College Basketball Recruiting

Chet Holmgren is only a sophomore in high school and already has some of the biggest schools in the country begging to talk to him. 

The Minnesota native stands 7'0", 190 pounds at center and is currently ranked the No. 2 player in the nation for the class of 2021 per 247sports.com. A product of Minnehaha Academy, Holmgren counts Gonzaga, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Baylor and Georgetown among the schools that offered him scholarships.

Speaking to 247sports' Evan Daniels, Holmgren said he was planning to cut his list down to eight or 10 schools by the end of the AAU season, but that was before the coronavirus pandemic began spreading. With amateur leagues on hold, Holmgren may not reveal his top teams until sometime this fall with another cut coming between late winter and early spring. 

Most recently, the five-star recruit held Zoom meetings with Michigan, Georgetown, UNC and Memphis to learn more about their programs. 

"They're basically like a group FaceTime," Holmgren told Daniels. "They have like a couple minute presentation to emphasize points of what they have with the school, about their recruitment with me. Every school is different, some have more staff and some have other staff. Georgetown went all the way down with the nutritionist on the call. They're pretty cool and tend to be about two hours, two-and-a-half hours, not much else to do so can't really complain."

One school who may have a leg up at this point is Memphis. Holmgren mentioned to Daniels he feels a connection with head coach Penny Hardaway—though Patrick Ewing and Georgetown aren't far behind. 

In any case, the Minnesotan is set on attending college and hasn't consider jumping to the G League, as another top recruit in Jalen Green announced he would do earlier this spring. 

"I personally don't know enough about that route to make a definitive answer one way or the other," Holmgren said. "All routes are intriguing, there are so many new routes for everybody to choose. It's hard enough to pick from 30 schools but now I have to pick from five different options, it's a lot but a degree has always been big to my parents and to me as well so right now I'm definitely thinking college."

That should give a nice bit of relief to the college coaches who have been pursuing the center lately. As schools continue working to secure his commitment, eliminating outside threats to Holmgren playing in the NCAA counts as a win.  

MJ Rice announced on Tuesday he will be transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia:

*BREAKING* Five-star 2022 shooting guard MJ Rice (@MJrice_1) will transfer to Oak Hill Academy to play for @OHACoachSmith for his final two years of HS.
“I’m the type that always wants to keep challenging myself.”
STORY⬇️https://t.co/wDiGunrfpm pic.twitter.com/r51lrxIZ91

— Jason Jordan (@JasonNCJordan) May 12, 2020

The 5-star forward is ranked by 247Sports as the second-best North Carolina prospect, sixth-best small forward and 22nd-best nationally among all class of 2022 players.

Rice suffered a torn ACL in December while playing for Durham Academy. Prior to that, per Sports Illustrated, the 6'5", 210-pounder was averaging 25 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game.

Five-star sophomore MJ Rice has BOUNCE‼️
@MJrice_1 @TheHoopState pic.twitter.com/avl0labNHH

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) November 15, 2019

He will be joined at Oak Hill by Dior Johnson, a 5-star point guard in the class of '22 who confirmed his transfer to the prestigious school last month.

"I wanted to settle at a good spot around good people for the most important last seasons of high school," Johnson told Sports Illustrated's Jason Jordan. "I thought Oak Hill was a great spot to do it and to get me better as a student, a player and as a person."

Johnson, who previously played for Mayfair in Lakewood, California, expressed excitement over Rice's decision:

My bruddaaa LETS ROCKKK😁🤝 https://t.co/PuH29iGJab

— Dior Johnson (@3Diorjohnson) May 12, 2020

Johnson is committed to Syracuse, while Rice has five offers from Boston College, NC State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh and Providence. However, Rice took an unofficial visit to Duke after his injury.

Rice, like Johnson, explained to Jordan why he believes Oak Hill is the best place to prepare for collegiate basketball: 

"I'm just the type of player that's always looking push myself and raise my level on the court, mentally and physically," he said. "Oak Hill will help me in every way from the travel to the practices to school because it's a college-like routine. That's the biggest reason I decided to transfer; I want to take it up to another level."

