Birch Pledges to Pitt
It was 10:30p.m. on Wednesday night when Khem Birch called Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon to tell him he was coming to Pittsburgh.
The story was first reported by Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman.
"I chose Pittsburgh because I really feel comfortable with Coach (Pat) Skerry and Coach Dixon, and I feel that they can help me develop." Birch told FOXSports.com.
“There are a ton of kids running around who say they want to play in the NBA,” said Notre Dame head coach Ryan Hurd. “I’m not one for encouraging pipe dreams but here you have a kid who has the legit tools to do it and in the end he thinks Pitt is the best place to work on that.”
Birch, the second ranked player in the ESPN Super 60 list of 2012, took an unofficial visit to Pittsburgh's campus earlier this month. He already had a relationship with Skerry dating back to his time as a Providence assistant, but the opportunity to spend time Dixon proved vital to his early commitment.
“Coach Dixon’s demeanor is a big reason why Khem is so excited,” Hurd said. “Khem isn’t one for really opening up but Coach Dixon is so approachable on so many different levels that Khem felt very comfortable with him.”
Birch is coming off a tremendous summer in which he starred at the Lebron James Skills Academy, took home MVP honors at the Nike Global Challenge, and thrived at all spots in between with his Expressions Elite squad.
An extraodinary athlete, Birch can dominate the game on the defensive end of the floor with his shot blocking prowess, but what helped him to shoot up the national rankings was the development of his offensive skill set, as he can now face up and attack or shoot from 15 feet and in.
Birch is the highest ranked player to ever commit to Pittsburgh.
Khem Birch