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Five-star point guard picks Arizona

Sean Miller

Arizona head coach Sean Miller reacts to a foul call against the Southern California during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

AP

Arizona just landed the first five-star of its 2018 class and its potential starting point guard for that season.

Brandon Williams, a top-20 recruit, chose the Wildcats on Tuesday over the likes of Gonzaga, UCLA, Kansas and USC.

The 6-foot-1 Los Angeles-area native missed much of his junior season after a knee injury required surgery. He’s optimistic, though, that he’ll return to the court this summer and have a full year to prepare before starting his tenure in the collegiate ranks.

Williams will be arriving on campus as current starter Parker Jackson-Cartwright exhausts his eligibility, meaning the Wildcats will an opportunity for Williams to step right in on Day 1.

Arizona previously received a commitment from four-star forward Shareef O’Neal, son of NBA legend Shaquille, in its 2018 class. Five-star wing Emmanuel Akot was slated to be part of this Wildcat group, but he re-classed to 2017 in order to join Arizona for this season.

Beyond any joy that comes with landing a five-star recruit, Arizona fans are likely breathing even easier regarding Sean Miller’s potential interest in the Ohio State opening. Miller leaving Arizona, a potential preseason No. 1 team, to take the recently vacated Buckeyes job seemed unlikely immediately after the announcement that Thad Matta would not be retained, but getting a 2018 commitment the caliber of Williams the following day seems to be a pretty strong indicator that the conventional wisdom regarding Miller and the Buckeyes is probably close to being on the money.