Gonzaga receives commitment from standout wing Corey Kispert

Corey Kispert, a standout wing at King’s High School near Seattle, orally committed Wednesday to the Gonzaga men’s basketball program.

Kispert, who will be a senior next season at King’s, is the first member of GU’s 2017 recruiting class. The Zags also welcome guard Jesse Wade, a member of the 2015 class who has been serving a Latter-day Saints mission in France, for the 2017-18 season.

The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Kispert said his decision came down to Gonzaga, Virginia and Notre Dame.

“There’s an unbelievable community surrounding Gonzaga, the guys are incredibly tight knit and there was a family atmosphere I hadn’t really seen anywhere else,” Kispert said in a phone interview. “Also, the coaching staff is absolutely fantastic and made it clear from the beginning I was their guy.”

Kispert is No. 75 in Scout.Com’s Top 100 and rated 16th among small forwards. He’s ranked by ESPN.com as a two-star recruit and the fourth-best player in Washington.

Kispert, who carries a 3.96 grade-point average, has helped King’s win the last two State 1A titles following a runner-up finish in his freshman season. He averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a junior.

“I’m really looking to work on improving my ball-handling. It can always get tighter,” Kispert said. “I’m also looking to improve on defense, have better anticipation and be able to lock down the toughest, quickest guards in the nation.”