LSU men’s basketball picks up Class of 2022 commit

The basketball recruiting efforts of LSU’s Class of 2022 got off to a slam dunk start.

The Tigers picked up their first commitment Wednesday in next year’s recruiting cycle with a pledge from Devin Ree of Terry (Ms.) High, Mississippi’s top-ranked recruit.

The 6-foot-8, 185-pound Ree is projected to play small forward, where he ranks 14^th nationally by 247Sports at that position. The four-star prospect is the nation’s No. 58 prospect according to 247Sports, while he’s also a member of ESPN.com’s Top 60 at No. 45.

“Offensively, I am a three-point shooter,” Ree told 247Sports last fall. “But if I go against a small guard, I will go inside on him. I can play a little point guard, shooting guard and I can play in the post. I am an all-around player. I do need to work on my ball-handling and getting my shot off quicker.”

Ree, who averaged 19 points and nine rebounds in helping Terry High to a 20-10 and Class 6A state playoff appearance last season, has compiled an impressive list of scholarship offers that included Southeastern Conference schools such as Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

He also has overtures from Memphis, Southern Mississippi, St. John’s and Texas.

“LSU is recruiting me the hardest right now, they call me almost every day,” Ree said during an interview this summer. “Mississippi State and Ole Miss are right behind them. Mississippi State and Ole Miss call me every day, too, but LSU is hitting me the hardest.”

Ree steadily added weight to his frame over the summer, going from 175 to 185, with the intention of trying to play around 200 pounds during this season which began with a 23-point outing in his season opener.

Lavel Johnson of Mississippi Hoop Report commended Ree for his play during the Crossroads South Exposure Camp last fall.

“Probably the player with the most upside in all the camp,” he said. “Ree is long and rangy, can shoot the ball with range, is a solid finisher around the rim, has solid handles and glides up and down the floor and while I wouldn’t call him a strong defender just, yet his long arms cause lots of problems for opponents on the defensive end of the court.”