Drew to join ASU after prep year

Los Angeles Fairfax High School guard Lindsey Drew has committed to Arizona State with plans to reclassify to 2016 and play a prep school year at IMG Academy in Florida before going to college.

Drew, a versatile 6-foot-3 guard who was an all-city selection last year as a junior, is the son of former NBA player and Milwaukee Bucks head coach Larry Drew, and brother of former UCLA player Larry Drew and Landon Drew, a junior point guard at Cal State Northridge.

"I think the biggest thing is (ASU coach Herb) Sendek and the whole coaching staff, they treat you like extended family and that's something that makes you want to play for them," Lindsey Drew said. "Knowing they don't look at you as more of a player but more of a son, the whole staff. My dad has a relationship with Sendek, they respect one another and keep in contact."

Young for his class, Drew won't turn 18 until May. He's grown about five inches since his high school career started, and continued to evolve physically, gaining a lot of weight and getting stronger and more athletic.

"We went to the prep school three weeks after I went to visit ASU (in November) and then a few days after that I committed to ASU," Drew said. "The IMG Academy, one of the things they specialize in is getting you ready for college and one of the things I want to really focus on is getting stronger physically to play in the Pac-12. I just feel like that's the best option for me to go."

Last season Drew was an all-city select for Fairfax, which is currently 8-0 and one of the top-ranked team in Southern California and a semi-finalist in the high profile Torrey Pines Holiday Tournament with a game against Corona Centennial High School Monday night.

Drew said ASU coaches have told him they that he impacts the game in a variety of ways and can be used at different spots in the lineup. Last season Drew led Fairfax in blocks and he's a good rebounder for a guard as well as being a high-assist facilitator.

"They've just told me they see me as versatile and playing one and two and even three at times," Drew said. "I like being able to move around and not just playing one position on the court, so I like that.

"I just try to put my team in position to make sure we keep winning. We're not that big, we have a 6-foot-7 kid and everyone else is about 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-3 We just do whatever coach tells us to try to keep winning."

When he visited ASU, Drew said it had immediate appeal that was aided by some other aspects that work in ASU's favor.

"The campus is amazing," Drew said. "That's something that appeals to me a lot. Also me being from L.A., it's kind of like another Los Angeles without the beach, but a big city that has some similarities. I also have family out there too we've visited out there some times so it's like a second home."

Drew joins Top-100 national recruit Brendan Bailey, who is also committed to ASU in the 2016 class. Bailey is a 6-foot-7 forward at American Fork High School in Highland, Utah.