Prep Ingram to pick Monday

Kansas University basketball recruiting.

Brandon Ingram, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from Kinston (North Carolina) High, will announce his college choice at 5:10 p.m., Central time, Monday in his school’s gymnasium.

Ingram, who averaged 24.3 points and 10.4 rebounds a game in leading Kinston to its fourth straight state title, has a list of Kansas University, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and UCLA.

Ingram’s dad, Donald, will speak at 5:05 p.m., then give way to his son at 5:10 p.m. for the announcement and general questions from a moderator.

Ingram, who actually measured 6-91?2 in shoes and weighed in at 195 pounds at the Nike Hoops Summit, has a 9-11?2 reach and 7-3 wingspan. He recently was accorded a No. 4 national ranking by Rivals.com, a big jump from his No. 19 rating most of the year. He had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead Kinston to a 60-43 state-title win over East Lincoln.

“My confidence has grown every time I step on the floor,” Ingram told draftexpress.com after scoring 15 points in the McDonald’s All-America game. “Playing against these guys (in all-star games) has helped my confidence. I can take bigger guys to the basket and shoot over smaller guys. To reach my new potential I need to get stronger, improve on all aspects of my game. I do think I can play every position on the floor, one through four.”

Self in Louisville: KU coach Bill Self attended an Under Armour AAU tournament on Friday in Louisville. He was spotted watching games of top prospects Josh Jackson and Mitchell Ballock. Jackson, who is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2016, is a 6-7 junior guard from Prolific Prep in Napa, California. Ballock is a 6-4 sophomore guard from Eudora High who is ranked No. 23 in the Class of 2017.

Newman rings cowbell: Malik Newman put on a Mississippi State cap and rang the school’s traditional cowbell after orally committing to the SEC school at noon Friday in a livestream at clarionledger.com.

The 6-3 guard from Jackson, Mississippi, who is ranked No. 8 nationally by Rivals.com, chose MSU over Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, LSU and North Carolina State.

Newman’s dad, Horatio Webster, was known as “The Big Train” during his days at MSU in the 1990s.

“No, no Little Train,” Newman told the Clarion-Ledger, asked about a possible nickname at MSU. “Me and him already talked about it. Nothing like that. They have to give me my own nickname. Maybe we can keep ‘The Machine,’ can we do that? Actually, a train is a machine, so he still has to work for me.”

Newman, the first five-star player to sign at MSU since Rodney Hood in 2011, averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists his senior year at Callaway High. MSU has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2009.

Top picks: Zagsblog.com points out that the SEC now has three of the top four projected picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere is No. 1, LSU’s Ben Simmons No. 3 and Newman No. 4.

Gone Gator: Florida sophomore Chris Walker on Friday declared for the NBA Draft. The former McDonald’s All-American averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds last season. It had been reported that he might transfer rather than enter the draft.