<
>

Wayne Selden reclassifies to 2013

Wayne Selden, a highly touted shooting guard from Boston, is moving back into the Class of 2013.

"I believe I am physically and academically ready to go back to my original class," Selden said.

Selden, ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2014, will be rated 20th in the Class of 2013. When he left the John D. O'Bryant School in Boston to attend Tilton School two years ago, his family wasn't sure how he was going to handle the change in academics. Tilton is a college prep school in New Hampshire.

"I was the one who wanted him to reclassify when he left the O'Bryant school in Boston," said Lavette Pitts, Selden's mother. "I wanted to make sure he could do the work academically and have the educational confidence one needs in a new setting. It was never for basketball."

As soon as a formal request is in place, the school will review it. No one anticipates any problems.

"Wayne is a strong student and has enough credits to get back into his original class," Tilton School coach Marcus O'Neil said. "He has adapted very well academically here at Tilton."

Starting June 15, college coaches are allowed to contact juniors and seniors through unlimited phone calls and text messages, so Selden's phone needs to be charged. However, now the conversations will be different as coaches try to determine when Selden will sign and do their best to earn one of his five official visits.

At this point, Selden's list of colleges consists of Florida, UCLA, Harvard, Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky and UConn.

Last year, he suffered a severely sprained ankle that kept him sidelined for almost three months and that really made him think even more about his future.

"When I couldn't play basketball it taught me not to take anything for granted," Selden said. "I feel I am ready for my first year of college in 2013 versus another year of high school."