Five-star small forward Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the nine five-star prospects that decided not to sign with a school during the early signing period. He did, however, take official visits to Kentucky and North Carolina already and could schedule more soon.Right now, Vanderbilt says Arizona, Houston, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Oregon, TCU and Texas are the schools in the mix as he begins his senior season. Houston and TCU have had him on campus for unofficial visits.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: Vanderbilt talked about his the official visits he’s taken along with his interest in some of the schools recruiting him.
Houston: “Coach (Kelvin) Sampson is a great coach, a former NBA coach. They can help you from a coaching standpoint. They are still my hometown team. There are pros and cons to staying close. My family and friends can come see me play and put on for my city, but staying that close, people say there is more trouble to get into. They are still in the mix.”
Kentucky: “Kentucky visit went well. They said they think my game fits their system because they are an up-and-down team. They think I could complement some of the guys that already committed there.”
North Carolina: “The visit went well. Everything was really nice. They said they are going to have a lot of guys leaving for the draft, so they could really use me.”
TCU: “My cousin is on staff there, Corey Barker. I think Coach (Jamie) Dixon is a great coach. He had a great career at Pittsburgh. It’s a new start over there and they are trying to rebuild, but I think they have the right staff to do so. They want me to be the guy that starts the rebuilding stage and help get their school on the map.”
Texas: “Shaka [Smart] is a pretty good coach. He had a good run at VCU. He’s a transition type coach and they like to get up and down. From the looks of it now, they definitely need help on the wins. That’s a great school too.”
WHAT’S NEXT?: With his season underway, recruiting has taken a backseat for Vanderbilt. He’s still looking into taking his last three official visits, but hasn’t scheduled any yet. He says he won’t be deciding any time too soon, but indicated he could make a decision at some point during the season if he’s ready.
RIVALS’ REACTION: Vanderbilt is clearly intrigued by the possibility of playing at a national powerhouse such as Kentucky or North Carolina. Both could lose several players to the NBA Draft this year and open up immediate playing time for him. TCU is a real player in this one too as they have his cousin on staff and have pushed the idea of being a trendsetter by picking the Horned Frogs.
