the basket and has a handling set that can create space for shots from range. 

Some highlights from his play in the Nike EYBL show just a bit of what he can bring to the table:

ESPN.com described Fox as "a rhythm scorer that can put up numbers in a hurry when confident, aggressive and doesn't worry about his position."

His offensive style is comparable to James Harden's, and his ability to play defense and run the floor is similar to Russell Westbrook's, as Fox is capable of developing into a point guard who can take over a game with great offensive abilities.

Fox told Scott Phillips of NBC Sports' College Basketball Talk that Westbrook is his inspiration when it comes to developing his game.

"Being a double-double type of guy. And just making my teammates better," Fox said. "I think I’m making my team better and right now I just want to keep winning."

There was a difficult decision on Fox's hands. With many offers, he had to find the right fit for his development. He told Phillips of his decision:

"

The style of play and really the head coaching relationship. You could be recruited by the assistant coach but ultimately the head coach is making the decisions. So I think, especially me being a point guard, me having a great relationship with the head coach is important.

[It's] their trust in me. If the coach doesn’t trust you, there’s not too much you can do. If the coach trusts you, you have a lot of leeway, you can get away with a couple things — a little turnover here or there — and they put the ball in your hands.

"

For the Wildcats, the reward of Fox in their backcourt is well worth the wait. Expect him to be making an early impact for Kentucky next season.

He also helps give Coach Calipari one of the most talented classes in the country, with Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones also on their way to Lexington in 2016.

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.