Concord (Mass.) Middlesex School forward Rod Odom confirmed minutes ago that he will be an Arizona Wildcat next year.

“Now it’s time to prepare myself for my senior year, and get ready next year for the Pac-10,” Odom said from his residence in Concord. “I think it’s a great fit for me. I feel comfortable in my decision, especially with the guys I know out there.”

Odom is referencing fellow New York products Kevin Parrom and MoMo Jones, who will be freshmen with the Cats this season, and assistant coach Book Richardson, who hails from Queens, N.Y.

He also confirmed his decision came down to Arizona and Vanderbilt.

“It was very difficult to pass up the kind of education I would have received at Vanderbilt,” he said. “But basketball-wise and academic-wise, this is the best possible fit for me. Coach (Sean) Miller and the other coaches say they see me as a No. 3 (small forward) but with my style of play, I can be used in a lot of positions.”

He added that it would have been difficult to make this decision if Jones, Parrom, Richardson and Class of 2011 recruit Sidiki Johnson (also from New York) were not already in the fold.

“Knowing they’re out there makes me feel real comfortable about this decision. I am already far away from home being up here at Middlesex, so it will be nothing new to me going out there. Plus those guys are out there, so it’s all good.”

Rod Odom Sr. told me his son’s decision “could take a couple of days, or a couple of weeks, I don’t know.” Chances are, however, that Concord (Mass.) Middlesex School forward might decide by as early as Wednesday because he no longer has visits set up and the elder Odom has talked in depth with coaches from West Virginia, Arizona and Vanderbilt.

If the elder Odom is getting tired of phone calls from the information-starved reporters he is not sounding like it. He said he and his son appreciate the fact that Arizona media outlets have shown such an interest in his son’s decision.

“To be honest with you, that’s one reason why Rod is considering Arizona because you all are so interested in what happens with that program,” Odom Sr. said. “I think that says a lot about the kind of program they have over there.”

BEJARANO FRIEND OF UA’S LAVENDER. When asked if he knows anybody on the current UA roster, Phoenix North standout Daniel Bejarano said he has played against some in elite-level summer league games but he’ll have to match the name with the face.

He is however well aware of UA sophomore guard Brendan Lavender, who hails from Mesa Mountain View.

“I know Brendan pretty well because he’s from up here (in Phoenix) and we’ve played,” said Bejarano, who begins a two-day official tour of the UA campus on Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to seeing him and meeting the rest of the players. After taking to the (UA coaches Monday night) it sounds like they are a good group of guys.”

McCALLUM NOT CLOSE TO A COMMITMENT: Detroit Country Day School point guard Ray McCallum said after visiting UCLA last weekend that he is not closer to committing to the Bruins than he was before the visit.

“Right now, I am just looking at all these schools and taking visits to all of them,” McCallum told Rivals.com. “Showing the schools the same amount of love. Then kind of go from there.”

In a couple of messages sent to me recently McCallum has reiterated that nothing has changed in his recruitment. He is scheduled to take his official visit when the UA plays its Red-Blue Scrimmage on Nov. 1. The game is at 1 p.m. at McKale Center. The UA fans can do their part in the process by filling McKale. Tickets are now available.

RECRUITING LINK: Alex Kirk verbally commits to New Mexico (Albuquerque Journal)

Arizona could go from not getting a verbal commitment thus far in the fall recruiting season to getting two within a week.

UA coach Sean Miller is in prime position to land Phoenix North shooting guard Daniel Bejarano with ASU no longer in the picture, and it appears the Wildcats are now down to a three-team race for Concord (Mass.) Middlesex School forward Rod Odom.

Odom’s father, Rod Odom Sr., confirmed that his son is still considering Arizona, West Virginia and Vanderbilt. He did not confirm or deny whether Boston College was still in the mix. So it appears that Wildcats are in a dead heat with the Mountaineers and Commodores for Odom.

“I haven’t really spoken to Rod at all,” the elder Odom said. “I usually try to give him a couple of days after a visit to think things over (his son visited Boston College during the weekend). I did talk to all the coaches involved, and Vanderbilt came by today to visit with me this evening.

“I also talked with Sean Miller today on the phone. I haven’t had a chance to speak to (UA assistant) Book (Richardson) yet. I also spoke with (West Virginia assistant) Billy Hahn for a little bit today.”

Odom Sr. said his son has been accepted into the prestigious law school at Vanderbilt.

“It’s one of the top law schools in the country, so he is definitely looking into that,” Odom Sr. said. “Arizona is an institution that Rod wants to really look at as well after sitting down with somebody from their business school over there (when the Odoms officially visited a couple of weeks ago).

“The idea that Arizona is not as much of an academic institution as Vanderbilt does not factor into our decision at all. If Rod decides to go to Arizona, we know he will welcome what they have to offer academically. The person we talked to over there eased our fears or our concerns about that.”

Odom Sr. added that his son is undecided about studying law, medicine or business in college.

“This is what makes it more difficult for him with his decision,” he said. “He has more options to choose from. It’s a good position to be in. We’re not overwhelmed by this process. I think he’s doing the smart thing by exploring everything before making a decision.”

As for Bejarano, he is meeting tonight with Richardson and fellow assistants Archie Miller and James Whitford (Sean Miller is not present because only three coaches can visit at one time and Bejarano wanted to meet all the assistants). He will officially visit the UA campus Wednesday and Thursday and will likely announce his intentions Friday or Saturday.

“I want to get this over with and concentrate on school and basketball,” Bejarano said Sunday night before ASU pulled its scholarship offer.

Bejarano and his mentor and traveling coach Ray Arvizu Jr. have confirmed that the 4-star recruit wants to play in-state, so that virtually assures that the former Texas recruit is close to committing to the Wildcats.