Rice underwent surgery for his torn ACL on Jan. 27 and expects to be able to return to the court at some point in 2020. Oak Hill boys head basketball coach Steve Smith expects big things from his newest player once he's fully cleared.

"I love MJ's versatility, his feel for how to play, his athleticism, his ability to play and guard multiple positions," Smith told Jordan. "MJ can score the ball, but is so unselfish, he just wants to win; really defends and rebounds his position. MJ's work ethic puts him above other players that are supposed to be his equal."

Rice visited Oak Hill last Wednesday, per basketball insider Adam Zagoria.

Oak Hill also recently gained class of 2022 5-star guard Zion Cruz, who announced his transfer from Hudson Catholic (New Jersey) on April 24. 

Montverde Academy point guard Cade Cunningham has been crowned the top overall recruit in the 2020 class.  

Per 247Sports' Evan Daniels, the Oklahoma State commit beat out Jalen Green and Evan Mobley in the final rankings. 

"It means a lot to me, just to have someone think so highly of me and put me at that spot with so many other great player around me is a blessing to me," Cunningham told Daniels about being the nation's top recruit. "It’s motivation to prove everybody right and stay at the top spot."

Daniels noted Cunningham was regarded as an elite prospect throughout his high school tenure, but started developing into a potential No. 1 recruit in the spring of his junior year. 

Coming out of the 2020 Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts in January, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Cunningham as the top prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft class and noted comparisons have been made to Luka Doncic:

"While Cunningham doesn't have Zion Williamson's explosiveness, he's as well-rounded of a high school prospect as we've seen over the past several years. Comparisons are shifting toward Luka Doncic, though Doncic is the superior perimeter threat, while Cunningham possesses far more defensive upside.

"Though the 2021 draft is still 17 months away, it's difficult to imagine another player moving ahead of Cunningham as the No. 1 overall prospect. It will be nearly impossible for one to replace him before he arrives at Oklahoma State."

Cunningham committed to the Cowboys in November. His brother, Cannen, was hired by head coach Mike Boynton as an assistant on his staff last summer. 

"To be honest, I was this close to picking a different school, but blood is always thicker than water. Go Pokes," Cunningham said in his announcement video on Instagram.

Per 247Sports, Oklahoma State has the 10th-ranked recruiting class for 2020 with Cunningham as the crown jewel. 

The Cowboys went 18-14 last season and haven't made the NCAA tournament since 2016-17. 

 

Steve Forbes has been Wake Forest's head coach for less than a full week, but he hasn't wasted any time in potentially making himself some enemies.

Demon Deacons center Olivier Sarr entered the transfer portal last Friday, with ESPN's Jeff Borzello noting Kentucky would likely be a suitor for the 7-footer.

In an interview with WSJS Sports Hub based in North Carolina, Forbes sent a shot across the bow of the Wildcats: "Why would you go to Wake for three years and put all that time in to get this prestigious degree and then end up getting your degree at a place like Kentucky? That's what I told him."

Here’s Steve Forbes on re-recruiting Olivier Sarr: “He’s our No. 1 recruit ... Why would go to Wake for 3 years and put all that time in to get this prestigious degree, then get your degree at a place like Kentucky? That’s what I told him.”

@SportsHubTriad pic.twitter.com/IqQULEBuvs

— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) May 5, 2020

Forbes, who coached the last five seasons at East Tennessee State, added he meant "no disrespect to Kentucky" and "I obviously respect" the Wildcats. However, that's unlikely to change how his comment will be read in Lexington.

U.S. News & World Report placed Wake Forest 27th in its 2020 ranking of the best colleges, with Kentucky coming in 132nd. Granted, some question the value of the annual list as a barometer for the quality of education a student receives.

Forbes can't exactly lean on Wake Forest's on-court reputation in a competition with Kentucky.

