5-star basketball star Trendon Watford picks LSU over Alabama, others

Mountain Brook 5-star forward Trendon Watford committed to LSU today in a ceremony at his high school.

Watford picked LSU over Alabama, Memphis and Indiana and called it “by far, the toughest decision of my life.”

“It’s the trust,” he said of why he picked LSU, “the trust I have with those coaches and them helping me reach my potential.”

Watford said he’s confident LSU coach Will Wade will be at the school after being suspended and reinstated after published reports said he was caught on a wiretap talking about paying a recruit as part of the ongoing federal corruption trial and scandal in college basketball.

“When he got reinstated, he was still talking to me throughout the whole time and his athletic director was behind him,” Watford said. “So, you know, I feel like he’ll be there.”

Watford said he’ll report to Baton Rouge in June.

“I feel like I’ll fit in great,” he said. “You now, Naz Reid isn’t there anymore, and I feel like I can replace him. Just pick up where they left off last year.”

Watch Watford’s announcement:

At today's ceremony, Mountain Brook teacher Emily Westlake and Mountain Brook coach Bucky McMillan talked glowingly about Watford.

“He has an ‘It’ factor to him,” McMillan said. “He’ll always be able to rise to the occasion and do great things. … Not only did he do great things for himself, he did great things for his team and his school.”

Watford led Mountain Brook to three straight Class 7A state titles and averaged 23.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.5 blocks per game during his senior season, capped with a 61-42 victory over Baker in the Class 7A title game. He finished his career with 3,567 points, ranking among the top 10 in AHSAA history, and set a new AHSAA career record with 1,909 career rebounds.

Watford wore all three championship rings today. “The third one just came in,” he said.

Westlake said Watford made a point to read to elementary-school students, using it as an example of his exemplary character and humility.

“When you hear name Trendon Watford in the state of Alabama, it just conjures up greatness on the basketball court because it is,” she said. “I have never seen him rude, never seen him arrogant. He has a humility about him for a superstar.

“He just enjoys making others smile,” she said. “Trendon is big, but his smile is bigger. ... May you never lose that smile, because it makes the world better.”

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