Twitter Tuesday: Cole Anthony, Akok Akok, more
A few more dominoes down as the Rivals150 becomes slimmer by the week when it comes to available options. In this week’s #TwitterTuesday, we take a look at your questions pertaining to the recruitment of Cole Anthony, the biggest name out there this fall and the latest with Akok Akok.
North Carolina was one of the favorites for Cole Anthony heading into his trip to Chapel Hill and that still remains the case as the Tar Heels offer him the chance to take over the lead guard spot from the get-go, become the face of the program and have the opportunity to be coached by a Hall of Famer. It didn’t hurt that Armando Bacot, UNC’s top 2019 pledge, joined Anthony during his official visit over the weekend.
However, this is more of a long-distance run than a 400-meter dash. Notre Dame should not be discounted in their pursuit of the five-star guard. The Irish can offer a national brand and with the recent work that they have done on the recruiting trail which has translated onto the playing floor, Notre Dame is just as much of a contender as anyone involved.
Another top contender looks to be Oregon. Sources tell Rivals.com that the Ducks will host Anthony for an official visit on the weekend of Oct. 12. This will be a big one as the Ducks will be also hosting Rivals150 prospects Isaac Johnson, Marcus Watson and Jahmius Ramsey that particular weekend.
Outside of UNC, Notre Dame and Oregon, there is always a chance that Duke, Kentucky, or another wild card enters the fray. He has also spoken about his great relationship with Jeff Capel and while it might be hard to see Anthony playing at Pitt, there is always a chance as he tends to go to the beat of his own drum. I would be surprised to see him sign this fall as the cards are aligning for Anthony to take things into the winter, leading to a spring commitment.
It has to be Isaiah Stewart. While the value of Will Baker cannot be understated, it is primarily a two-team race with UCLA and Texas, so the domino effect is not as great. With Stewart, things are a bit different thanks to the slew of top name programs in the mix.
Stewart just visited Kentucky this weekend and has already tripped to Washington. He may decide between those two in the coming weeks. He could also stretch it out and consider the schools he has visited unofficially -- Syracuse, Duke, Michigan State, Villanova and Indiana.
For those that miss, they would obviously pursue other options and also place an even greater priority on its remaining targets.
If Stewart picks Washington, the effects will be felt at several program. Kentucky needs at least two frontcourt players; Jaden McDaniels, Oscar Tshiebwe, Vernon Carey and James Wiseman become even more prudent for their long-term success. Duke needs to get Carey; Michigan State must get Carey or Trayce Jackson-Davis; Syracuse needs Akok Akok, John Bol Ajak or Quincy Guerrier; Villanova might just be playing with house money; lastly, Indiana needs to get Jackson-Davis.
Stay tuned because one domino like Stewart going down changes the entire dynamics of things this fall.
One of the top forward prospects in the 2019 class, Akok Akok made some news last week as he decided to schedule his five official visits.
This past weekend, Akok saw the local Providence program and had the chance to catch up with his former travel program alums in Makai Ashton-Langford, David Duke and AJ Reaves.
Next week, he is off to Georgetown for their midnight madness festivities, joining fellow top-50 prospect Terrence Shannon on the Hilltop. On the weekend of Oct. 13, UConn will host Akok which he then follows up with a trip to Syracuse the following weekend before closing at Pitt on Oct. 25.
Much of the talk coming out of July had centered around Syracuse, UConn and Providence and that continues to be the case. Providence has had tremendous success in recruiting his Mass Rivals’ program, but one should believe that Dan Hurley is going to do all that he can to hit it out of the park with his first full recruiting class in Storrs. Syracuse should not be discounted either, and it is intriguing to see that Pitt and Georgetown have each notched visit dates, both being dark horses within his recruitment.
There is no clear-cut favorite at the moment and while I do view the Orange, Huskies and Friars as the three to beat, his visits should determine a whole lot about where he eventually ends up; I expect a fall signing.
Two of the top available prospects from the west coast, Jaden McDaniels and Boogie Ellis remain priority targets as they enter their senior year. There is no clear-cut favorite for either but after some investigating, there looks to be a few schools that are better off than others.
McDaniels released his final five last week as Kentucky, UCLA, Texas, San Diego State and Washington made the cut. It says something that UK could make his final list without even offering, but much of the talk has centered around the latter three. SDSU is a place that his brother, Jalen McDaniels, plays; Washington offers the chance to be the man and play close to home; lastly, Texas and Shaka Smart have recruited him for as long as anyone else involved and can offer something a bit different than the other four.
Ellis just visited Arizona over the weekend and will head to Memphis on Thursday for an unofficial visit. San Diego State has been talked about with Ellis where, just like McDaniels, he can stay home and be the man. However, two to keep an eye on are UNC and Duke. If Ellis decides to visit each of the programs in the weeks ahead, chances look good for either in their pursuit of the elite shot-maker.