PROVO — Utah's Mr. Basketball will be doing a little dunking next season in Cache Valley, and it won't only be a few Oreo cookies into the valley's famous dairy products.
Provo's Tai Wesley, named the state's top prep basketball player by the Deseret Morning News, has committed to take his hoop talents to Utah State University to play for coach Stew Morrill, who has been trying to get Wesley into one of his uniforms since last fall.
The 6-foot-7 forward, who led the Bulldogs to the Class 4A state championship, has reportedly signed a letter of intent and mailed it to Aggies officials on Friday. University officials are waiting for the paperwork to arrive before commenting.
Provo coach Craig Drury said Wesley has committed to the Aggies and the university knows that is where he's planning to play.
"He'll be a good fit up there," Drury said. "He plays Aggies style of basketball. They like their forwards to post up, be mobile and be good passers. That's Tai's game. He'll fit their style like fingers in a glove."
Wesley was unavailable for comment Friday night. However, he earlier told the Deseret Morning News that he plans to play college ball for one season and then leave for an LDS Church mission. It is unclear whether Wesley will attend the school on an athletic scholarship.
Morrill reportedly offered the Provo star a scholarship last fall, but the Aggies' scholarship went to another recruit when Wesley verbally committed to play at BYU. But when it turned out the Cougars didn't have a scholarship to offer Wesley until after he returned from his mission, he decided to play elsewhere.
Since the end of the high school season, Utah State, Southern Idaho, Utah Valley State College and BYU/Hawaii have all been courting Wesley.
In an outstanding senior campaign, Wesley shot 65 percent from the floor, averaged almost 17 points per game, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. In four games at the state tournament, he averaged 19.25 points, earning him the tournament MVP. In the state semifinal game against Bonneville he scored 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds and dished out five assists. In the title game he had 11 assists from the center position.
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com