Tyler Zeller Commits to North Carolina

After a number of visits and much speculation, Indiana hoops phenomenon, Tyler Zeller, has committed to play for the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina. The six foot eleven inch star from Washington High School has attracted a lot of attention in recent years, garnering bids from many schools - Zeller narrowed the field to Indiana University, Purdue, Notre Dame, and UNC before settling on North Carolina.

Zeller announced his intentions at a press conference on Monday afternoon (11/5/07), stating that he "...felt more comfortable with the Carolina staff and players than any of the other schools." He'll join Larry Drew Junior from California and Ed Davis from Virginia in an impressive Tar Heels recruiting class for 2008.

While he's been making incredible gains in the past few years, and is ranked 16 in the 2008 recruiting class, Zeller seems intent on entering the college field slowly, and with refreshing humility. In the Monday press conference, he expressed his intent to take the time to get to know his new and unfamiliar surroundings, saying, "Playing at a school like that, there are already so many talented players so I don't have to come in and be the man right away. Hopefully I can be the man down the road but I need to do a lot of work to do that."

While he may have some learning yet to do, Zeller is clearly a force to be reckoned with - according to Insidecarolina.com, he averaged 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds his junior season, impressive by any measure. According to trans-world news, Tyler Zeller's accomplishments are expected to be recognized by McDonald's, when they name him a McDonald's All-American and by the Gatorade sports drink company when they bestow upon him the title of "Mr. Basketball."

While the signing period does not officially commence until November 14th, it is not unusual for players to verbally and publically commit to a school before that time. When the signing period gets underway, Zeller will simply sign his recruitment papers, and all will be official. There has been some speculation that Tyler would go to the Fighting Irish, where his older brother, Luke Zeller, plays forward. Based on comments made in the press conference, it's likely that Luke's presence at Notre Dame did have some impact on Tyler's ultimate decision. "I wanted to make my own footsteps," said Tyler, who bears a striking resemblance to his older brother.

North Carolina fans can seemingly rejoice this recruiting season, as they're pulling in some formidable talent. How it will all work out is yet to be seen, but you can be sure that all eyes will be on the Tar Heels next season.

John Decker, "Q&A with Tyler Zeller" Carolina Insider

"Indiana's Top Player, Tyler Zeller Commits to North Carolina," Trans World News