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Carlton Bragg picks Jayhawks

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Bragg Commits To Kentucky, Oh Wait...Kansas (0:38)

Carlton Bragg, a high school senior basketball player from VASJ, wanted to announce that he will be playing for Kansas University but mistakenly said University of Kentucky before correcting himself. (0:38)

Kansas picked up its first commitment in the 2015 class on Thursday, as five-star forward Carlton Bragg announced he'll sign with the Jayhawks.

Bragg chose Kansas over fellow finalists Kentucky and Illinois.

During a news conference at his high school, Bragg pulled out a KU cap. But when he did, he declared that he was committing to "the University of Kentucky."

Bragg quickly corrected himself, and a minute later came back to the podium and declared for the TV cameras that he was headed to "the University of Kansas."

Bragg visited Kansas for its "Late Night in the Phog" Midnight Madness festivities in October, and the Jayhawks improved their stock that weekend.

"When I went to Late Night in the Phog, that's when everything changed," Bragg said. "It was a great experience."

"On my visit, towards the last day, we went to coach [Bill] Self's house, we got together, hanging out," Bragg said at his announcement. "The brotherly love they have, I felt comfortable around the guys. That's when I knew I could be there."

The 6-foot-10 Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Ohio) product is ranked No. 18 in the ESPN 100. He is also the No. 6-ranked power forward in the class.

"Coach [Bill] Self has a great track record," VASJ coach Babe Kwasniak said after Bragg's announcement. "The University of Kansas might be the most electric place to play basketball, not only in college, but maybe in America."

Despite having just one player in the fold for 2015, Kansas now has the No. 36 class in the country. The Jayhawks are far from done, too. Bill Self and his staff are still in the mix for a host of talented prospects, including Jaylen Brown (No. 2), Malik Newman (No. 3), Ivan Rabb (No. 5), Cheick Diallo (No. 7), Stephen Zimmerman (No. 10), Brandon Ingram (No. 12) and Tyler Dorsey (No. 33).

Kansas has no scholarship seniors on the roster, but sophomore Wayne Selden and freshmen Kelly Oubre Jr. and Cliff Alexander could be early-entry candidates for the NBA.

"I don't really care for minutes, I just want to be part of the team," Bragg told ESPN.com after his Kansas visit. "Freshmen aren't supposed to be playing all the time. It doesn't matter to me. I'll be a hustler, rebounder, shooter, passer. I can fit in real good."

Playing for Ohio Basketball Club on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit this past spring and summer, Bragg averaged 17.0 points and 9.3 rebounds over the course of 22 games. He also put up 13.3 points and 4.3 rebounds at the Adidas Nations event during the summer.