Top-10 prospect T.J. Leaf has decommitted from Arizona, he told ESPN.com on Thursday night.
Leaf, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Foothills Christian in El Cajon, California, originally pledged to the Wildcats in November. At the time, he chose Arizona over Florida, UCLA, Duke and Michigan.
"They recruited me harder than anyone else in the country," Leaf told ESPN.com in November. "They showed me they wanted me really bad."
Ranked No. 9 in the ESPN 100, Leaf presents a matchup problem for opponents because of his ability to score in the post or by facing up from the perimeter. He can make shots from the outside and is also capable of beating slower defenders off the dribble.
Leaf went public with his decision to decommit and praised Arizona coach Sean Miller and his staff for their recruitment of him.
"This is definitely one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I have decided to decommit from Arizona and reopen my recruitment," the tweet read. "The school and staff of Arizona have been great to me, and I have nothing but respect for Coach Miller and the entire staff and wish them nothing but the best. But at this point in my life I know it is best to explore my options and pursue other basketball opportunities."
Leaf spent the past couple of weeks playing for the Israeli national team during the U18 European Championships, winning MVP honors after averaging 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds in nine games.
Arizona finished the 2015 class with a top-five group nationally, led by five-star guard Allonzo Trier. Leaf, however, was the Wildcats' lone commit in the 2016 class.
