High school basketball: Springville star commits to Cougars

Springville standout Lexi Eaton followed up a second-place finish in the 4A girls state basketball tournament with a commitment to BYU.

The 6-foot sophomore guard knew BYU was interested in her this fall, according to her father Alan Eaton, and the family discussed both the school and athletic opportunities. But it was a meeting with the Cougar coaches that convinced Eaton she didn't need to look any further.

"Lexi met with coach Jeff Judkins and the entire coaching staff (yesterday afternoon)," said her father. "She told them she wanted to think about it. She was very impressed with them and very honored. She committed about 10:30 last night."

Eaton, who averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per game, was being recruited by several other schools, including Utah Valley, UNLV, Harvard, Utah State and Houston. Her father said they discussed the pros and cons of committing so early but, in the end, she just wanted to play for Cougars coach Jeff Judkins and his staff.

"She thought about that, but she was just so impressed with the coaching staff," Alan Eaton said. "They won her heart. In the end, she wanted to make the decision and then focus on getting as good as she can be."

Her parents are glad she'll be playing close to home and for a great program while earning a great education.

"Lexi really wanted to go in and compete," her father said. "It's not just about an education. She wants to help BYU go deep into the NCAA Tournament, and she listened to their plans for the program and she was just very impressed."

It was a great week for the Eaton family as Lexi's older brother, Preston Eaton, also accepted a preferred walk-on position at Utah State next season. The 6-0 point guard is returning from a mission to Chile and developed a relationship with the Aggies' coaching staff in the last couple of months, Alan Eaton said.

Preston Eaton was the leading scorer in 4A his senior season (2007), as he averaged 23 points per game, as well as grabbing seven rebounds and five assists per game.

E-MAIL: adonaldson@desnews.com