Stratford High School 4-star forward and Top 150 player in the country Keanu Dawes committed to Rice University over Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, BYU and Utah this week.
The 6-foot-8 forward is a unique and very talented player who can play in the paint, get buckets inside, block shots and get rebounds. He also can knock down the three-pointer and handle the rock much like someone he models his game after in Kevin Durant.
Dawes started to blow up during his junior season receiving 18 offers from some big name school from across the country, but the local Rice Owls are who lands his verbal commitment.
VYPE caught up with Dawes about his commitment to Rice and the next steps in his basketball career.
"It feels good to make a decision that way I can focus on my school season and winning games my last year," he said. The goal this year is to get the State Championship trophy.
Rice obviously is not the school many would have predicted Dawes to commit to, but when asking Dawes about his commitment to Rice over his other top schools he said that he felt Rice had "put together a great plan and will help me develop to reach my end goal, which is the NBA."
Dawes also mentioned that he really loved the coaching staff at Rice.
"I felt like through the whole process I was just able to get to know the real them," he said. "They are just great people that will help me on and off the court."
What is he most excited about?
"I want do something that has never been done before at Rice both individually and as a team," he said.