2016 5-star Power Forward TJ Leaf Commits To Arizona

Never doubt Sean Miller. It’s been reported that 2016 5-star power forward TJ Leaf has verbally committed to The University of Arizona. With offers from Florida, Duke, Michigan and UCLA, the 6-9 junior out of Foothills Christian (El Cajon, California) has put an end to his recruiting process. Leaf was originally scheduled to announce on Friday, but ultimately decided today was the day to announce.

Sean Miller has been all about TJ Leaf since this summer, pursuing him enough to commit a year early. With Leaf’s commitment, Sean Miller will have brought in 12 5-star prospects in six recruiting classes. Leaf is currently rated as the #2 recruit out of California, Sean Miller’s favorite state to recruit. And it shows, as he’s been able to land the #1 California prospect of every class since 2011. The #1 recruit out of California, Lonzo Ball, has already committed to UCLA, but there’s no doubt that TJ Leaf will be able to claim the top rank of California over the course of the next year. Because after all, Sean Miller knows best.

At 6-9, Leaf is one of those rare do-it-all forwards that is the complete package. Range, handles, passing, athleticism, Leaf has it all. It’s hard to define his game, as he has elements from former Wildcats including Grant Jerrett and Aaron Gordon. The mix of Grant Jerrett shows in his range and Aaron Gordon in his athleticism and ability to dribble at 6-9.

He’s even seen swatting current Arizona Wildcat, Stanley Johnson, at :43 in his sophomore mixtape below.

As far as the 2015 recruiting class, Sean Miller still holds the #1 recruiting class. For now, we await the decision of 5-star center Stephen Zimmerman and 5-star power forward Ivan Rabb, who will both commit later in the spring. It’s a toss up, but Arizona is expected to land one or the other to round out the 2015 class. It’s still too early to tell what lies ahead in 2016 for Sean Miller, but it’s great to know that TJ Leaf will be the cornerstone of the class. As the #14 recruit in the country, you can bet he’s going to draw the attention of other top recruits that will want to play alongside him in the newly renovated McKale Center.