Boys basketball: Atlantic Shores' Pledger commits to Oklahoma

Atlantic Shores shooting guard Steven Pledger has committed to play basketball at Oklahoma.

Pledger, a rising senior, averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists last season for the Seahawks. He also had four triple-doubles.

His father, also named Steven, said his son chose the Sooners because of the relationship they built with Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel when he was still a coach at Virginia Commonwealth. The elder Pledger said Capel and assistant coach Mark Cline have been watching Pledger since he was a freshman at Deep Creek High School.

“They would come by to watch my son and they saw this little chubby kid who could should jump shots,” he said. “They kept watching him and working with him and when (Capel) went to Oklahoma, they saw what Steven could actually bring to the table.

“So we prayed on it and made the decision that was best for Steve. He also felt real comfortable with Jeff and Mark.”

Pledger chose Oklahoma over offers and interest from such schools as Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Georgetown, Marquette and Kentucky.

Pledger, who also spent a season at Blue Ridge School before coming to Atlantic Shores this school year, developed his game by playing with Boo Williams’ teams on the AAU circuit. That experience, said Pledger’s father, will help Steven when he plays in the Big 12.

“He’s a big guard who can handle the ball and shoot the ball,” he said. “That’s a rugged conference but Steve has the body – at 6-foot-4 and half and 195 pounds – to play in the conference.”

Watch a video about Pledger and Atlantic Shores teammate Andre Dawkins