The Demon Deacons have made the NCAA tournament once since 2010 and finished with a winning record just twice during that span. Wake, which finished 13-18 last season, fired former star player Danny Manning after six years.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, are a tournament mainstay and regularly send players on to the NBA. The school had three players (PJ Washington, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson) selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft.

Sarr was second on Wake in scoring (13.7) and first in rebounds (9.0) as a junior in 2019-20.

Losing him to Kentucky or another school would be a big blow for Forbes as he looks to turn the program around. If Forbes can convince the Frenchman to stick around, it would be a great endorsement for his vision in 2020-21 and beyond.

University of Memphis men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway has reservations about the NBA G League's new professional pathway program.

According to Jason Munz of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Hardaway compared the NBA recruiting elite high school players to the G League to tampering in a video interview released Friday:

"For me, I didn't think the G League was built—and I could be wrong—to go and recruit kids that want to go to college out of going to college. I thought they were going to be the organization that was going to be, if you want to go overseas or you absolutely did not want to play college 100 percent, that this would be the best situation for you before you go into the NBA.

"But taking guys out of their commitments [or] they've already signed and continuing to talk to their parents, it's almost like tampering. I really don't agree with that."

Multiple high-profile high school players have chosen the G League over college in recent weeks, including 5-star guard Jalen Green, who told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he would have chosen to attend Memphis if not for the opportunity to go to the G League and make a significant amount of money.

Per Munz, it has been reported that Green and other high school players who choose the G League will have a chance to make more than $1 million for one season between their salary and endorsement opportunities.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony reported that players will make $500,000 or more in salary alone whereas players currently can't earn any money playing college basketball.

That is likely to change soon, though, as the NCAA announced Wednesday that the Division I Board of Governors supported rule changes that will allow college athletes to profit from their likenesses beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.

It may be a necessary move from the NCAA's perspective since the G League is becoming an increasingly attractive option for top recruits. Most top recruits are one-and-done players at the college level anyway, so going to the G League allows them to make money and perhaps become even better prepared for the NBA as part of a one-year development program.

According to 247Sports, Green was ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, meaning he likely would have made a massive impact at Memphis and potentially helped them be national championship contenders.

While Green is the highest-profile player to commit to the G League thus far, he isn't the only one. Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix—who are ranked 14th and 15th, respectively, by 247Sports in the Class of 2020—are going to the G League as well.

There are still plenty of elite prospects choosing college over the G League, but if the G League experiment proves to be successful next season, it could become a far bigger issue for college basketball moving forward.

The Kentucky Wildcats are losing the majority of their roster to the NBA draft, but John Calipari has found a way to reload his roster with 5-star talent.

The Wildcats own the top recruiting class in men's college basketball, with a trio of 5-star players headed to Lexington.

Kentucky is one of three programs with the most elite talent entering its roster for the 2020-21 campaign, as the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels own commitments from trios of 5-star players as well.

                          

Top College Basketball Recruiting Classes

Kentucky

Kentucky landed two top-10 prospects in Terrence Clarke and B.J. Boston.

The pair will lead a group of incoming players that has to replace the top five scorers from last season. Immanuel Quickley, Nick Richards, Tyrese Maxey, Ashton Hagans and EJ Montgomery are all off to the NBA draft.

Boston and Clarke are listed as top-10 picks in the 2021 NBA draft in the initial class rankings released by ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

In addition to the pair of shooting guards, Calipari earned the commitment of Devin Askew, a combo guard who is 247Sports' No. 25 overall prospect. The Wildcats added size through Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware and also signed small forward Cam'Ron Fletcher.

It is yet another terrific class, but the team still has to fill a void at center to replace Richards' impact down low on both ends.

Boston and Clarke, who are the only pair of future teammates in the top 10 of the class rankings, will be counted on for the bulk of the scoring.

Since Kentucky missed out on Matt Haarms and Marcus Santos-Silva in the transfer market, it could rely more on its guards to put it on top of the SEC.

                       

Duke

Duke did not land a top-10 player, but it ended up with a trio of top-25 prospects, led by No. 11 Jalen Johnson, a small forward out of Wisconsin.

