The youth basketball world is abuzz with news of Belmont Shore's 6'4 8th grader Michael Avery committing to Kentucky (he's still in the market for a high school, mind you). Hey, if you have the chance to lock in a spot in one of college basketball's most storied programs, wouldn't you?  Nevermind that the chances are slim that coach Billy Gillespie will still be in Lexington in 2012, he gets to live in Lexington, Kentucky!  Why would anyone bother to wait and see what else is out there?   I mean, can't you tell how excited he is from this picture?? 

In all seriousness, Gossip Girl is quite impressed with Avery and wishes him the best of luck. We're looking forward to seeing him at GBOA West 2009! 

Given all the uproar over Avery's signing, Gossip Girl did some research into other up and coming basketball phenoms we may be hearing about soon... 

*Here's a fifth grader with some impressive ball-handling skills. 
*Or Jamie Nared, a 12-year old girl from Oregon who started playing with the boys because she was too good to play with the girls...then the boys couldn't handle her either!
*Gossip Girl's personal favorite, The Best Six-Year-Old Basketball Player in the World