Payton Pritchard to Oregon: Ducks Land 4-Star PG Prospect

It's almost impossible to contend for an NCAA men's basketball title without a competent floor general running the offense. The Oregon Ducks hope Payton Pritchard can be that guy starting in 2016.  

The 4-star point guard committed to the Ducks on Friday, per Reggie Rankin of ESPN.com. Matt Prehm of 247Sports confirmed the report.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Pritchard is the No. 8 point guard in the country and the No. 48 player overall. He's also the best player in the state of Oregon.

Pritchard had originally committed to the Oklahoma Sooners but walked back on that decision in January.

"He just wants to be 100 percent sure," said Pritchard's father, Terry, per ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello. "He's a young kid, and we want him to [be] 100 percent comfortable. He's been thinking about it for two or three weeks. And if he was going to do it, he should probably do it before the July period."

When the race to secure Pritchard's commitment opened up again, plenty of heavy hitters among the coaching ranks looked to get a leg up, per 247Sports' Jerry Meyer: 

The point guard competed with Team Wall at the Adidas Nations event in Long Beach, California. He appeared in six games, averaging 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and four assists per game. He shot 36.7 percent from the floor, including 34.5 percent from behind the arc.

Although those numbers don't jump off the page, they're not a fair representation of the player. Pritchard is a solid shooter and playmaker who knows how to pick out a pass. 247Sports' Evan Flood argued that Pritchard, as an incoming point guard, is about as ready-made as a team could hope for:

Pritchard isn't the most gifted point guard in his class, but he is the perfect type of point guard in a way. He can play the role of facilitator, setting up his teammates to score, or he can put the ball on the floor and look for his own shot.

With Oregon looking to make some noise next March, Pritchard is a great addition to the Ducks' class.