Jeremy Roach and DJ Steward will try to fill the backcourt void left by the departures of Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley. Mark Williams, Jaemyn Brakefield and Henry Coleman, all of whom are listed at 6'8" or taller, will provide the Blue Devils with more size alongside the returning duo of Matthew Hurt and Wendell Moore Jr.

Hurt averaged 9.7 points per game as a freshman, while Moore produced 7.4 points per contest. If both improve in larger roles around the incoming players, they could receive a bump in draft stock.

Johnson, Steward, Moore and Hurt are all ranked in the top 35 of Givony's 2021 NBA draft rankings.

Since Mike Krzyzewski's side has a pair of returning sophomores to pair up with the incoming freshmen, Duke could be in better position to start strong.

The Blue Devils should head into the 2020-21 campaign as the favorite to win the ACC alongside Virginia, and they will face tests from a few more traditional powers, including the rival Tar Heels.

                        

North Carolina

Three top-20 players will attempt to pull North Carolina out of the ACC basement.

Roy Williams earned the signatures of Day'Ron Johnson, Walker Kessler and Caleb Love to headline the third-ranked recruiting class.

Johnson and Kessler will provide some much-needed depth to the frontcourt on a roster with a handful of notable returnees, including Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot. Love will be tasked with replacing Cole Anthony, a projected lottery pick in the 2020 NBA draft who averaged 18.5 points per game in his lone season with the Tar Heels.

North Carolina also added small forward Puff Johnson and guard R.J. Davis, who rank within the top 55 in the recruiting class.

By reinforcing their frontcourt and finding a replacement for Anthony, the Tar Heels put themselves in good position to move back up the ACC standings.

If the freshmen mesh well with Brooks, Bacot and others, the Tar Heels' ceiling could be the ACC regular-season title.

                  

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com. Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.

Florida has landed its first player in the 2021 recruiting class with the addition of Kowacie Reeves, who committed to the school Thursday, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

The combo guard is considered a 4-star recruit and the No. 67 overall player in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Georgia native had scholarship offers from more than a dozen schools, including Seton Hall, Texas, Stanford and Clemson, but he chose to play college ball with the Gators.

"Really, it was just overall the situation, resources, relationships and the intangible stuff for and my family," he said of Florida, per Corey Evans of Rivals. "I can see myself going there and playing well in their system. I also get that nothing is handed to you and that I need to work and earn my stripes."

The 6'6" combo guard has a lot of length that will help him make a quick transition to the next level, especially if he adds more strength to his 170-pound frame.

Reeves already has a great outside shot with a good enough handle that will allow him to score from all areas of the court. Though he still has room for improvement in other aspects of his game, he has a high floor and a lot of upside.

He will join a Florida program coming off a disappointing 19-12 season after entering the year as a preseason Top 10 squad. There is still a lot of young talent on the roster, though, which could be enough to help head coach Mike White turn this program back into a contender.

Four-star forward Dontrez Styles announced his commitment to the North Carolina Tar Heels during a video call with 247Sports' Evan Daniels on Saturday:

Four-star 2021 forward Dontrez Styles joins @247Sports to announce his college choice.

“I will be attending the University of North Carolina.” | Story: https://t.co/WKwza0Ktzf pic.twitter.com/6pHE1R4U7y

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) April 18, 2020

Styles disclosed that the opportunity to play under Hall of Fame head coach Roy Williams was one of the deciding factors.

"It's close to home," he continued. "My parents can come watch me play. I feel like that's the best place for me to develop and get to the next level."

Styles is from Kinston, North Carolina, and 247Sports ranks him as the best in-state 2021 prospect. The 6'6", 205-pounder received 14 total offers and selected UNC over the likes of Clemson, Maryland, NC State and Pittsburgh.

#BREAKING Dontrez Styles (@D_Styles4) — the top basketball prospect in NC — announces his commitment to Roy Williams and @UNC_Basketball.

