Jai Lucas chooses Fla., informs Patterson via text

	Jai Lucas announced that he will sign with Florida on Monday. AP

Jai Lucas has a message for Florida basketball fans:

"Get ready for another wild ride," said the highly recruited point guard via phone from his local gym in Houston. "Hopefully a few more national titles, too."

The commitment from Lucas does not come as a surprise after last year's point guard Taurean Green declared for the NBA draft following the back-to-back championship seasons. But it will increase the speculation in coming days of whether 6-foot-8 power forward Patrick Patterson from Huntington (W.Va.) will follow his friend to Gainesville. Patterson, who lists Duke, Kentucky and Florida as his top choices, is the last of the highly touted recruits in the class of 2007 to remain unsigned.

"I sent Patrick a text message as I walked in to make my announcement," said Lucas, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound son of former NBA coach John Lucas. "He said congrats. I hope to see him come with me."

With the current signing period coming to a close on Wednesday, Lucas says he decided to attend Florida just 20 minutes before he made his choice public. "There's playing time to be had with all their guys leaving," said Lucas. Corey Brewer, Al Horford,Joakhim Noah, and Green all declared for the NBA draft after winning the NCAA title. He chose the Gators over Kentucky and Oklahoma State, as well as his father's alma mater, Maryland, and Oklahoma.

Lucas will join an already impressive recruiting class that includes Nick Calathes and Chandler Parsons, who teamed up at Lake Howell (Winter Park, Fla.) the last four years. Also heading to Gainesville next season are Adam Allen and Alex Tyus.