Recruiting: Alabama prep forward Trendon Watford signs with LSU men’s hoops

Trendon Watford out of Birmingham, Alabama committed to LSU over finalists Alabama, Indiana and Memphis. His older brother plays for Indiana but LSU won out. Watford signed with the Tiger later Monday.

Most recently Will Wade and Memphis’ head coach Penny Hardaway were making the strongest pushes for the 5 star talent.

LSU assistant Bill Armstrong has been instrumental in the process and forged a close bond with the Watford family.

The 6-foot-9, 230 pound Watford averaged 23.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.5 blocks per game las season for Mountain Brook High School and finished his prep career with three Class 7A state basketball titles. He also totaled 3,567 career points to rank in Alabama’s top 10 all-time, while his 1,909 career rebounds are an all-time state record.

A consensus top five power forward and the 17th overall rated player, Watford is being hailed as the best player coming from the Alabama high school ranks since DeMarcus Cousins.

Watford joins a pair of three star commitments for LSu’s current class, combo guard James Bishop (6-2, 170) and 6-6 shooting guard Charles Manning.

Auburn was in the picture early, but with assistant coach Chuck Person dismissed, it hurt the program’s chances for Watford. Alabama’s firing of Avery Johnson set them back with the in-state product as well. Tennessee, TCU, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, VA Tech, Wake Forest and Mississippi State all tried to make a late push.

This move demonstrates that Wade has been proactive since he was reinstated from suspension at LSU on April 14 and has handled damage control on the recruiting trail while laying the groundwork for the future.