Nerlens Noel, the No. 1 college basketball recruit for the class of 2012, has narrowed down his commitment choices to three schools, says Scout.com's Evan Daniels. Atop that list are the Syracuse Orange, Kentucky Wildcats and Georgetown Hoyas, as the prized 6-foot-10 center has eliminated the North Carolina Tar Heels and Connecticut Huskies.
High level battle brewing for Nerlens Noel -- the best shot blocker in HS hoops. Popular opinion? UK vs 'Cuse. But Hoyas hanging around.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielscout) March 18, 2012
Noel, who's now an official member of the Class of 2012, has already taken unofficial visits to Syracuse and Kentucky. Most recently, he made an official visit to Georgetown.
In mid-February, Noel visited Syracuse when the Orange defeated UConn 85-67. A short time later, he made an appearance in Lexington, KY. As noted by Daniels, the two favorites to land Noel are Syracuse and Kentucky, and while there's not a clear cut favorite, many expect UK to be the choice.
However, things could have changed since the Orange's sophomore center Fab Melo was ruled ineligible by the university and is now expected to test the NBA Draft waters.
The new opening at the center position, especially one that's closer to his hometown of Boston, could be a turning point in the highly publicized recruitment of Noel.
A decision is expected to come sometime in April.
For more on the recruitment of Nerlens Noel, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream, while the SB Nation blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has everything on the Orange.