College Basketball Recruiting

LaMelo Ball may never be eligible to play college basketball, but that hasn't stopped Kansas and USC from recruiting him.

At least according to the youngest Ball brother, that is.

Ball revealed as much during a November exchange with his brother and Los Angeles Lakers point guard, Lonzo, that aired in the latest episode of Ball in The Family (h/t Andrew Joseph of For The Win):

"Lonzo: Are you still trying to go to college?

"LaMelo: Oh, I'm going for sure now. I actually talked to USC two days ago, talking to KU."

LaMelo is a 5-star prospect and the No. 19 player in the class of 2019, per 247Sports' composite rankings, but Joseph noted his "college recruitment has been quiet" largely because the chances he will be eligible "border on improbable."

Ball signed with an agent in 2017 before playing overseas.

This comes after LaMelo and his outspoken father, LaVar, discussed his immediate basketball future on ESPN's Jalen & Jacoby in December. LaMelo is playing with Ohio prep school Spire Institute and said he believes he will be eligible to play college basketball but would be willing to suit up in the NBA G League next season as well.

Ben Axelrod of WKYC in Cleveland reported in November that LaMelo listed North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State when discussing where he wants to play college basketball.

There is a blue-blood flavor to that list, and he could bolster a Kansas class that is No. 55 in 247Sports' team rankings. USC checks in at No. 3 on that list.

However, the question is whether he would even be eligible, and Joseph called the G League "a more likely scenario."

Jalen Johnson is one of the country's most highly regarded high school basketball players, but he was reportedly subjected to taunts Wednesday night by an opposing student section, which distributed a picture that resembled his wearing blackface. 

Mark Stewart of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (h/t USA Today) reported the news, noting it occurred when Johnson's Nicolet High School defeated Port Washington 75-40 in a game in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

Students from Port Washington distributed a picture of Johnson wearing a skin care mask that resembled blackface and displayed them behind the basket during free throws.

Nicolet superintendent Robert Kobylski said the picture was taken from Johnson's Instagram page and shows him wearing a charcoal skin care facial mask. 

Johnson tweeted the student's actions were "UNACCEPTABLE" and retweeted a tweet calling the incident "despicable."

"I cannot speak to the motivation or intent the Port Washington students had in displaying this photo, whether a harmless skin-care prank or a more deeply troubling, racially motivated scenario," Kobylski said in a statement, per Stewart. "I can attest, however, to the fact that Jalen is more than a tremendous athlete: He is a fine, upstanding young man and deserves to be treated with respect and courtesy by all students and people, no matter what bench they are rooting for."

Even in the face of the taunts, Johnson finished with a triple-double of 10 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the blowout victory.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he is a 5-star prospect and the No. 3 player and No. 1 small forward in the class of 2020. Notable programs such as Arizona, Duke, UCLA, Wisconsin and Kentucky are all included on his college list.

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Anthony Edwards is a 5-star prospect, per 24/7 Sports, and could be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, according to NBADraft.net. Edwards is the No. 1 shooting guard from the class of 2019 and is committed to Georgia. Watch the video above for more about his decision to play for his hometown squad.

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Georgia landed one of the most sought-after prizes on the recruiting trail Monday when shooting guard Anthony Edwards joined its 2019 class.

"Two of my favorite players, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, were coached by Tom Crean, and he's a great coach," Edwards told 247Sports' Evan Daniels. "They came in, not highly rated, and came out really good. It weighed big on me."

"I went to a game and I felt the fans in the gym, everybody showing love, and I felt like I was home," Edwards added. "My sister just had my nephew, I want to see him grow, so [staying close to home] was a big factor."

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Edwards is a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 overall player, No. 1 shooting guard and No. 1 player from the state of Georgia in his class.

The 6'5" and 215-pound playmaker reclassified from the 2020 class to 2019 and still finds himself near the top of the recruiting rankings as he prepares for the next step of his basketball career.

NBADraft.net has Edwards as the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. ESPN's Jonathan Givony has him slotted at No. 2.

Many of the sport's ultimate blue bloods—Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan State and UCLA—were featured when he cut his list to eight in November, underscoring his talent level and the type of programs interested in him.

Daniels noted Edwards posted 21 points and 6.1 rebounds a night as a member of Atlanta Xpress while playing on the Under Armour circuit. He also drilled 45 percent of his three-point attempts.

Edwards' combination of size and shooting ability makes him an almost impossible matchup.

