Eric Boateng, a 6-foot-11, 255-pounder who played in the 2005 McDonald's All-American game, is transferring to Arizona State from Duke after one season playing in Durham under coach Mike Krzyzewski. Boateng informed ASUDevils.com of his decision on Monday.

Boateng, a native of London, England who played his high school basketball at St. Andrews School in Middletown (Del.), played in 20 games last season for the Blue Devils and averaged 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds in 2.5 minutes per game.

"I was just calling to deliver the news that I have decided to [attend] Arizona State, coached by Herb Sendek," Boateng said, in a message to ASUDevils.com.

"I'm really excited about this new opportunity that lies ahead of me," he continued. "I'm really taken to the coach and the program. I'm so excited, I'm lost for words. I'm so excited for us collectively to take the program to the next level."

The former Gatorade State Player of the Year averaged 21 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists as a senior, and he selected Duke over Georgetown and Georgia Tech. He reportedly held offers from UCLA, Villanova, North Carolina, Boston College and numerous other programs.

After visiting Arizona State in late April, Boateng made subsequent trips to Notre Dame and Michigan and he was also being pursued by George Washington and Georgia Tech, among other programs. He was very heavily pursued following his decision to leave the Blue Devils.

In the 28th McDonald's All-American game, Boateng had six rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes of action. He entered the game ranked as the No. 82 player in the class by Rivals.com and No. 19 power forward.

Boateng played soccer in his native England as a youngster, but outgrew the sport by high school and moved to the states to better position himself to get an education and possibly play professionally. He was one of three Duke recruits to play in the 2005 McDonald's All-American class, along with Josh McRoberts and Greg Paulus.

When making his selection of Duke, Boateng put a high emphasis on quality of education and that was similarly important in his decision to move on to Arizona State. He was aided in the process by his former high school coach Bob Rue.

Coming out of high school, Boateng had the look of a skilled post player with a variety of developing back-to-the-basket moves and the ability to step out and shoot the mid-range shot with regularity. He had a great basketball body and was one of the better natural shot blockers in the class but needed to add weight and strength. In the last year, he gained upwards of 20-25 pounds.

Boateng will sit out the 2006-07 season and then have three years of eligibility remaining.

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