Cassidy's Takeaways: War B4 The Storm
FORT WORTH, Texas – One of the first events of the 2024 grassroots calendar got under way on Saturday, as The War B4 The Storm attracted a number of major AAU programs to North Texas.
Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy was on hand for the first day of action in the Lone Star State and shares his takeaways below.
*****
MARCH MADNESS: Where the first-round stars ranked in high school
2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
*****
Isaiah Sealy impresses with versatile skill set, talks possible Ole Miss visit
Four-star guard Isaiah Sealy turned in one of Saturday’s most well-rounded performances, an effort that showcased the 6-foot-5 guard’s advanced floor vision, passing ability and knack for finishing difficult shots through contact.
The long list of ways he positively impacts games is the reason why the junior already holds a number of major scholarship offers and is beginning to plot spring visits.
“I haven't taken any officials yet, but I’m looking into going to check out Ole Miss soon,” Sealy said following his Saturday afternoon game. “ I started talking to the head coach there. They want me to come visit, and I’m going to go.”
Sealy lists Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri as the other schools that are heavily involved with his process for the time being. He has some connections to Mizzou, as he has ties to future Tiger Annor Boateng, who signed with Missouri in the 2024 class, as well as class-of-2025 guard Aaron Rowe, who committed to the program in December.
“I played with Aaron Rowe last year and played against Annor,” Sealy said. “Those guys are good, I talked to Aaron a little bit about Missouri, but I don’t talk to Annor as much just because we are from different parts of Arkansas.”
*****
Four-star Bo Ogden doesn’t aspire to play for dad at Texas
Talented sons of college coaches tend to land on their father’s rosters. Even when they don’t, doing so is taken under serious consideration, but it seems as though four-star wing Bo Ogden stands as an exception to that rule.
The son of longtime Texas assistant coach Chris Ogden, the 6-foot-4 guard turned in an impressive performance that saw him showcase his trademark long-range shooting ability in addition to an impressive defensive motor and developing peripheral skill set on Saturday afternoon. Following the contest, Bo discussed the early stages of his recruitment. The conversation included a question about his desire to play for his father at UT, and the answer was atypical.
“I don't really want to play for my dad,” Ogden said. “I don’t know, it feels like too close of a relationship to want to play for him.”
Harvard and Colorado in addition to Tennessee have been in contact with Ogden’s coaches, though schools are not allowed to reach out to Ogden himself until June of this year. He currently lists offers from SMU, Texas, UTEP and a few others, but his offer list stands to grow quickly in the year ahead, as he projects as a high-major prospect.
“The most important thing to me when I’m looking at colleges is going to be play style,” Ogden said. “I like playing fast and with ball screens. I like to get out and shoot, too,”
*****
Francis Chukwudebelu hoping to set up Nebraska visit
Class-of-2025 big man Francis Chukwudebelu has a number of offers in tow already and seems to have taken a step forward when it comes to his motor and ability to finish around the rim. His recruitment, much like his skill set, is also starting to evolve. The Nigerian-born center is yet to take his first official visit. And while he doesn’t have anything finalized just yet, it seems as though Nebraska is a good bet to get Chukwudebelu on campus in the future.
“I’m planning on taking a lot of visits this year, but I’m not sure where,” Chukwudebelu said. “Probably Michigan State and Nebraska. Nebraska and TCU are talking to me the most for now. I had a Zoom meeting with the whole coaching staff at Nebraska and they showed me how they run things. They want to set up a visit. We don’t have a set day yet.”
Despite having not been to Lincoln just yet, Chukwudebelu seems relatively familiar with the program and head coach Fred Hoiberg’s style of play. The Huskers seem like a good bet to be in the mix until the end.
“I like the way Nebraska plays.” Chukwudebelu said. “I like the way they spread the wings out and play open. Their coach is really good, too.”