Phillip Jurick is a 6-foot-10-inch tall post player for the Chattanooga State Tigers.
Staff photo by Jake Daniels/Chattanooga Times Free PressIn the end, the combination of comfort level and the possibility of early playing time proved to be the deciding facor for Phillip Jurick.
After narrowing his choices of where he would continue his college basketball career from dozens to three, Jurick signed Monday with Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-11 former East Ridge standout whose recruiting star soared in two years at Chattanooga State, chose the Cowboys over West Virginia and Southern Mississippi.
"The facilities were the best of anywhere I visited, and the people I got to know there were great," Jurick said. "Plus they graduated both their big men from last year, so I have a chance to go in and work my way into a lot of playing time right away."
Jurick averaged 10.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 9.5 blocked shots per game in helping Chattanooga State to the NJCAA Division I tournament for the first time. He was named second-team All-American and was both the player of the year and the defensive player of the Year for Region VII.
Coming out of high school, Jurick was rated the nation's No. 68 overall college prospect. But after one redshirt season at the University of Tennessee, he enrolled at Chattanooga State, where he starred for the last two seasons.
"He brings with him a great physical presence that we were needing," Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said in a news release. "He will most certainly help us on both ends of the court. There is no doubt that he can compete in the Big 12 Conference physically, and will be ready to do that."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.