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PrintCOLUMBIA — It was the feel of home that most influenced Rock Bridge basketball standout Ricky Kreklow.
Ricky Kreklow gave Mike Anderson and the Missouri Tigers a verbal commitment Friday evening.
"I really feel like the program is going in the right direction," Ricky Kreklow said by phone Saturday. "(Coach) Mike Anderson is doing good things there, and I just decided that I wanted to be apart of it."
Kreklow had scholarship offers from Stanford, Virginia, Creighton, Southern Illinois-Carbondale, Missouri State and Saint Louis, but in the end the lure of the hometown school and family-ties to Missouri were enough for Ricky Kreklow to pass on those offers.
Ricky Kreklow's father, Wayne Kreklow is the women's volleyball coach and his mother, Susan, is the Director of Sports Operations with the women's volleyball team.
"It definitely had an influence on my decision," Ricky Kreklow said, "because I felt so comfortable around the school, and my parents have done a lot for me growing up. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to give them a chance to see me play in college."
Wayne Kreklow said working for the athletic department made the process a little difficult.
"We tried to stay as neutral as possible because we didn't want him to base his decision on us," Wayne Kreklow said by phone Saturday. "Obviously we wanted to see him play, but he needed to make his own call and I'm hoping that's what he did."
Ricky Kreklow, who has recently been taking time off from playing in his summer basketball circuit due to back spasms, said that he felt comfortable with the, "fastest 40-minutes in basketball," style that the Tigers play.
"Everyone on the team is extremely versatile, and I see myself being able to fall into one of those guard roles as well," Ricky Kreklow said.
Ricky Kreklow, who averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 assists as a junior, is looking forward to being able to focus on his senior season and a chance to capture a state championship. Last year, the team lost in the state semifinals.
"It's definitely a relief to get it done with before my senior year, so I can focus on my last season," Ricky Kreklow said. "We were so close to a state championship last year, and I'm confident we have a chance to get back and win it all this year."
Ricky Kreklow's commitment gives Mike Anderson and the Tigers their first in the 2010 recruiting class, and according Kreklow he's not going to second-guess.
"Yeah, I'm done," Kreklow said in regards to recruiting. "I'm very solid on my commitment."
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