Evans Seven: Class of 2020 5-stars who might choose to stay in-state

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2020 Rivals150 | 2020 Position rankings

Top 75 of 2021

During this recruiting cycle, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and Onyeka Okongwu declined blueblood overtures and instead remained in their respective state for college. In this week’s Evans Seven, we look at seven five-stars from the 2020 class that could do the same.

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This one is a bit too easy, but it still deserves some attention primarily due to the unique talent of Evan Mobley, the son of Eric Mobley, a USC assistant coach, and the younger brother of USC recruit Isaiah Mobley. If the top-ranked junior doesn't go to USC, it will be a shocker.

The recruitment of Mobley is pretty much a given, and while he has yet to commit, all roads lead to the five-star doing so, and he promises to be a special talent. While the Trojans will enroll the second-ranked class in America this fall, Mobley is of another cloth. He is the new-age big man that can score facing the basket, with his back to it, defend practically every position, all while remaining a rim presence. It is USC and no one else for Mobley.

The college attention geared toward Jalen Johnson has not been in short supply. Johnson is a 6-foot-8 point-forward that brings an unselfish approach and playmaking acumen to the floor, much like a young Ben Simmons. Arizona, Duke and UCLA have already hosted Johnson for official visits, and in October he took an unofficial visit to Kentucky for its Big Blue Madness festivities. Georgetown is in the mix, too, so the recruiting battle for the five-star sensation should have plenty of fireworks.

Should he stay home, it would be a great recruiting win for Marquette or Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles and Badgers are two of the best teams in America this season, but landing Johnson would catapult the program into a different dimension.

Greg Brown is one of the best athletes in the nation, and he has evolved into a multi-positional prospect who can impact the game in every way. Throw him on any team, and he immediately improve its chances of success. That is exactly why some of the best have been showing interest in the Texas native, and UNC was the most recent to offer two weeks ago. Auburn, Kansas, Memphis and Texas A&M are a handful of the others involved, but could Shaka Smart have the inside track with Brown? Texas fans would love to think so.

It does not hurt that Brown calls Austin home or that his father played football for Texas. He has also been to campus a number of times. Plugging the high-motored Brown into Smart’s up-and-down system would be ideal, as he could be Texas’ next win on the recruiting trail.

One of the best long-term prospects in the 2020 class, Ziaire Williams has seen his recruitment skyrocket in recent months. The five-star is a 6-foot-8 small forward who can slide up or down a position in a pinch and, more importantly, make shots.

This brings us to UNC’s pursuit of Williams. Many believed Williams would commit after an official visit to Chapel Hill. Roy Williams could ultimately pick up his commitment, but don’t undersell Stanford. No one has recruited Williams longer, and thanks to its elite academic sell, locale and playing style, the Cardinal could do the unthinkable and land the top-10 prospect when all is said and done.

Could Georgia make it two-for-two in landing a five-star prospect that calls the state home? Tom Crean would love nothing more to do just that with Walker Kessler. The Bulldogs are all but out of the mix for Georgia natives BJ Boston and Sharife Cooper, but the connections between the program and the 7-foot Kessler are tight.

Kessler was immediately made a priority upon Crean’s hiring last spring, and while a number of bluebloods entered the mix upon his summer breakout, the fact that Georgia made such strong in-roads with him beforehand should help. Kessler grew up a Bulldogs fan. His mother attended the school and his father and uncle each played their college ball in Athens. Defeating Duke, Michigan, Tennessee, UNC and Virginia will be difficult, but Crean has already shown that he will not back down to other elite programs when it comes to chasing after a priority of his on the recruiting trail.

While the state of Iowa will never be known for its premier basketball talent, it is a bit underrated. It has seen Doug McDermott, Harrison Barnes and DJ Carton rise up through the ranks in recent years. The only problem is that neither of those three decided to stay in-state for their college ball. Might Xavier Foster be willing to start his own trend?

Iowa and Iowa State have placed a heavy, heavy priority on Foster dating back to his freshman year. Oskaloosa, Iowa, is a difficult-to-reach town, and that has only allowed the two programs to make their intentions known further. Now, will Foster repay either of the two and decide to commit to an in-state program? That is up for debate, and while Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA and several others stand in their way, Foster could decide to stay loyal to his state and become a fan favorite from day one in Iowa City or Ames.

Seattle is one of the more underrated cities in America when it comes to producing elite talent - and on a consistent basis. Jaden McDaniels took up most of the spotlight from the 2019 class this winter. Maybe Marjon Beauchamp is the next to receive such notoriety.

Arguably the least-covered five-star prospect in the 2020 class, Beauchamp is tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, and that has enabled Washington to impress the local talent with all it has to offer the top-25 junior. Mike Hopkins put together a strong staff with quality West Coast ties, so keeping guys in the mold of Beauchamp home is attainable.

Change at UCLA and commotion at Arizona could be just what is needed for the Huskies to make even greater in-roads with Beauchamp. It won't be easy, but Hopkins has had some impressive recruiting hauls since taking over in Seattle. Perhaps he can beat some of the best programs in the nation for Beauchamp.