Elite SF commits

 

AUBURN | It's still a little more than 24 hours before Bruce Pearl's show cause expires but Auburn's first-year head coach already has his 2015 class off to a great start.

Four-star small forward Danjel Purifoy announced his commitment to Auburn Friday night during the Under Armour Elite 24 dunk contest.

"I just grew up watching Auburn and Charles Barkley and I just wanted to commit," Purifoy said on ESPN. "I've been around Auburn my whole life. It's a great school, I went there to visit. They run the floor and that's what I'm looking get into."

Purifoy, ranked as the nation's No. 80 overall prospect by Rivals.com, chose the Tigers over an impressive list of offers that included Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Clemson, Mississippi State, Maryland, Minnesota and UAB.

The Centreville, Ala., native will play his senior season at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. He averaged 17.7 points and 6.1 rebounds pre game as a junior at Bibb County.

"Purifoy to me is a combo forward," Rivals.com national basketball recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said. "He can play as a slashing three man but is also strong and tough enough to play as a somewhat smallish four man if you want to go small, athletic and really be able to run. It's his physical toughness and ability to play through contact that really sticks out to me."

Purifoy, 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, is Auburn's first commitment for the 2015 class but he could have some company soon. Pearl's show cause expires after midnight Saturday and the Tigers' will be hosting an elite camp on Sunday.

"I think when Bruce Pearl got hired people were expecting the Tigers recruiting fortunes to turn around and this is a pretty good start," Bossi said. "He's a local kid, he is good enough to help and he was prioritized by the staff. To get him done and get him done relatively early is a good first indicator that Pearl will be able to recruit like it was said he could for 2015 and likely beyond."