The first of July’s three live evaluation periods will tip off at 5 p.m. today (July 11). Coaches across the country will be hustling from one gym to another in order to be seen by the players they are recruiting, while also hoping to find new targets. The live evaluation periods afford prospects to take their recruitments to a new level. In this week’s edition of Bossi’s Best, national basketball analyst Eric Bossi identifies 10 prospects who could see their profile increase greatly over the next five days.
MORE: Bossi's Starting Five - USA Basketball is golden again | Roundtable on updated Rivals150 for 2020
RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | Meet the top 10 from 2020 | Three players to watch
1. CALEB LOHNER
Current offers: Brigham Young, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and TCU
Why he’ll take off: I get it. Lohner is already ranked in 2020’s top 30 and that means we see him as an elite-level prospect. While we may feel that way about him at Rivals.com, his recruitment is still relatively quiet - at least outside of his home state of Texas - in relation to his talent. His Basketball Means More team will get a lot of exposure at the Under Armour Challenge in Atlanta this weekend, and if he proves to be the skilled and athletic 6-foot-8 wing he’s looked to be in the past, national offers will rain down from the scholarship gods.
2. DONOVAN WILLIAMS
Current offers: Tulsa, SMU, Kansas State, DePaul, Miami, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, San Diego and others
Why he’ll take off: For the most part, Williams has been hiding out in plain sight. The lanky 6-foot-5 wing plays for a high-profile summer team in Houston Hoops. And though he has earned some acclaim playing in Nike’s EYBL, it wasn’t until more recently his name started to ring out with college coaches. He’s got size and skill, and while he’ll be playing alongside big-time talents like Tyrese Maxey, De’Vion Harmon and Chris Harris, high-level coaches will be watching him with more of a purpose at Nike’s Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., than they did the last time they were out in April.
3. K.D. JOHNSON
Current offers: Seton Hall, Presbyterian, James Madison and North Florida
Why he’ll take off: Playing with Atlanta-based Game Elite Black, Johnson is emerging as a big-time athlete and relentless point guard who attacks on both ends. He can score at the rim, pushes things in transition and appears to be primed to emerge as one of the top 2020 guards in the Southeast.
4. JAYLEN FORBES
Current offers: Murray State
Why he’ll take off: Coaches always need shooters, and Forbes has the tools to emerge as one of the better ones in the South. I’m pretty surprised that he hasn’t attracted more high-major offers with the way he scored for the Mississippi Express in the EYBL during the spring. If he goes out and puts up big numbers again in July, though, his size, instincts and ability to put up numbers in bunches will be too much to ignore.
5. JAHARI LONG
Current offers: Wichita State, Minnesota, Rice, VCU, College of Charleston and Louisiana Tech
Why he’ll take off: A tough and aggressive point guard who can score or run a team, Long is another player whose recruitment has just started to take off. Coaches who do the homework to find Houston-based Cooz Elite’s 16U team are going to be impressed and want to get involved if he keeps up what has been a strong spring. There are currently a few Houston-area guards ranked above Long in 2020, but he may be on his way to passing them up.
6. DONTAIE ALLEN
Current offers: Purdue, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky, Dayton, Xavier, Illinois State, Northern Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, IUPUI and Winthrop
Why he’ll take off: The word might already be out on Allen, but things can still pick up even more. Like Caleb Lohner, he’ll be playing in Under Armour’s Atlanta event this week and will get a level of exposure to large groups of college coaches that he’s not yet received. Heck, we’ll really get our first good look at a big, high-scoring wing that has really intrigued us.
7. YURI COLLINS
Current offers: Missouri, DePaul, Loyola, SMU, Missouri State, Saint Louis, SIU Edwardsville
Why he’ll take off: What most don’t understand about Collins is that he’s one of the last of a dying breed: the pure point guard. Pound for pound, you won’t find a tougher player in the country. Collins won’t be playing 100 percent, and is likely going to need shoulder surgery after the summer, but he’s a leader and a true distributor. When coaches look beyond the numbers they are going to fall in love with him. Something about him says he’ll lead a mid-major to a high-profile upset win at some point in an NCAA Tournament if high majors pass on him.
8. JACOB GERMANY
Current offers: TCU and Mercer, with interest from Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Why he’ll take off: The Oklahoma big man is still relatively known outside of his home state and the Midwest, but I’d bet on that changing during July. Playing for Team Griffin, look for him to show good athleticism, a nice level of skill and loads of upside. I’m not sure he’s an out-of-the-box, ready-to-contribute high major as a freshman, but long term he’s got all the tools to be a nice piece.
9. ISAIAH RIVERA
Current offers: New Mexico, St. John’s, Loyola and Drake
Why he’ll take off: Last summer, 2019 point guard D.J. Carton saw his recruitment start to take off while playing for the independent Quad City Elite program. I’m not saying that the 6-foot-5 wing is going to end up a five-star prospect like Carton has developed into, but with his size, balanced game, scoring and upside I can definitely see Rivera turning into a nationally ranked player and a high-major target.
10. JALEN WILLIAMS
Current offers: Nevada and Hofstra
Why he’ll take off: The 2019 class is short on point guards, and Williams is as intriguing a prospect out West as I have seen. He’s a bit of a late bloomer, but has 6-foot-3 size, good feel for the game and is sneaky explosive off the dribble. He is still growing, and while it’s possible he’s got some unreported offers, it blows my mind that Nevada – which offered last summer and has turned over some assistants since then – is the only West Coast program to offer. WCC and some Pac-12 programs need to be watching for him as he plays with Arizona-based Blue Chip Nation this month.
