Steve Jones

@stevejones_cj

Five-star guard Antonio Blakeney, a former Louisville commmitment who's now a target of Kentucky, is set to make his final decision on where he'll play college basketball.

Blakeney will choose between UK, LSU and Missouri at 4:30 p.m. Friday on ESPNU, according to ESPN's Reggie Rankin.

Blakeney took official visits to those schools in October and November, and it's no surprise they've wound up his three finalists. He had recently also been considering North Carolina and North Carolina State.

"I have done my research, taken my visits, and I am ready to get it over with," he told Rankin.

Kentucky has three signees in the 2015 class: five-star center Skal Labissiere, five-star combo guard Isaiah Briscoe and four-star shooting guard Charles Matthews.

LSU has been widely seen as UK's top competition for Blakeney, who attends Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Fla. The Tigers from Baton Rouge already have signed his friend and AAU teammate Ben Simmons, who is arguably the nation's No. 1 senior, and LSU would figure to offer more playing time and shots than a UK roster that could feature guards Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, Briscoe, Matthews and Dominique Hawkins.

LSU is considered the favorite over UK to land Blakeney on the 247Sports.com Crystal Ball, in which recruiting media predict where players will commit.

Louisville ceased recruiting Blakeney as soon as he withdrew a commitment to the Cardinals 11 days after making it in September.

Blakeney was scrutinized after his U of L "decommitment" due to speculation that his decision to pull his pledge from the Cardinals, who are sponsored by Adidas, was influenced by his Nike-sponsored AAU club. Blakeney has denied that.