Former top recruit and Wake Forest center Tony Woods has decided to attend the University of Oregon after an NCAA ruling declared him eligible to play immediately. Andy Katz has the scoop:
(Woods' AAU coach Norman) Parker said Woods decided to sign with Oregon after he learned that he could play immediately with the Ducks following his completion of his associate of arts degree and then admission into summer school next month.
Woods had visited with Louisville, Kentucky and Texas over the last few months but none of the three could admit Woods until December because the schools are on a semester system. Oregon is on a quarterly system and doesn't begin classes until September, allowing Woods to complete his academic requirements in a community college and then on campus.
Woods will replace the Ducks' leading scorer Joevan Catron, who finished his eligibility, in the frontcourt, and is a good bet to start right away. He's 6-foot-11, has ACC experience, and has a bit of a mean streak. You may recall he was dismissed from Wake Forest after being arrested for assaulting his girlfriend in front of their 8-month-old child.
Oregon finished 7-11 in the Pac-10 last year, but will now have an infusion of talent under second-year coach Dana Altman with Woods and sharpshooting freshman Jabari Brown from Oakland. Woods only averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds last season, but there were sentiments among Wake fans that he had turned a corner and was ready to take his game to the next level this season.