Dwight Lewis’ oral commitment to Kansas University certainly didn’t last long.
Lewis, a 6-foot-5 junior basketball guard from Archbishop Rummel High in Metairie, La., who committed to KU on Tuesday, on Thursday backed off the commitment, saying, through his dad, he’d definitely visit KU April 29-30 and in-state school Louisiana State at a yet to be determined date.
He also might visit Oklahoma, Florida and USC.
“I apologize for creating this situation,” Dwight Lewis, Sr., told the Journal-World on Thursday in a phone conversation. “I’m the dummy. It’s me. I take full responsibility. It’s my statements that caused a lot of furor. I apologize. I feel that that’s life, I guess.”
Lewis – who informed media members Tuesday night that his son had chosen KU over Oklahoma and others – said he misinterpreted his son’s intention to choose KU without even taking a campus visit.
“I made a mistake in my interpretation of his feelings,” Lewis Sr., said. “If anybody is to blame, it’s me. He still loves Kansas. He may visit Kansas and decide to commit the next day.
“All the statements I made this week (about his son wanting to play at KU) are true. I’m not saying he won’t commit to KU. It’s just that he wants to be sure.
“You wouldn’t buy a car without giving it a test drive. He wants to visit Kansas and LSU and maybe some others, taking his time to be sure.”
It’s been speculated coaches from another school or two may have talked the Lewis family into backing off the commitment, which is nonbinding. After all, no letter of intent can be signed until November.
“It was no school,” Lewis, Sr., said. “It was the realization (after committing) that set in of him saying, ‘I did this and I haven’t even seen it (campus).’ It’s a maturing process. He is excited about Kansas, always has been and still is.
“It’s just a matter of him taking his time and making the right decision. I want him to make the right decision and be a man of his word, like he is. Recruiting is supposed to be fun. I’m not saying it hasn’t been fun, but we need to take a step back and make the Kansas visit and LSU visit and go from there.”
Lewis, Sr., said he thought it was a “good idea” to back off the commitment.
“It’s his decision not mine,” he said of picking a college. “It’s his life. When he is ready to commit you will hear from him, not me, next time. It’s my statements that caused this. Next time you’ll hear from him.”
Lewis is off limits to the media. He’s been weakened by a bout with mono which has prevented him from playing AAU ball.
KU coaches cannot comment on the developments in accordance with NCAA rules.
