Cassidy's takes on Ahmad Nowell, JT Rock, Efeosa Oliogu
The weeks following the July live period always bring commitments, reclassifications and all sorts of other odds and ends that relate to the basketball recruiting world. This year is shaping up to be no different on that front.
So, this week in his column, Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy provides his thoughts on an important UConn target, an Iowa State reclassification and a potential fiver-star wing’s upcoming American high school debut.
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FUTURECAST: AHMAD NOWELL TO UCONN
I entered this FutureCast into the system back on July 12, but I haven’t had the chance to write much about it because my life is an uninterrupted string of flight delays and phone conversations with airlines these days.
With the July live period winding down, however, I’ve earned a reprieve from the secret cabal of anti-Rob conspirators that control air travel in this country. That makes this a good time as any to dive into the mini-recruiting run the Huskies seem to be making. The defending champs recently welcomed four-star forward Isaiah Abraham into the fold and it sure feels like they have a good chance of following that up by landing Nowell, who is set to announce his commitment on July 23.
Officially, Nowell’s list of finalists consists of Tennessee, Kentucky, UConn and Georgia Tech, but it certainly feels like Dan Hurley and company have managed to separate themselves from the pack down the stretch based on an early June official visit.
Of the fellow finalists, Tennessee has always felt like the biggest threat to snag the Philly-based guard away from UConn, but things between the Vols and the four-star guard seem to have cooled off a bit since Nowell visited campus in February.
Obviously, it’s recruiting, so nothing is a certainty, but there’s plenty of reason for Hurley and staff to feel optimistic when it comes to landing Nowell, the 38th-ranked prospect in the nation.
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IOWA STATE SIGNEE JT ROCK MOVES INTO THE 2023 RANKINGS
Four-star center JT Rock went from Iowa State commit to Iowa State signee last week, when the future Cyclone announced his intention to reclassify to 2023 and join the program for the upcoming season. Rock was the No. 79 prospect in the 2024 class and lands at No. 89 in 2023, as the 7-footer’s quickly expanding game makes him an intriguing long-term prospect for head coach T.J. Otzelberger and company.
Obviously, Rock is capable of playing minutes in Ames upon his arrival based on his floor-spacing ability and the fact that he comes equipped with a jumper from range to go along with his elite length and solid motor. He’ll need to add weight in order to reach his full potential as a defender, rebounder and post threat at the college level, which suggests he may well really come into his own as a sophomore or junior. There are pro-level tools at work here, but it may take some time to refine them.
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ELITE 2025 PROSPECT HEADING SOUTH FOR THE WINTER
Canadian-born wing Efeosa Oliogu has long been on the Rivals radar. I first encountered him at the 20221 Will Barton Elite camp, and we ranked the talented prospect at No. 18 in the 2025 class early last month due to the fact that he plays American grassroots basketball on the Under Armour circuit.
Now, Oliogu, who sits on the verge of five-star status, has made the decision to leave Canada and become a full-time American prospect. He will play his high school ball for Daytona Beach’s DME Academy, where he will almost undoubtedly see his already-healthy offer list expand. Schools such as Illinois, Syracuse, Georgetown and Alabama have already made things official with the 6-foot-6 wing, who has the talent to garner blueblood attention when he gets the exposure that comes with playing more American prep hoops alongside other in-demand prospects. I’d expect to see things pick up for the hyper-athletic Canadian in the year ahead, as schools will likely line up for him after seeing what he can do for a full season at DME.