Taylor remains in-state, commits to Alabama

Photo Credit: USA Basketball.

Class of 2013 center Jimmie Taylor made an unexpected commitment today when he decided to stay close to home and verbal to the Crimson Tide.

“I like the coaching staff a lot,” the Alabama native told NRS. “Their style of play is good, they’re close to home and I feel that I can win both on and off the court at Alabama.”

Taylor, one of the top players in the country and certainly one of the best centers in the class, joins power forward Shannon Hale in head coach Anthony Grant‘s 2013 recruiting class.

One reason he committed at the time that he did is simply because he wanted to get it over with. ”I just felt that I needed to go ahead and get my recruitment over,” Taylor said. “I just feel relieved now that it’s done with.

“I can enjoy AAU more now too,” he added laughing.

In a recent article, Taylor told NRS what he was looking for in a program. “Any system that will get me the ball,” Taylor said laughing at the time. “Any style of play will be a good fit for me but I just want to be in a place where I’ll get some touches in the post. Just a system that I can go to work in. I want to be comfortable with the coaches. Whatever school is the best fit for me, I’ll commit there.”

He has also told NRS previously that he grew up a Crimson Tide fan and that Alabama has always been one of the schools recruiting him the hardest. Taylor selected the Crimson Tide over Georgetown, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. He held offers from each of those schools except for Kentucky.

Alabama is chasing after a number of other prospects in the class of 2013 including point guard Jaren Sina, small forward Greg McClinton and power forward Tyler Roberson.