UCF has landed a commitment from Alex Owens, one of the top big men in the Class of 2015.
The 6-foot-8½, 240-pound Owens, who plays at Oak Ridge High in Orlando, is ranked 44th overall by ESPN.com. He said that Louisville's Rick Pitino and Florida's Billy Donovan had both been to see him in the last two weeks, and that Missouri, Vanderbilt, Marquette and Florida State had also expressed interest.
"I wanted to stay close to home and be near my family," Owens told ESPN.com. "I really like coach [Donnie] Jones, their staff and how they are with the players. I just felt different about them than the other schools."
Owens said that UCF's move from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference was key.
"They play in the same league as Louisville, Cincinnati and UConn," Owens said. "Louisville won the national title last year. I'm hoping that I can help take this program to another level."