Tatum picks Duke in televised college announcement : Sports – STLtoday.com

Jayson Tatum made his decision.

He’s joining college basketball royalty.

The No. 2-rated player in the nation by ESPN.com, Tatum announced Sunday he would attend Duke. The 6-foot-9 and 200-pound guard’s other finalists were St. Louis University, North Carolina and Kentucky.

A senior-to-be at Chaminade, Tatum made his non-binding verbal commitment on ESPNU after playing with the St. Louis Eagles in the semifinals of the Peach Jam tournament. Tatum and the Eagles won 74-73 against Team CP3 and No. 1-rated recruit Harry Giles of Winston Salem, N.C., before an overflow crowd in North Augusta, S.C.

Tatum’s announcement was a constant focus Sunday morning during ESPNU’s broadcast of the Peach Jam. The first day college basketball players in the class of 2016 can sign binding letters of intent is Nov. 11.

Last weekend, Tatum helped lead the United States to the FIBA U19 World Championship title in Greece.

Tatum is the two-time Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, a Naismith Trophy All-American, a three-time Metro Catholic Conference player of the year and the reigning Post-Dispatch All-Metro player of the year. He averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds his junior season as he led Chaminade to its second state semifinal in school history this winter.

Tatum is the latest high-profile prospect from the area to leave for greener pastures in other states. Former Chaminade star Bradley Beal attended Florida. Wellston standout Ben McClemore chose Kansas. O’Fallon’s Roosevelt Jones went to Butler.

Belleville East’s Malcolm Hill, the 2012-13 All-Metro player of the year, chose Illinois.

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