East Ridge’s Cedric Tomes and Wayzata’s Nolen Anderson kicked off National Signing Day on Wednesday by making their commitment to the Gophers men’s basketball team official.

“I’m super excited,” Tomes told Strib Varsity after signing with other East Ridge athletes at the high school gym. “To play for my home state is kind of what every kid dreams of. It’s for sure what I’ve dreamed of. Now that I’ve signed, I’m just excited to make my impact right away.”

Tomes, a 6-foot-1 guard, averaged 27.3 points and had a breakout year as a junior for the Raptors last season, putting up three 40-point games.

Anderson, a 6-foot-8 wing, averaged 17.5 points last season and led the Trojans to the Class 4A state title with 24 points, 10 rebounds and two steals in the championship game against Cretin-Derham Hall at Williams Arena.

“He’s a great player to play with,” Tomes said of Anderson. “He’s a funny guy, but he’s serious about his work, too. You love to be around people who are serious about their work.”

Tomes and Anderson were AAU teammates at D1 Minnesota with Wayzata’s Christian Wiggins, who signed Wednesday with Iowa State. Wiggins, Anderson and Tomes are ranked 1,2,3 in the state’s senior class by Prep Hoops.

“It’s been fun to see his growth,” Wayzata coach Bryan Schnettler said about Anderson. “Very high-level shooter who is super competitive and super confident. His leadership has improved so much in the last year. That’s been the most fun thing.”

Gophers coach Niko Medved was able to comment on his recruits for the first time Wednesday afternoon after they signed.

Medved on Anderson: “Nolen is a great combination of size and skill. He’s a big wing that has won at a high level both in high school and in the AAU circuit. He’s a great shooter who has continued to improve each year. Nolen plays with a chip on his shoulder and is an outstanding competitor. We’re thrilled to have him as a Gopher.”

Medved on Tomes: “Cedric is a versatile point guard who is a true leader and a great decision-maker. He’s a three-level scorer and understands how to win. Ced continues to improve each year and has really built his game throughout his career. A great athlete from an athletic basketball family, we’re really excited to have Ced in the maroon and gold.”

Six of the top eight players in Prep Hoops’ senior rankings played on the same D1 Minnesota traveling team and signed Wednesday. The others are Faribault’s Ryan Kreager (Loyola Chicago), Totino-Grace’s Dothan Ijadimbola (Drake) and Maple Grove’s Max Iversen (North Dakota State).

Other top boys basketball seniors signed letters of athletic aid to play at the Division I level Wednesday.

Cretin-Derham Hall guard JoJo Mitchell, who helped the Raiders finish as Class 4A runner-up, signed with St. Thomas, which recently opened a new arena.

The surprise of the day was Hopkins guard Jayden Moore announcing his commitment and signing with North Dakota.

Moore, who was also a standout wide receiver, was the only top-10 senior uncommitted entering Signing Day. He follows former high school basketball teammate Anthony Smith III to North Dakota.