Oak Hill Academy’s Billy Preston to announce college choice on ESPNU

Billy Preston, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior forward from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., who is ranked No. 8 in the recruiting Class of 2017 by Rivals.com, will announce his college choice today between 3 and 4 p.m., Central time, on ESPNU, Preston announced on Twitter.

“I will make my college decision today on ESPNU @ 4-5 ET! Tune in,” Preston revealed on Twitter this morning.

“Oh @ all these assumptions,” he added in another tweet.

Preston has a list of Kansas, Indiana, USC and Syracuse. He visited KU for the Oct. 1 “Late Night in the Phog.”

Preston averaged 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds a game last season at Advanced Prep International in Dallas. He averaged 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during the Nike EYBL circuit last summer.

“Billy is an exceptionally talented prospect and there isn’t much he can’t do during a game,” Paul Biancardi, ESPN’s National Recruiting Director, said in an ESPNU release. “At 6-10, he is a multidimensional player, a natural power forward, and arguably one of the most talented athletes in his class.”

Earlier this week, Preston told USA Today that his national ranking of 20 in ESPN’s top 100 was not accurate.

“There aren’t 19 players in the country better than me,” Preston said. “I just don’t see that.”

“I’ve never coached a player at his size with his skills,” Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith told USA Today. “I don’t think he’s fully aware of how good he is, but he’s starting to realize it. He’s just happier now.

Preston is attending his fifth school in five years. He spent his freshman year at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif., his sophomore year at both Redondo Union in Southern California and Prime Prep in Dallas and his junior year at Advanced Prep International in Dallas, which has had some trouble getting players qualified in college.

“I used to watch him last year and he just wasn’t engaged and he’d just go through the motions, but I told him before he came, ‘You can’t play like that if you want to play for me,’ ” Oak Hill’s Smith told USA Today. “Since he’s been here it’s been like night and day. He’s a great kid and he really just wants to get better.”

Preston added to USA Today: “I definitely feel like I’m misunderstood, but, at the same time, I understand why people think what they think. I can’t worry about what other people think, though. Things are just different for me now. I always wanted to play for a coach that I would do anything for and I’ve definitely found that in coach Smith.”

Here’s ESPN.com’s scouting report on Preston:

“Strengths: Preston is one of the elite players in the country due to his size, skill, and overall talent. He is a hybrid 4-man who affects the game with his scoring prowess. He handles the ball well in the open court and can hand out the nifty assist on occasion. However, he does most of his damage navigating within 15 feet of the basket. He can face-up his opponent and either drive at him (solid first step) or nail the mid-range jump shot. In addition, he is a solid rebounder in his area and does a nice job keeping the ball live for his team and he collects numerous points attacking the offensive glass.

“Weaknesses: Preston has a ways to go as a player and his motor fluctuates as well. He forces the issue numerous times and either takes an ill-advised jump shot (early on in the shot clock) or turns the ball over by pounding the ball too much while penetrating. In addition, he needs to learn how to advance the ball quickly in transition and fill the lane, instead of over-handling the ball and killing the break. In addition, learning how to make a quick move and not try to force a shot when plays get defended well will help his game become more efficient.”

“Bottom Line: Overall, Preston is a talent, but he needs to learn to the nuances (efficient shots, patience, etc.) of the game to reach his vast potential,” the scouting report concluded.

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Oak Hill Academy’s Billy Preston to announce college choice on ESPNU."