TORONTO - The Ryerson Rams are pleased to announce the commitment of talented small forward Aaron Best to the men's basketball program for the fall of 2011.

The 6'4'' product of Toronto is ranked the No. 2 small forward prospect in Canada by flagrantfouls.com.  The basketball recruiting website also has Best ranked as the No. 17 overall prospect in the country. 

"I am extremely excited that Aaron has chosen to continue his basketball career at Ryerson.  He is one of the best players in the province and one of the top athletes in Canada," said Rams Head Coach Roy Rana.  "Not only is he a phenomenal young man but he comes from a great basketball family."

Northpolehoops.com, another top basketball recruiting website, has ranked the versatile Best as the No. 9 overall prospect in Canada.

"I'm excited to come to Ryerson and be a part of Coach Rana's plan to turn the program around, which is something he's already made progress with in his short time with the team," said Best.   "I've already established relationships with the coaching staff and the players, so the adjustment phase should be easier to deal with because of that."

Best was named the 2011 MVP with Eastern Commerce C.I. and he is also a member of the Northern Kings AAU squad.  He was a member of the 2009 and 2010 U17 Ontario provincial teams and is a member of the Canada Basketball Centre of Performance.  Best also made trips to Europe to compete in international tournaments between 2009 and 2011.

"Throughout the years I've had the honour of coaching several talented young men and Aaron epitomizes the definition of coachable talent," said Kevin Jeffers, Eastern Commerce C.I. Head Coach.  "His character on and off the court cannot be measured.  He is a leader physically, mentally and emotionally.  Aaron will be missed by our program but we celebrate in his success and wish him well as a Ryerson Ram."

Watch Aaron Best highlight video from flagrantfouls.com