By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Justin Cage didn't waste any time signing on the dotted line.The 2003 Xavier recruit sent his national letter of intent into the school Wednesday, the first day of the late signing period.

"I signed it, and my mom went and mailed it off," Cage said. Xavier coaches are not permitted to comment on recruits until they have received the signed commitments.

Cage will be a freshman at Xavier a year sooner than he originally planned. At 6 feet 6, 195 pounds, Cage was going to attend prep school for a year to gain some size and experience above the high school level. But roster changes this past season at Xavier made room for Cage to join the team next season, along with three other freshman recruits who signed last fall.

"I'm glad, because I get to come in and play," said Cage, who led Indianapolis Pike to a state title and a 29-0 record while averaging 14.2 points and 9.0 rebounds a game. "But I'm still young, which is why I was going to go to prep school. I'll just have to work hard in the weight room this summer. It's a real good feeling knowing that I've got this all out of the way and that I'll be going to college."

Cage made the Associated Press all-state first team in Indiana and is up for the Mr. Basketball Award to be announced Sunday. He was named Pike's Most Valuable Player at the team banquet Tuesday night. Pike finished the season ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today, behind Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and prep phenom LeBron James.

Cage played in the post for Pike, but at Xavier he will play more of a guard/forward role, a position he is familiar with from playing AAU basketball.

Cage said he would be on campus this summer taking courses but that he is eligible for next season. He said he met Xavier's other Indiana recruit, Greensburg's Robert Barker, at a Top 40 (Indiana players) workout last weekend at Pike.

E-mail ddow@enquirer.com