Ex-Wharton star Astroth commits to Vandy

Former Wharton boys basketball star A.J. Astroth, who helped guide the Wildcats to the cusp of the Class 6A final four last winter, announced today he has committed to Vanderbilt University.

A 6-foot-5 left-handed matchup nightmare, Astroth chose the Commodores after getting offers from several other prominent programs including Old Dominion, George Mason, Stanford and UCF. He said the Commodores entered the picture after some of the previous offers fell through.

"I felt like I'm going to get the best of both worlds with basketball being in the SEC and a great education," he said.

Astroth averaged 20.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a senior. He had limited Division I options directly out of high school, and initially opted to attend Faith Baptist Academy's prep school program, which plays a national schedule.

Astroth's stock soared, however, on the AAU circuit this past summer, when he was named to the all-tournament team at the Las Vegas Fab 48. That event attracted 450 teams from two continents and a throng of Division I coaches.

Astroth becomes the second member of Wharton's 2011 team to commit to a Division I program. Fellow 6-5 captain Xavier Owens signed with Mount St. Mary's over the summer.

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