Widely regarded as one of the top boys basketball players in the Class of 2007, South Medford High senior Kyle Singler is expected to end months of speculation by announcing his college of choice at 3 p.m. today.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior forward has been wooed by a who's who of national programs, settling on a list of finalists that includes Duke, Kansas and Arizona.

Today's announcement in the Panthers' gymnasium expects to make one of those head coaches extremely happy.

His decision will be on www.mailtribune.com as soon as it is announced.

"It's a good deal," says South Medford boys basketball coach Dennis Murphy. "It's good for Kyle, and fabulous for whatever program he chooses."

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Like most, Murphy says he has no idea which of the three schools will gain Singler's services. The Parade All-American has made official visits to all three, and has come back from each with glowing reviews of the coaches, players and corresponding cities.

Most accounts have Singler leaning toward joining Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C., but the unassuming player has not budged from his stance that it could be any of the three. Kansas coach Bill Self and Arizona coach Lute Olson have also made quite an impression, and all three have been regular visitors to Medford.

Last season, Singler averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in leading South Medford to a runner-up finish at the Class 4A state tournament.

It's that versatility that has Singler so coveted on a national scale, along with a winning history. His Panther teams have a combined record of 78-11 with three Southern Oregon Conference titles and three state trophies (fourth, sixth and second, respectively).

"Obviously it's a big day in South Medford basketball," Murphy says of today's announcement.

"We really try to convince our kids that if you work hard and you want to be coached and are willing to be a good teammate, there are great opportunities lying ahead for you and some are greater than others," adds the athletics director. "For Kyle, because how good he is, he's going to get the ultimate dream playing at a premier program."

In only three seasons with the Panthers, Singler is already the school's leading scorer with 1,339 points, surpassing Mike Vanderhoff, who had 1,228 in three seasons as well.

In 81 games at South, Singler is averaging 16.5 points and ranks second in school history in rebounds (629, trailing Ted Stark's 680), is fifth in assists (191) and eighth in steals (115).

Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail khenry@mailtribune.com

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