Numerous agencies reported Thursday night University of Kentucky men's basketball received a commitment from 6-foot-4 Michael Avery of Encino, Calif.

Here's the catch: Avery won't be able to play for the Wildcats until the 2012-13 season; he's not yet done with his eighth grade year.

The highly unusual commitment came after Avery played in an AAU tournament last weekend in Akron, Ohio. During a visit to Culver (Ind.) Academy last week, he was reportedly invited to play for the Indiana Elite AAU team in the tournament. UK coach Billy Gillispie saw him play two games and liked what he saw enough to offer a scholarship.

Making the marriage between school and player even more intriguing is that Avery doesn't yet know where he'll attend high school next year. He's registered to attend Crespi Carmalite in Encino, but could end up at Culver.

Schools are prohibited from talking about recruits until they sign a letter-of-intent and neither the player or the school is bound by a verbal commitment.