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Did four-star prospect Prince Ali make the right decision by decommitting from UConn?

Kevin Ollie

Kevin Ollie

AP

Earlier this week, four-star Florida native Prince Ali made waves by decommitting from UConn, even though the Huskies are fresh off of a national championship.

The 6-foot-4 Ali took to his Twitter account on Thursday to announce that he was re-opening his recruitment, as he was no longer committed to head coach Kevin Ollie and the Huskies in the class of 2015.

But did Ali make the correct decision by decommitting from the champs?

On a surface level, it would appear that Ali was crazy for leaving a program coming off of a title with a head coach like Ollie who has done so well with guards like Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

But as a class of 2015 prospect on the rise this spring, Ali probably feels like he needs to keep his options open for the future, and frankly, he should.

As Rivals.com‘s No. 68 prospect in the 2015 class, Ali will have a lot of new schools in the picture to choose from after ranking third in the Nike EYBL in scoring at 21.8 points per game this spring with the Southern Stampede. Ali also shot 45 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range in EYBL play.

Even though it is an honor to receive a scholarship offer from a program like UConn, and a coach like Ollie, as a 2015 prospect, Ali has a lot of time between now and the fall of 2015 when he would set foot on a college campus as an incoming freshman. I have never understood why more elite basketball prospects don’t take their time in the recruiting process when so much could change so quickly and Ali taking his time is the right move.

Ollie recently signed a lucrative extension with UConn, but he’s received overtures from NBA teams this offseason and that likely won’t change in the next few years. Roster uncertainty and the ever-changing recruiting landscape could also shape a new decision for Ali when he makes a new commitment.

And it’s not like Ali isn’t still considering the Huskies. Ali told Andrew Ivins of the Sun Sentinel that UConn will still get an official visit and the shooting guard just seems like a person that wants to hear out all of his options.

“It’s part of the process,” Ali said to Ivins. “People may think it’s strange, but at the end of the day I have to do, what I have to do.

“I have gotten a couple phone calls from [other schools] but nothing too serious. I made this decision because I feel like I committed a little too early and I wanted to reopen things.”

Ali led Sagemont High School to a 33-0 record and a Class 3A state title in Florida this season after averaging 20 points and six rebounds per contest. A new list of schools hasn’t been formed yet, but Ali is making the right decision by holding the ball in his court and making the decision that is correct for him.

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