Jalen McDaniels to San Diego St.: Aztecs Land 4-Star PF Prospect

For much of the recruiting process, it appeared that Jalen McDaniels was a lock to land in his home state of Washington. Wednesday night, the 4-star power forward flipped the script by announcing his commitment to San Diego State on Twitter:

"

I've decided to close my recruitment. And I am officially committed to San Diego State University #GOAZTECS‼️♦️ pic.twitter.com/icfWtvcDGW

— Jalen McDaniels (@IAM_JBOOGIE5) September 10, 2015"

McDaniels is considered the 117th overall prospect and No. 25 power forward in the Class of 2016, per 247Sports' composite rankings. His commitment comes just two weeks after visiting San Diego State, a move that to many swung momentum in the Aztecs' favor.

Before August, every 247Sports expert had predicted McDaniels would attend Washington. He stars at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, and the Huskies' July offer set up what seemed like a foregone conclusion.

"Honestly this offer means a lot to me because it gives me the choice to stay close to my family," McDaniel told Lars Hanson of 247Sports. "My family can easily come to see my games and I get to see my friends all the time. They can come see me play and also go back home with no expenses."

While trips to San Diego will come with expenses, McDaniels has the opportunity to play for Steve Fisher. The Aztecs coach has led his program to at least 25 wins in six of the last seven seasons and made the NCAA tournament in each of his last six years.    

Contrast that with Washington, which packs a Pac-12 pedigree but hasn't made the tournament in a half-decade. Lorenzo Romar has actually seen his program take a marked downturn since a 2012 NIT berth, losing at least 15 games in each of the last three seasons. 

From a name-brand-recognition standpoint, Washington appeared to be the leader. But from a basketball standpoint, it's almost a no-brainer for McDaniels to eschew his home state and work with a coach like Fisher, who has thrived at turning undersized players (McDaniels is 6'9" but only 190 pounds) into stars at the collegiate level.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.