Michael Avery: The 8th Grade Commit!

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Michael Avery was not a common name in the world of high school and college basketball until last year. The 8th grader from California, commited to the University of Kentucky for basketball. Commonly, commits do not happen this early but Michael is an exception. The current 6’4 freshman is very impressive and was getting looks from many top schools. He is ranked as the #1 player in America for the class of 2012. Box of M.E.S.S got an exclusive interview with the future Wildcat!

Why did you choose Kentucky for Basketball? “You really can’t beat the tradition of UK basketball. It is just amazing. And also, I really liked the coaching staff that they had over there.”

Does the recent firing of Coach Billy Gillespie hurt your commitment to be a Wildcat? Will you decommit, possibly? “I’m not sure about everything right now. I just have to sit down with my family and talk about it. The firing of Coach Gillespie hurts because I committed to him and I have developed a really good relationship with him and the assistants over the last year since I committed there.”

Why did you commit as an 8th grader? “I committed as an 8th grader for a couple reasons. First, I had watched Coach Gillespie and I really like the way he coached. Next, UK tradition is off the charts. And lastly, I just felt really comfortable there and felt like if I could go to any college I would like, I would still pick there. But mainly, I really liked the coaches there.”

What is the best part of your game? What is the part you need to improve on? “The best parts of my game are probably my shooting, passing, athletic ability, and my versatility. I want to improve on everything and just keep getting better. I want to be perfect at everything I do, and I will work as hard as I have to to get to that point.”

Is there a lot of pressure being the #1 player in the country for 2012? “No, I don’t feel any pressure.”

Who do you compare your game to that is a current high school, college or pro player? “People have said that I am like Mike Dunleavy, Nick Calathes, and Mike Miller. I try to model my game after Eric Gordon and Kevin Durant.”

What other colleges were interested in you? What does Kentucky have over them? “I’ve got letters from USC, Cal, Marquette, Florida, and a couple other schools that I can’t remember right now. UK had an advantage because I really have like that school for a long time and the tradition, as I have said a couple time before.”

Crespi Carmelite High is not that known for a basketball school, are you going to stay there or will you possibly transfer to a big time school in the area, such as Mater Dei or Fairfax? “I’m not really sure right now. I’m going to wait and see how things go.”

Are you a player that puts up the numbers and is the star of the team or will you be the player that leads by example and is a proven winner? “I’m the type of player that will do whatever it takes to win. If I have to score 30 points, I’ll do it. If I have to get 10+ assists, I’ll do it. If I have to shut down the other teams best player, I’ll do it. I just want to win.”

What is something most people do not know about Michael Avery? “Most people think that I’m just this kid for Los Angeles, California, but I was originally born in Evansville, Indiana.That’s not to far from the UK campus.”

Ironically, this interview was done on the day that the firing of Kentucky Coach Billy Gillespie happened. As you can tell from the interview, Avery had a close relationship with Billy. It must be a very tough time for this star, but being a star comes with challenges. This is just one of the many that this future standout will have in his life. We can only wish Michael and his family the best as they decide whether to stay at UK.

*Note- This interview has been done from either Facebook/Myspace/Text/Email/Twitter. All athletes are REAL. No fakes here!

*Note- This picture is from http://www.kentucky.com/static/kentuckysports/img/mugs/08basketball_m/michael%20avery%20big.JPG

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