Boys’ basketball: Kentucky commit Avery will play for Crespi

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Michael Avery, the eighth-grade basketball player who gained national attention on May 1 by announcing he had committed to Kentucky before selecting a high school, has decided to enroll at Encino Crespi. Avery was also considering attending a boarding school in Indiana.

Avery, who is officially registered at Crespi, is a 6-foot-4 guard who lives in Thousand Oaks and has strengths as a shooter, dribbler and hard worker. But his decision to make such an early commitment has raised expectations and created a whole new dynamic for everyone involved.

‘I hope the hoopla will disappear after he’s at Crespi and with his teammates,’ Crespi Coach Russell White said Saturday. ‘I realize this is a new situation for me and my staff. I’ve got to focus on getting him acclimated and accepted to our program for who he is.’

-- Eric Sondheimer

-- Image by Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times