FORT WORTH, Texas -- Friday night didn't go as planned for five-star combo guard Quentin Grimes, but he bounced back in a big way during a Saturday game at the adidas Gauntlet. Grimes was one of several standouts playing in front of hundreds of college coaches.
BOUNCE BACK GAME FOR GRIMES
The No. 12 ranked player in the 2018 Rivals150, 6-foot-5 combo guard Quentin Grimes didn't have the game he wanted in a big time matchup with five-star point guard Immanuel Quickley on Friday night. He bounced back on Saturday, though, going for 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to help his Basketball University squad to a win over the Ohio Basketball Club.
Grimes has offers from the likes of Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Florida, Arizona, Marquette and several others and he's been watched by all of those coaching staffs and more over the past two days.
Recently, Arizona, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Marquette have all conducted in home visits.
"Marquette and Baylor and Texas A&M kind of stood out," Grimes told Rivals.com. "They had a really thorough presentation and showed me that I'm a really big priority for them."
So far, Grimes says that he's in no hurry to make a decision and he plans on cutting down his list sometime in the summer.
"Possibly towards the end of June or July," said Grimes about cutting his list. "I'm kind of enjoying it and seeing who is contacting me and making me a priority."
SATURDAY RECRUITING NOTES FROM ADIDAS
Recruitment: Offers from Kansas, Syracuse, Providence, Virginia Tech, Creighton, Connecticut, Florida and others.
His day: A big, strong and tough guard with athleticism, Duke proved to have legitimate lead guard skills. His jumper is just fair right now but he's awfully tough to keep out of the lane.
Quotable: “Right now I’m trying not to let it all get to my head. I haven’t set anything yet as far as cutting down a list or a time for a decision or anything like that.”
Prediction: Duke has the look of a guy who will be tough to pull out of the Northeast but Kansas has made some headway if they want to turn the heat up on him.
Recruitment: Took unofficial visits to Providence, Connecticut and Villanova during the season. Offers from those schools plus Syracuse, Creighton, Rutgers, Louisville, Boston College, Rhode Island and others.
His day:In the past, Reeves has stood out because of his size, athleticism and slashing ability. On Saturday, he shot the cover off the ball from deep and had lots of coaches asking about his game.
Quotable: “I’m just trying to put all of the recruiting to the side and focus on AAU season and trying to get better. I’m just worried about these two live periods.”
Prediction: Though he's downplaying things, early word is that Providence has put themselves in good position. Keep an eye on Villanova as well.
Recruitment: Offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Tulsa. Unofficial visits to Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.
His Day: The bright side, we ranked Baker in our recent 2019 Rivals150 update. The down side, we didn't rank him high enough. Perhaps pushing 6-foot-11 he is very mobile, has a mean streak to him and also shows off some skill.
Quotable: “I’ve always been a Texas fan growing up so it’s cool that they offered, I like Texas a lot. The most important thing in a college pick is the environment, is it like a family?”
Prediction: If he was a lock to stay in Austin he may have committed by now, but surely the Longhorns will play a major role in the recruitment of the hometown big man.
Recruitment: Offers from Butler, Ohio State, Syracuse, Purdue, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Xavier, Northwestern, Stanford and others.
His Day: One of the toughest guys in the building, he knocked down jumpers and drove to the hole. He didn't look completely healthy but gutted it out.
Quotable: “I will probably cut it down a little after these live periods. I’d like to get it down to five after July so maybe down to 10 or so in this first cut.”
Prediction: We wouldn't be surprised to see some real movement with Carmody's list sooner than July. Purdue, Butler, Michigan and Notre Dame appear to be among those who are in the best position.
Recruitment: Offers from UCLA, USC, Oregon, Alabama, California, Stanford, Arizona State, Vanderbilt and others.
His Day: Bernard showed off a versatile and compact game. He hit jumpers, got to the rim, rebounded, ran in transition and provided a stable presence for a relatively young but very talented Compton Magic team.
Prediction: At this point, Bernard looks likely to stay on the West Coast. Arizona State, USC, UCLA and Stanford figure to factor heavily in his decision.
Recruitment: Tulsa, Boise State, Stephen F. Austin, Incarnate Word and UT Arlington offers. LSU, Oklahoma State, Wichita State, Missouri, SMU, TCU and others involved.
His Day: Archie likely helped his stock in Ft. Worth as much as any player in the country. He's a wing with good size, strength and he can make a jump shot. He entered the weekend with no high major offers but that should change real soon.
Quotable: “I feel like I’ve definitely gotten a lot better. I’ve become a better shooter, especially a better spot up shooter. My recruitment seems to be starting to take off because of it.”
Prediction: It's too early to predict a school until the offers start pouring in, but Archie looks like a legit Big 12 type player and a potential top 100 player in the country.
FINAL SATURDAY NOTES
... Marcus Smart YGC 36 had a strong day with four-star combo guard Grant Sherfield from the class of 2019 playing up to his lofty ranking. In an evening game he went for 30 plus while showing off playmaking skills with pretty much the entire Big 12 watching. Class of 2018 Rivals150 teammate Kyler Edwards a strong wing proved his ranking and has schools like Oklahoma State, Kansas State, USC, SMU and Nebraska making strong moves. He was watched by head coaches from at least four of those programs. Finally, class of 2019 wing Jalen Wilson looks like a player that will be in the next Rivals rankings. He can shoot, has good size and Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and SMU have all jumped onboard with offers.
... Ohio Basketball Club combo guard Dwayne Cohill had Xavier's Chris Mack and West Virginia's Bob Huggins among those watching him closely. The four-star junior is athletic, can heat up from deep and has others like Penn State, Ohio State, Butler and many more chasing.
... Top 40 shooting guard Luguentz Dort said that he's been on the campuses of Florida, Arizona State and Louisville. As we've detailed, he's a super physical wing scorer who can create off the bounce.
... Class of 2019 big man Armando Bacot just moved up into the national top 40. His ascension up the rankings isn't done. He has touch, great size, is a sneaky athlete and looks to have huge upside. His 2018 teammate David McCormack is another big man with huge potential. After a quiet junior season, McCormack looked like a potentially productive college big man when he got some touches on the interior.
... Arizona bound five-star wing Emmanuel Akot really got it rolling in his last game of the day. Pushing 6-foot-8 he is a very capable handler, can shoot with some range and is a sneaky good playmaker for others.
