A lot of people said Will Barton was done to Kentucky a few weeks ago. Weeks passed, and it became apparent that he wasn't definitely a Kentucky guy, at least not yet. As a result, a lot of people started to get excited in regards to Barton possibly coming to Maryland. The Terps definitely had a shot with the star shooting guard, but it turned out not to be.
Via Memphis Commercial-Appeal:
The word came late Friday night, after Will and Antonio Barton had spent just a few hours participating in the University of Memphis' first elite camp under head coach Josh Pastner.
"It's official. We have committed," said Antonio Barton, referring to he and his brother's verbal pledge to the Tigers on Friday.
Having led Baltimore Lake Clifton High to a 28-0 record and a Class 3A state title this past season, Will, a highly ranked 6-6 shooting guard, and Antonio, a 6-2 combo guard, became Memphis' first two commitments from the Class of 2010.
Well, it was fun while it lasted.
The Bartons' departure is a bit of a blow to the Terps' confidence, but Will was never our only shot to have a good class. He would've been great, don't get me wrong, but odds were never high that we'd land him. It sucks that he didn't commit to Maryland, but he would've been icing on the cake, not the cake itself. I would be shocked to find out the staff put all of their efforts into Will Barton alone. Other big targets remain.
On the commit itself, this was a pretty big surprise, especially with the controversy swirling around Memphis right now. I had never heard that Memphis was very high on Will's list, although they were always listed. I hate to speculate (not really, I love it), but Will is rumored to have academic issues...I kid, I kid. Maybe.