4-star Kegler plans four officials, ready for Oak Hill with AAU teammate

In just over a week, Jackson-native Mario Kegler will be on his way to Oak Hill Academy to begin his senior season.

For the four-star small forward, attending Oak Hill affords him a the opportunity to polish his skills alongside the top players in the country. It's also where Kegler believes he'll be able to obtain one of the most prestigious accolades in high school basketball.

"Just finish out my senior year strong and be a McDonald's All-American," Kegler said. "Being a McDonald's All-American almost always guarantees you'll be a pro. It's one of my goals and I'm pushing for it."

Currently a group of elite Division I programs are pushing to land a commitment from the 6-foot-8, 210-pounder.

A month ago, Kegler picked up an offer from Indiana after Hoosiers coach Tom Crean watched the four-star product during an Adidas event on the AAU circuit.

According to Kegler's guardian Omhar Carter, Indiana will be one of the small forward's stops for an official visit. So will Arizona State, Maryland and UConn. The dates for those officials are not set.

"I mean, it's Indiana," Kegler said. "They've had great pros come out of there, great coach. I just want to go there and see what it's like."

Indiana isn't the only program pursuing his talents. Kegler unofficially visited with Ben Howland and his staff at Mississippi State last Saturday.

Kegler said the Bulldogs have been pushing for a commitment.

"Basically. I'm just hearing a lot of 'Mario, we need you. Come down and be a Bulldog,'" Kegler said. "In the end we'll see."

Right now, Kegler's time frame for a commitment is up in the air. He says he could very well sign in the late period next April after he takes all of his official visits.

On the 29th, Kegler's MBA Hoops teammate Kenneth Nwuba will also make the trip to Oak Hill. Nwuba, a native of Nigeria, played with Kegler at Arlington Country Day last year. The 6-foot-10, 206-pounder holds claim to offers from Mississippi State, Arizona, Georgia and LSU.

For Kegler, having his teammate with hi in Virginia provides stability and comfort. He's also eager to play with the nation's No. 1 player, Harry Giles.

"I'm looking forward to playing with Harry," he said. "He's doggone 7-foot. He's like K.D. (Kevin Durant) basically. He's beating everybody he's playing with now so he's playing the 4-5. In college I probably see him being a 3."