Evans Seven: Which way are seven top recruits likely leaning?

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While all eyes are getting ready to focus on Selection Sunday, we are also just a month away from the late signing period beginning. In this week’s Evans Seven, we take a look at the top available prospects remaining and which way each highly touted recruit might be leaning.

MORE: Last week's Evans Seven | Three-Point Play on LaMelo Ball, UNC and A&M

The five-star guard has not taken many visits of late outside of his trip to UNC last weekend. By all accounts, everything went great. That is not good news for his other finalists, as the Tar Heels were already the heavy favorite, and his quick visit to Chapel Hill may have put things over the top.

Oregon has been the steadiest contender alongside UNC the past few months, but Georgetown has picked up some whispers of late about being the darkhorse in the race.

However, a commitment to anyone but North Carolina would come as one of the bigger surprises that the recruiting world has seen in recent years. Anthony still has no timetable for making his college decision, but with a handful of prestigious All-American games upcoming - the first being the McDonald’s game at the end of the month - it would seem that the end might be near and that he will be the quick replacement for Coby White at UNC.

Jaden McDaniels, a five-star forward, has been hidden away in the Pacific Northwest, where information has been difficult to come by. I was fortunate enough to speak with McDaniels three weeks ago, and he said his intent was to complete his high school career first - which he just did last week - before then taking a greater look at his recruitment.

His five finalists of Kentucky, San Diego State, Texas, UCLA and Washington remain, and he was not willing to toss out the Bruins despite the recent coaching change in Westwood. McDaniels’ older brother, Jalen McDaniels, is currently a standout at SDSU and is nearing the end of his college career so might the family’s attention be geared toward that before focusing solely on Jaden’s own endeavors? It would seem so, which makes one believe that he will be one of the last to commit, with Kentucky and Washington thought to be the two to beat. The Huskies might have the slight lead, thanks to their proximity and the relationship the staff has built with his family.

Matthew Hurt's timetable for a college commitment remains in flux. The five-star forward has been one of the most heavily covered prospects dating back to his freshman year, and not much has changed since. He has seen a number of programs jump into the picture throughout the years, but when his recruitment only included the biggest name-brand programs.

Kansas has been thought as one of the frontrunners for a while now, and though the Jayhawks do remain in the favorite’s seat, Duke has made up major ground. Kentucky doesn’t feel too bad, either, and UNC would love to have him, too. Each staff seems to think that it will be getting him. Expect a commitment sometime in April, with Kansas slightly in front as things head toward the stretch run.

Precious Achiuwa has had one of the more mysterious recruitments. He has never actually created a school list, unlike many of his peers. A prospect that was raised in New York City and whose older brother played at St. John’s, the Red Storm have been a heavy presence throughout the years, but their chances with him may have dwindled once he left for Florida last fall for his final year of high school ball. UConn is another local power that is involved, but Achiuwa has yet to visit either program since the school year began.

Instead, he took unofficial visits to Memphis and Western Kentucky in the fall, and in the past three weeks he spent official visits on Kansas and UNC. Naming a favorite is difficult, but it does sound as if others are attempting to the enter the mix, which could lead to a super-late signing. Georgia is a darkhorse that has shown interest and there has even been talk that the new G-League initiative could be an option. Regardless, a signing seems to be far off, with a leader still unknown.

Trendon Watford is one of the most versatile forwards in the 2019 class, and finding suitors has never been a struggle. He has settled on a final four consisting of Alabama, Indiana, LSU and Memphis, and the prevailing thought had been that LSU was where he would end up. That was until last week, when Will Wade’s job was put into limbo due to an alleged pay-for-play scheme to get Javonte Smart. That development gives new life to the other three contenders and also an easier pathway for Duke, which just began to show interest last month and could decide to pick things up further in the coming weeks.

Ultimately, the scandal at LSU may have given Alabama the biggest boost, while Duke is riding the latest momentum in his recruitment.

Cassius Stanley is the only prospect that we know when he will commit and sign, and he has been focused on a group of three for a few months now. USC was thought to be a favorite for a good amount of time but the Trojans didn’t make the cut. Kansas, Oregon and UCLA did. The Bruins are working through a coaching change, and the hope there is that the appropriate hire can be made before Stanley makes his decision, giving the newly employed head coach the chance to woo the talented wing to Westwood. That may be difficult, which gives Kansas and Oregon an easier path to landing Stanley. The Jayhawks, despite holding two 2019 guard commits, may be the top contender, but there have been whispers that a few new entrants have entered the race. The bet here is that Stanley will be a Jayhawk on April 17.

Down to a final seven of Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan and Ohio State, Lester Quinones has already taken official visits to LSU and Maryland, and this weekend he will take a third to Memphis. The Tigers would love nothing more than to land both Quinones and his former travel teammate, Precious Achiuwa, but doing so will not be an easy task.

LSU was the thought-to-be favorite this winter, but with the fate of Will Wade’s employment in flux, the chances of Quinones ending up there are now slim. Maryland might be in front, as no one has recruited him longer. However, expect Quinones to take his remaining visits - visits that he has yet to schedule - before coming to a decision. Watch for a commitment in the spring, and look for him to be one of the last elite prospects to announce.