Evans Seven: Grading recent hires after a year

How a new coach recruits in his first full season is almost always an indicator as to where the program is headed. In this week’s the Evans Seven, we highlight the top seven recruiting jobs done by the first-year coaching staffs highlighted by three Big Ten programs.

RIVAL VIEWS: Whose hot seat has cooled the most?

GRADE: A+

No one in recent memory has taken over a non-blue blood program and immediately knocked off top dog after top dog on the recruiting trail like Will Wade has done at LSU. He first flipped the commitment of Georgetown-bound guard Tremont Waters, but that was just the beginning. He locked in the commitment of top-30 guard Javonte Smart, top-60 forward Darius Days and five-stars Nazreon Reid and Emmitt Williams. While the Tigers are one of the surprises of the SEC this winter, and this might just be the start thanks to the talent headed to Baton Rouge.

GRADE: A

The primary focus for Chris Holtmann was to, first, fill out his roster for the 2017-18 season, before then taking care of the future classes. He was behind the eight ball thanks to his mid-June hire, Holtmann walked into a program that practically had no point guard on its roster and pulled a rabbit out of his hat by nabbing the grad-transfer commitment of Michigan guard Andrew Dakich. From there, the Buckeyes grabbed the commitment of Rivals150 guard Musa Jallow before he then reclassified into the 2017 class, becoming a quality role piece for the Buckeyes this winter. In November, Ohio State signed a top-30 class highlighted by four-star seniors Luther Muhammad and Jaedon LeDee. Throw in the fact that Ohio State remains in the Big Ten title hunt after being selected to finish in the basement of the league and even Holtmann himself might not have been able to have dreamt this up.

GRADE: A

Taking over a Missouri program that won eight league games under the previous staff, Cuonzo Martin immediately infused the program with the hiring of former Washington assistant coach Michael Porter Sr., which led the commitments of his five-star sons, Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter. Martin then went out and solidified the Tigers’ interior by flipping top-50 recruit Jeremiah Tilmon from Illinois. Missouri has failed to duplicate the magic it had in 2017 with its 2018 class, but it is a group that boasts three tough and valuable perimeter assets that should contribute as underclassmen. Martin has given the Missouri basketball program a humongous facelift that has the Tigers in the thick of the tournament hunt.

GRADE: A

Kevin Keatts has worked wonders during his time at UNC-Wilmington and now is leading his NC State program to a likely NCAA Tournament bid. While the Wolfpack have resume wins over Duke, Arizona and North Carolina, his success on the recruiting trail are just as good. He immediately hit the road finding success with the transfer wire, adding three instant contributors. Keatts' backcourt needed even more fine-tuning, so he grabbed the commitments of Lavar Batts and Braxton Beverly. NC State's 2018 class boasts pledges from Rivals150 standouts Saddiq Bey, Jericole Hellems, Ian Steere and Immanuel Bates. Toss in the recent commitments of top junior college big man Derek Funderburk and Missouri transfer Blake Harris and the Wolfpack are rolling.

GRADE: B+

For as good of a job that Archie Miller and his staff have done thus far, the elephant in the room remains; can Indiana land five-star scoring savant Romeo Langford? If they can, the Indiana faithful will be exuberant just not because of Langford’s rare talent, but also because he is the state's top prospect. Putting Langford aside, the first-year staff has done an awesome job of filling its roster with tough forwards, along with shot-making guards and wings. Miller jumped onto the scene and was able to keep the prior staff’s commitments, then went out and grabbed the commitment of Race Thompson, a former Rivals150 2018 prospect that enrolled a year early. In the fall, four Rivals150 prospects pledged to the program with Jerome Hunter being the gem of the group. The Hoosiers have laid down the proper groundwork with in-state, top-50 juniors Keion Brooks and Trayce Jackson-Davis, too. A job well done for Miller during his first full year in Bloomington but if he can snag Langford, the program's outlook improves tenfold.

GRADE: B

Mike Hopkins, the former Syracuse guard and assistant coach, has worked wonders in the Pacific Northwest, mentoring a young, upstart bunch into contention for a surprising NCAA Tournament bid. Hopkins had to deal with the departure of Markelle Fultz and most of the Huskies' 2017 class. How did Hopkins respond? By keeping the commitment of now top-10 freshman producer Jaylen Nowell, and tapping back into his northeast ties by landing the commitments and then reclassifying Hameir Wright and Nahziah Carter. Ed Chang, Jamal Bey, Nate Roberts and Elijah Hardy then pledged to the program, creating a quality, four-man 2018 recruiting class. The Huskies are also a finalist for four-star center Bryan Penn-Johnson. Hopkins’ recruiting wins might not be as gargantuan as those of his predecessor, but he has already impressed with his showing in Year 1.

GRADE: B

Things are far from where they were during the heyday on the Hilltop, a time that saw such stars as Othella Harrington, Allen Iverson and Jerome Williams walk the campus. However, with legendary Hoyas’ great Patrick Ewing gracing the sidelines, the Hoyas have accumulated a nice group of young talent to build with. The loss of Tremont Waters, a one-time commit to the program, in the summer hurt severely but the Hoyas also flipped the commitment of former Ole Miss pledge Jamarko Pickett. They kept intact the prior staff’s commitments before prioritizing the 2018 class. The headliner of that bunch is Rivals150 forward Josh LeBlanc, high-flying guard Mac McClung and skilled big man Grayson Carter. More importantly, Ewing and his staff have made up major ground with such highly lauded juniors as Alonzo Gaffney, Isaiah Stewart, Eric Dixon and Max Lorca, as optimism is beginning to bud from the program.