He can either shoot over smaller defenders or overpower them by driving into the lane and playing through contact. However, bigger defenders have difficulty keeping up with his quickness and countering the separation he creates with his ball-handling.

The shooting guard can also help his frontcourt teammates battle for rebounds and either keep possessions alive or look for transition opportunities going the other way. His length and athleticism figure to help on the defensive end as well, seeing how he can challenge jump shots and cut off penetration.

Edwards is the type of playmaker who can step on campus and immediately elevate to the position of go-to option. The NBA could well be in his not-too-distant future given his skill set, and he possesses the talent to become a household name in the collegiate ranks.

Georgia hopes he delivers on that talent and helps it compete against formidable programs such as Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Auburn in the SEC.

The Bulldogs haven't been to the NCAA tournament since the 2014-15 campaign and are looking to change the direction of the basketball program in the coming years. Landing playmakers like Edwards, especially when they are from Georgia, is the road map to doing just that.

Center Isaiah Stewart is going to add size to Washington's 2019 freshman class after committing to the university Sunday.

Lauren Kirschman of the News Tribune reported Stewart's decision to play for the Huskies over Duke, Michigan State, Syracuse and Kentucky.

One of the top prospects in this year's class, the big man fits the prototype of what a modern-day center looks like at 6'9" and 245 pounds. 

Currently attending La Lumiere School in New York, Stewart is a 5-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 3 center and No. 6 player overall, per 247Sports. 

ESPN's scouting report for Stewart highlights his unique length and wingspan as a key reason he has the potential to develop into a superstar:

"Stewart has an incredible combination of length and power with a measured 7-foot-4 wingspan and a massive upper body. He has broad shoulders, big hands, and a high motor to match. While he may already be built like a man, he's actually young for his grade, and so there is plenty of upside left to discover. Stewart is already an outstanding rebounder, and truly elite on the offensive glass."

The biggest weakness in Stewart's game at this point is his shooting touch away from the basket, but his size and length give him rare potential. Developing that final part of his game will make him one of the best players in college basketball. 

After head coach Mike Hopkins' successful debut with 21 wins in 2017-18, he parlayed that into landing a premier recruit to keep the Huskies moving in the right direction.

Washington hasn't been immune to getting top-notch talent. Markelle Fultz was also a 5-star prospect and top-ranked combo guard in the 2016 recruiting class. His arrival didn't lead a turnaround, as the team went 9-22 during the 2016-17 season. 

The combination of Hopkins' coaching and Stewart's athleticism gives Washington an opportunity to compete with the Pac-12's elite programs like Arizona, UCLA and Utah. 

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Syracuse basketball commit Joe Girard is New York's most prolific high school scorer. He broke Lance Stephenson's state high school record for career points as only a junior. Watch the video above to learn more about how Girard is rewriting record books.

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Scotty Pippen Jr., who is a 3-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California, announced that he will be attending Vanderbilt University, per a Twitter announcement: 

Pippen Jr. is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls. He is a 6', 160-pound guard who also had offers from Colorado State, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and Washington State.

Pippen explained to Evan Daniels of 247Sports why he picked Vanderbilt over those schools:

"I picked them because I have a good relationship with the coaches," Pippen said. "I like the school a lot. I think it’s a great fit for me academically and athletically. I feel like they needed me at the point guard position."

Pippen also explained how he may fit into the Commodores' future plans when he steps on campus. "They just needed a point guard," he said. "They want me to come in right away and be able to play the point and help run the team."

Josh Gershon, a 247Sports analyst, provided a quick scouting report for Daniels as well:

"Pippen is a consistently improving point guard who is having a strong senior season after making a big jump as a prospect throughout the spring and summer with the Oakland Soldiers. He has good speed and improved athleticism, sees the court well and is a capable scorer from all three levels. Between his obvious bloodlines and constant improvement, there are plenty of reasons to believe in Pippen's future."

Pippen joins a strong class of 2019 that already included two 4-star recruits: 6'8" power forward Dylan Disu and 6'6" shooting guard Austin Crowley. He fills out a well-rounded class ranked No. 30 in the country by 247Sports.

That class may find opportunities to contribute sooner rather than later for a Vanderbilt program that is struggling: The team went just 12-20 last season and is 0-2 to start SEC play. The Commodores are 9-5, but they only have a No. 80 listing on the Ken Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings thus far.

Still, Drew is only in his third season leading the program and guided to the team to the NCAA tournament in his first season, so this class could help him vault Vanderbilt back to March Madness before long.