By Patrick Klein
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Eugene Edgerson is confused.
When the prep basketball recruit left Tucson last Sunday to fly home after his official visit to Arizona, the 6-foot-7-inch forward from New Orleans' St. Augustine High School enjoyed his visit so much he was preparing to make a verbal commitment to play basketball next year as a Wildcat.
But with visits still planned to Nevada-Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and Maryland, Edgerson said his parents cautioned him to wait until he had seen all the interested schools.
He heeded his parents' advice and what has followed has put his hopes of coming to Arizona in doubt.
"When I got home, I wanted to commit," Edgerson said. "But my parents wanted me to wait. They told me to take my time because I'm the one that has to live with my decision.
"When I talked to (UA head basketball coach Lute) Olson, he said he didn't have a lot of players at my position. They told me I was the only one at my position."
When Edgerson returned to New Orleans, he kept hearing from different sources that Arizona did have players at his position and were in the process of recruiting another: 6-foot-7-inch Ricardo Crumble, whose teammate said he was ready to commit to Arizona this week.
This new information has Edgerson troubled.
"I keep hearing stuff about me and Ricardo Crumble Ÿ it's all mixed up right now," he said. "If they want to sign him, fine, I guess I'll move on. I'm very interested in Arizona, but I want to take the rest of my visits.
"I'm going to call Coach Olson and see what's up."
Under NCAA rules, the Arizona basketball coaches are prohibited from commenting on recruits until after they sign. The fall signing period begins Nov. 7.
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There is still no news about where Crumble will go.
Crumble, from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., was reportedly ready to make a verbal commitment to Arizona on Monday when he returned from an official visit to Cleveland State.
His coach, Steve Smith, said Arizona and Cleveland State, located in Crumble's hometown, were the player's top two choices. Smith said that he expected Crumble to choose Arizona, as did Stephen Jackson, Crumble's teammate at Oak Hill, and a 6-foot-8-inch forward who committed to Arizona last week.