Craft decides to stay close to home

Earlier today, Olive Branch, Miss. athlete Samuel Craft made his decision. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder decided to stay home over a pair of other offers.

"I just committed today to Memphis," he said. "I love the school, I love my hometown and the coaches are great. They are great people and they accepted me with open arms. I'll be able to play basketball and football."

The opportunity to play both sports was a factor in the three-star's selection.

"It was big, it was part of it," he said. "It means a lot because a lot of people don't get a chance to do both sports in college and I'm one of the people that will be able to do it, that's pretty special."

Craft is looking forward to playing both spots.

"For the football program, the coaching staff is great," he said. "Everybody knows Coach Fuente came from TCU and they were champs there. The football facilities are going to be great. They are going to have one of the top five scoreboards in the country and they are making a lot of changes. The program is going to be one of the best in the country.

"Also, they are going to let me play quarterback. Memphis was the one school pushing more of the quarterback situation."

Meanwhile, what about basketball?

"Everybody knows they have a lot of tradition in basketball," he said. "Coach Pastner is a great coach and everybody knows what Memphis is about in basketball."

On a side note, Craft recently changed schools from Craigmont in Memphis across the border to Olive Brach, Mississippi for his senior year due to personal reasons.

Craft held offers from North Carolina and Cincinnati as well.