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Dave Rose and the BYU basketball program added a fourth member to their recruiting Class of 2014 on Wednesday, with the news that American Fork High School center Ryan Andrus had verbally committed to Rose and the Cougars.
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Andrus announced the news on his Twitter feed, saying "Just got off the phone with Coach Rose! Committed to play basketball for BYU!!! Couldn't be happier!!:)"
In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, Andrus told me that he chose BYU over Utah State, Utah and Boise State, "because Dave Rose has created a winning program, with an incredible environment. His record just goes to show...he's averaging about 26 wins a year in his eight years here. Every season has been a 20-win season with him."
"The guys that he's bringing in, that I'll be playing with," said Andrus, "are top, elite players, so I chose BYU for those reasons."
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Andrus was a 5A First Team All-State selection in 2012-13, after averaging 19.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for Doug Meacham's program at AF; a region foe for Lone Peak HS stars Nick Emery, Eric Mika and T.J. Haws, Andrus will be a teammate of all three at BYU.
"This summer I played with T.J. a lot," Andrus said, "and we played well together. I know he plays well with Nick and Eric, so it's going be great to be with those guys."
Andrus said he plans to play for BYU during the 2014-15 season before leaving on his LDS mission. Mika has similar plans, intending to suit up for the Cougars in the 2013-14 before leaving the program for two years.
Andrus said he currently checks in a at 6'10", 220 pounds, adding "I think I've got maybe an inch left, but I might be done." He says "I'd definitely like to be a little thicker; I'm hitting the weight room two times a day right now."
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Andrus joins Haws, Dalton Nixon (Orem HS) and Jake Toolson (Highland HS in Gilbert, Ariz.) in committing as past of BYU's 2014 recruiting class; the Cougars have an outstanding 2014 offer to Payton Dastrup (Mountain View HS, Mesa, Ariz.).
"It's incredible" to have committed to BYU, Andrus said on Wednesday. "The last year has been weighing on me heavily, and it's been so stressful. To have this off my shoulders feels so good."
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Photo: Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News
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