🎥 IG d_styles3 pic.twitter.com/Klg6bcEhcJ

— Tyler Feldman (@TylerFeldman_) April 18, 2020

"Some people say [North Carolina] came a little late, but for me, I know how Coach Roy comes a little slower anyway," Styles added to Daniels. "We've developed a great relationship over the past three weeks. It's been great just getting to know the coaching staff."

Daniels evaluated Styles on March 31 and projected him to become a Power Five starter:

"Styles is a versatile combo forward that plays with tremendous energy. Styles is quick off his feet, and an impressive all around athlete. At this stage, Styles is in between forward spots, although defensively he can guard both positions in college. He's a tremendous rebounder that uses his athleticism well in the paint.

"He plays hard, competes and attempts to block everything in the paint. He plays a tough, physical brand of basketball. Styles is a straight line driver and his ball handling and long-range shooting are areas for improvement. That said, he has gained confidence as a shooter from mid-range."

Per MaxPreps, Styles averaged 19.7 points and 11.0 rebounds across 30 games as a junior at Kinston High School in 2019-20.

Styles becomes the Tar Heels' first commit in the 2021 class.

Coveted college basketball recruit Isaiah Todd decommitted from Michigan on Tuesday and said he will instead pursue a professional career, per Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated.

"My dream has always been to play in the NBA," Todd told Jordan. "I just feel like this route will help my game grow even more. I want to be as prepared as possible when the time comes. This was a no-brainer for me."

Todd, who committed to Michigan in October, is rated as a 5-star recruit by 247Sports, as well as the No. 13 overall player and No. 2 power forward in the Class of 2020.

Per Jordan, Todd remained "open" to the possibility of turning pro even after committing to Michigan.

"This was a tough decision for him, but he just feels like this is what’s best for him and his development," Todd's mother Marlene Venable told Jordan. "We love Michigan and [head coach] Juwan [Howard], but, at the end of the day, he has to make the best decision for him."

Todd said he will announce where he will play during the 2020-21 season "in the near future."

The 6'10", 195-lb. Todd's decision to skip college in favor of the professional ranks is reminiscent of what R.J. Hampton did last year. Rather than starring at Kansas, Hampton opted to play in New Zealand.

That decision may not have paid dividends for Hampton since he is ranked 12th on Bleacher Report NBA draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman's big board after entering the season with designs on potentially being the No. 1 overall pick.

Conversely, playing professionally worked for LaMelo Ball, who is the No. 1 player on Wasserman's big board after impressing in Australia.

After starring at World of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, Todd has a chance to play his way into the conversation of being a top pick in the 2021 NBA draft if he lands in the right situation like Ball seemingly did last season.

One college basketball program's immediate future will look much brighter next Friday. 

Highly regarded prospect Jalen Green announced he will choose his school next Friday on Instagram Live at 1 p.m. PT:

https://twitter.com/JalenGreen/status/1248666101489131521

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Green is a 5-star prospect and the No. 3 overall player in the class of 2020. In 247Sports' predictions, 73 percent believe he will end up at Auburn, while nine percent think he will choose Oregon. Another nine percent think he will sign with Memphis.

Tom Green of AL.com noted the announcement was initially supposed to come Wednesday and pointed out the combo guard could choose to forgo college basketball altogether and play overseas before he is eligible for the NBA draft.

247Sports' scouting report on Green points to his ability to score in a variety of ways with an impressive jumper and the ability to attack the basket. He also has enough athleticism to develop into a formidable defender and rebounder and "projects as an NBA lottery pick."

If Auburn is able to deliver as the favorite to land him, it will continue the program's upward trajectory.

The Tigers reached their first Final Four in program history in 2019, which was head coach Bruce Pearl's fifth season. They were also well positioned to make another deep March run this year at 25-6 overall until the NCAA men's basketball tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports noted Green and Sharife Cooper are good friends who may want to play together at the collegiate level.

That would seem to indicate Green will end up on the Tigers considering Cooper, who 247Sports' composite rankings list as a 5-star prospect, is headed to Auburn.