Cassidy's Takeaways: Sunday at the Hoophall Classic
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sunday at the Hoophall Classic brought with it a five-star’s commitment ceremony, a future Auburn Tiger’s scoring explosion and a handful of other, notable bits of news. Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy was on hand at Springfield College for the day that was in the Bay State and shares his takeaways below.
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Related: Baylor holds off Duke to land five-star V.J. Edgecombe
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EDGECOMBE'S BAYLOR COMMITMENT IS NOT SOME SHOCKING UPSET
After months of being told that Baylor was a major player in V.J. Edgecombe's recruitment, the Bears made their latest big–time recruiting victory official, when the five-star wing chose Scott Drew’s program over Duke and Kentucky on Sunday evening. Suddenly, it feels as though we may be entering another golden era of Baylor recruiting, as the Bears seem likely to place two one-and-done prospects in next year’s draft in the form of teammates Yves Missi and Ja'Kobe Walter, both of whom feel like locks to go in the first round come July.
Baylor saw point guard Keyonte George selected in the first round a year ago and had Jeremy Sochan selected ninth overall the year before. Add in the fact that the program just opened its brand new facility and it’s clear that few programs have it better than the Bears, who now have three five-star prospects in the fold for 2024.
Beating out Duke and Kentucky for a player with no ties to Texas is notable because it may be the first time the Bears have ever done such a thing, but treating the situation like a one-off fluke is inaccurate at best and dismissive at worst.
“Baylor is a great program,” Edgecombe said on Sunday. “It has the same kind of winning culture as all the top programs. Baylor is a blueblood, too. I went where my heart was at, man. The vision they have for me … I’m going there to work and earn everything.”
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AUBURN SIGNEE STEALS THE SHOW
One of the day’s most electric individual performances came at the hands of Auburn-bound point guard Tahaad Pettiford, who plays with as much size and personality as he does substance. On Sunday, Pettiford willed his Hudson Catholic team to erase a 20-point second-half deficit and take the lead before ultimately letting the game slip away late. Despite the loss, Pettiford left his mark on the event with a 33-point, three-assist effort that saw him score dribble drives, floaters, pull-up jumpers and four 3-pointers while shooting a tidy 12-for-17 from the floor.
There were few more complete scoring performances during Sunday’s slate of games, and it’s clear that the Tigers are getting an instant-impact type prospect in the New York-born floor general.
“Auburn is getting a hard-working competitive guy,” Pettiford said. “They’re getting somebody that wants to win above all else and bring a championship to Auburn.”
Following the contest, Pettiford, who currently sits at No. 21 in the Rivals150, is making a case to crack the top 20 in the next rankings refresh.
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RURTGERS-BOUND HARPER FEELS NO PRESSURE
One of the centerpieces of Rutgers’ surprising and high-profile recruiting class, Dylan Harper knows he’ll step onto campus already carrying the heavy tag of “program-changing recruit.” The five-star guard is the second-highest-ranked commit in school history, topped only by his fellow 2024 commit Airious Bailey, after all. The fact that his older brother, Ron Harper Jr, became a star in Piscataway adds some fuel to the fire of lofty expectations that will greet him at the door.
If he produces at the level he did in a narrow, primetime loss to a loaded Bishop Stepinac team on Friday night, the pressure won’t be an issue. The No. 3 prospect in the 2024 Rivals150, Harper exploded for 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in front of a packed house at Springfield College. And, following the game, began to look toward his future as one of the players expected to carry Rutgers basketball to the next level.
“To us, there’s no pressure,” Harper said. “With me, Ace [Bailey], Bryce [Dortch], Lathan [Sommerville] – we’re all coming into it looking at not a lot of pressure, but an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for us to showcase our talent and put Rutgers on the map.”