It’s official. King senior power forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick is committed to Georgia Southern.

On Monday, Fitzpatrick, a 6-foot-8 forward, told the coaches at Georgia Southern he decided to play for their program. The news was posted on Rivals.com, but Fitzpatrick could not be reached for comment.

On Friday, the star recruit confirmed his decision. 

“The coaches put it on Rivals.com but we just wanted to be sure,” Fitzpatrick said. “My parents went up to visit with me. They really liked the situation there.”

He also considered East Tennessee State and had received offers from FSU, Miami and Tulane. He and his parents visited the campus in Statesboro, Ga. three weeks ago.

“The school is only five hours away from Tampa,” he said. “A lot of the stuff there is new and they’re still adding on. By the time I get there, I’ll be the first person to stay in some of those dorms.”

Fitzpatrick, who currently has 1,594 career points, was named to the Tribune All-County second-team as a junior after averaging 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He received numerous offers during the summer after competing in various AAU tournaments, namely the AAU Nationals at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in July.

“I think it’s a good situation,” King coach Sam Lanier said. “They’re getting someone who can do a lot of things. He can rebound, shoot from the perimeter and dribble. They were looking for someone who can play multiple positions can he can do that.”

Fitzpatrick said he wanted to play in a program where he could be the focal point and contribute early.

“They want me to play with my back towards the basket and facing the basket,” he said. “They said If I work hard I can get a lot of minutes. I think they have a chance of making it to the (NCAA) tournament. They made it to the (Southern) conference final last year and lost to Davidson. Their top player was a big man last year. They work inside out.”

A fixture on the recruiting scene since he was an eighth grader at Cambridge Christian School, Fitzpatrick said he’s happy to have made a decision.

“When people ask me where I’m going, I can say Georgia Southern.”

The Eagles finished 20-12 last year.