Guy talks about picking UVa

No way, four-star combo guard Kyle Guy told himself, was he ready to commit. After all, as a 2016 recruit, he had plenty of time before he needed to focus on a decision.

That all changed from the time he stepped foot inside John Paul Jones Arena to start his visit to UVa on Friday.

"I keep saying it and I hope people understand how much I mean it," Guy told CavsCorner shortly after announcing his commitment, "but I am as surprised as anybody. But UVa was the place for me. I knew it from the start. I had no intention of committing on this trip but man, it was just perfect for me. I got that feeling several times that I was meant to be there."

Guy, a 6-foot-3, 165-pound guard from Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central, had 14 scholarship offers, including the likes of Indiana, NC State, Xavier, Butler, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri, Northwestern, and Purdue, among others. But none of them could offer, in his opinion, what Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers could.

"I think Coach Bennett is perfect for me," he explained. "The coaching staff, the system, the school, the conference. It's the perfect fit for me. It really and truly is."

Guy arrived in town Thursday night and began his visit Friday morning. He made the trip with his grandparents, his mother, and stepfather.

"We got on the court and I shot a few," he recalled with a laugh, "and I went like 8-for-8 or something and I thought, 'Must be a sign, right?!?' But from there, I went to class with one of the players, Jack Salt, and then we went into Coach Bennett's office and watched some film and talked about how I would fit into what they do. They took me through everything, including strength and conditioning."

Guy and his family went to visit with other family members in Arlington on Saturday and stayed there for the weekend before heading for home. And all along, he says, there was a decision that needed to be made.

"Coach Bennett asked me at some point, 'Where do you see yourself? When do you think you'll make a decision'," Guy said. "And deep down inside, I knew I was going to do it. But I didn't want to do it right then and there because I wanted to be sure it wasn't just the excitement of the visit and everything. I didn't want to do it because I was starstruck.

"So I came home, talked it over a lot more with my family," he added, "and just made the decision that UVa was the place for me."

How exactly Guy conveyed his desire to join the UVa basketball family comes back to something he and Bennett share: a true competitive nature.

"He did not see it coming," Guy said of his conversation with Bennett. "I had told him I was waiting until the end of my season to make a decision and he said he thought that was perfect. But he's always joking about how he's better than me in golf and how he could beat me one on one and how would I feel playing for a coach that's better than me in golf and basketball or whatever. So when I called, I was with my family and I told him, 'Coach, you better work on your golf swing and your jump shot because I'm you're going to need it when I'm playing for you in two years.'

"And he was ecstatic," Guy added. "He was so excited and so was I obviously. What I really loved was that on my visit, he told me how much he wanted me in the program but he did not put a lot of pressure on me. He didn't do that at all. He knew what I was looking for and what I needed and that was great."

The No. 60 player in the Rivals150, Guy said that recruiting was a blessing but also somewhat frustrating because of how much it dominates a recruit's life. So that his decision is made and he's so confident in having made the right call is obviously a relief.

"I just can't wait to get there," he said. "I know for a fact that this is where I want to be and where I'm meant to be but I also loved how much UVa invested in me. Coach Bennett and the coaching staff, they might not have been there from the beginning but once they were they saw me, it was a full-court deal. I know Coach Bennett was right when he told me I could touch greatness at UVa and this is where I'm supposed to be."

So how does Bennett plan on using Guy as well as fellow Rivals150 commit in the class of 2016 Ty Jerome once they arrive in Charlottesville?

"One thing I loved was breaking down my film with the coaches at UVa, running down my strengths and weaknesses and how I fit into what they do," Guy said. "They showed me film of Virginia and what I'll be doing. Like, for example, on the break they're always looking to get the ball to a 3-point shooter and they like to swing the ball in the half court and have the guard get a couple of feet into the paint and distribute.

"Their offense is a freedom offense but it also has a structure," Guy added. "So I can be running off of screens, I can have the ball in my hands. They see me as a combo guard and that's exactly what I want to do."

Guy said he messaged Jerome during the day on Monday to let him know what was coming later on that night.

"I don't know him real well but I texted him and told him," Guy said. "He was really excited and Coach Bennett made it clear how we'll play together and how our games really fit well together. That was a big deal to me and I can't wait to get to know him better down the road."

That the Wahoos had so much success last season and former guard Joe Harris was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers also played a role in showing Guy how Bennett's program develops its players.

"No question, that was big," he said. "That team really put UVa on the map for good and it opened a lot of people's eyes, not only mine but a lot of other people. They're out there on the biggest stage, the ACC, so seeing them have that success is just perfect."

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