Prized Recruit Signs With DePaul

Chicago-area standout Eddy Curry, among the best high school players in the nation, has signed a letter of intent to play at DePaul.

Curry, a 6-foot-11 senior at Thornwood High in South Holland, Ill., averaged 24.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 blocks a game as a junior.

Although Curry has committed to DePaul, there’s a strong chance he’ll skip college and declare himself available for the NBA draft. The deadline for high school players and college underclassmen to declare is May 13. A player has until June 20 to withdraw his name from consideration. The draft is June 27.

A player loses college eligibility if he signs with an agent.

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Arizona Coach Lute Olson moved quickly after the loss of prized recruit Luke Rickert to Minnesota, signing 6-foot-9 forward Isaiah Fox of Santa Monica Crossroads High.

Fox, who averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds a game, joins a class that includes forward Dennis Latimore from Halstead, Kan., guard Salim Stoudamire from Lake Oswego, Ore., center Channing Frye from Phoenix and Will Bynum, a 5-10 guard from Chicago.

Rickert, a 6-10 forward who committed orally three weeks ago to Arizona, changed his mind and decided under urging from his father to stay in his native state.

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Muhammed Lasege, a 6-11 center from Lagos, Nigeria, was ruled ineligible to play for Louisville by an NCAA committee.

The ruling ended any hopes of Lasege playing collegiately. Lasege, who was ruled to have played on a Russian professional team, also had his appeal denied.

“This is a devastating decision for a special young man and it bothers me that we cannot do more for him,” Coach Denny Crum said. “He’s a model student and has been a joy to coach.”

Lasege, 20, was one of two Nigerian players who committed to the Cardinals. Benjamin Eze Ndubuisi was ruled academically ineligible after he failed to earn a qualifying score on his SAT.