Chet Holmgren, top basketball recruit in class of 2021, commits to Gonzaga

Chet Holmgren, the nation's top high school recruit in the class of 2021, will play for the Gonzaga men's basketball team next season, he announced Monday. The 7-foot, 190-pound center is also considered a favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

Holmgren, 18, claimed several national high school player of the year awards this season and helped lead Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis to a state championship this month, CBS Sports reported. 

Kyle Boone of CBS Sports said Holmgren has a "rare combination of size, shot-making, shot-blocking and handles that will allow him to be an instant impact player for Gonzaga."

Earlier this month, the Gonzaga Bulldogs lost to Baylor University Bears by 16 points at the NCAA Tournament. 

Gonzaga player Jalen Suggs, who also attended Minnehaha Academy, was with Holmgren when he made the announcement Monday afternoon. Suggs made an announcement of his own Monday: he's leaving the program to enter the NBA draft.

"There were a lot of different factors. How close I am with Jalen and him going there definitely played a part in it," Holmgren said Monday.

Gonzaga now has two of the top six recruits in the 2021 class, including guard Hunter Sallis, who is ranked sixth overall among recruits.