Indianapolis point guard Marquis Teague, the nation's No. 2 player in the 2011 class, will announce his college decision at Pike High School at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. His final five schools are Kentucky, Louisville, Cincinnati, Indiana and Purdue. Here's a Q&A he did with The Cats' Pause on Wednesday evening.
Question: What are you thoughts as you get ready to get things over with and make your decision?
Marquis Teague: I'm just anxious to pick my school. It's been a long process, and me and my family are talking it over and we're just ready to get it over with.
Q: Have you already had the family meeting (planned for Wednesday)?
MT: We're going to do it tonight when everybody comes home.
Q: Do you think that you and your family are all on the same page? There's been a notion that you and your dad might have differences of opinion? Is that true?
Marquis Teague is considering UK, Louisville, Indiana, Cincinnati and Purdue.
MT: Yeah, at first it was, but now we're starting to be on the same page. Everything is working now.
Q: And you're still considering all five schools at this point?
MT: Yeah.
Q: Did the coaches come in to your school the last couple days?
MT: Coach Cal and Coach Cronin came in today, and Coach Pitino came in yesterday.
Q: What were some of the things those guys wanted to stress to you the last couple days?
MT: They were just telling me what I would be able to do (on their teams) if I come in there at that point-guard spot. They said if I came in, they were going to put the ball in my hands.
Q: Have you been swayed by what they've said in the last 24 hours or so, or had you already made your mind up?
MT: I've been real confused the last couple days because I've been hearing a lot of different things. Now Ia€™m kind of getting my mind made up and know where I want to go.
Q: Have you surprised by all the attention that your announcement is getting?
MT: I kind of expected it because I've been getting a lot of attention from a lot of coaches throughout this whole thing. I knew that when I got close to making my decision that they'd keep calling.
Q: Just sum up the things you like about the schools in your final five (Kentucky, Louisville, Cincinnati, Indiana and Purdue)?
MT: At Kentucky, Coach Cal has a good reputation with guards. He knows how to coach guards, and I'm a point guard. That would be a great fit, and I'd have great players around me and have a chance to win a national championship.
(Louisville) Coach (Rick) Pitino, he has a lot of championships under his belt. He's a winning coach. You know that if you play for him, youa€™re going to get better.
The main thing about all these schools is they're close to home. I don't want to leave.
Cincinnati, I got a great relationship with their coaches. That's the reason they're on my list. Me and Coach Cronin got a great relationship. I've been to Cincinnati plenty of times.
IU, you know, that's my home state. ... Coach Crean has done a great job with that program, turning it back around.
And Purdue, that's another home school. It was my first offer. Coach Painter has been on me for like three years, so we have a real good relationship. And I already like the program, and it would be a great fit for me.
Q: As far as Kentucky, Brandon Knight ended up committing there; so did Doron Lamb. A lot of people think they're not necessarily one-and-done guys, so they would be there playing with you. Is that something that would affect your decision?
MT: No. Like I said, I want to play with other great players. Other teams want to double-team and triple-team; they can't do that if you're on the court with Brandon Knight, who can handle the ball like that. They would have to do something else, so that wouldn't be a problem for me.
Q: What about the idea of playing with Mike Gilchrist and your feelings about his commitment to Kentucky?
MT: I talk to Mike a lot. We played together with the USA (Developmental) Team, and we know how to play together. We've been talking for a while. He's a fundamentally sound player, but he's also like a superstar. He's a great talent. He's unique. I would love to play with him.
Q: How about the guys at U of L? Junior commitment Wayne Blackshear? Would you look forward to playing with him?
MT: We're friends. We talk a lot. I haven't really gotten to play with him, but from watching him, he's a really good player. That would be a great player to play with.
Q: What about junior Michael Chandler no longer being committed to Louisville? Does that affect your decision at all or change your opinion of U of L at all?
MT: Not really. I still have to make my choice. ... But Chandler, he's a great player. I've have gotten to talk to him about why he's decommitted or anything like that. That doesn't affect me. That's not my business.
Q: Has your brother Jeff (a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks) given you any advice about where you ought to go?
MT: Yeah, he told me a school I ought to go that he'd like me to go to.
Q: Do you want to say which (school) that is?
MT: No.
Q: Is that also the one you seem to like the most right now?
MT: Yeah.
Q: Your dad said yesterday that he was hoping to talk to Cal specifically? Did they get to talk?
MT: Yeah, they talked, but I don't know what they talked about.
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