Florida Man: Alabama commit impresses, No. 1 debate, Dayton
Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally a time for food and family … and basketball. This year was no expectations, as things on the hardwood got almost overwhelming at times and it was easy to miss a key development.
Not to worry, though. Our resident Florida Man, Rob Cassidy, is here with a bonus column after a long holiday weekend that featured important matchups on both the high school and college levels.
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Rivals Roundtable: Rick Pitino, rising prospects, Gonzaga
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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ALABAMA COMMIT PROVES IT ON THE BIG STAGE
I was unable to hit the road over Thanksgiving weekend, as I’m starting the process of moving, but was able to watch a couple of streams and see some box scores from events in between meetings with the realtors and other annoying nonsense. I’m currently in Miami and relocating to Pittsburgh, so I probably need to change the name of this column, as “Pittsburgh Man” doesn’t carry the same bath salt-flavored aura. I’m open to suggestions on that.
Anyway ... This weekend wasn’t about Florida or Pennsylvania. Instead, at the high school level, it belonged to Texas.
Two of the Dallas area’s top public schools scored massive wins over West Coast-based powers at the Thanksgiving Hoopsfest, as Richardson High took down top-ranked Arizona Compass 61-30 and powerhouse Duncanville knocked off California's famed Sierra Canyon High School 80-73.
The star of the first game was Alabama commit Rylan Griffen, who went berserk on the No. 1-ranked Compass Prep to the tune of 25 points on better than 50-percent shooting. He also notched eight rebounds and five steals to go along with the scoring barrage. The four-star guard is looking undervalued at No. 70 in the Rivals150, as he’s taken the the next step forward as a complete player. A truly gifted scorer and capable secondary ball-handler, Griffen is proving capable of impacting games in different ways against truly elite competition and should be rewarded for the work he’s done.
The 6-foot-5 Griffen has impressive length to go along with his evolving game. So while his backcourt partner, Cason Wallace, a Kentucky commit, gets more ink and praise at times, the Alabama-bound two-guard earned his flowers this weekend. A move into the top 40 or so seems prudent should he continue to play at this level.
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THE HOLMGREN-BANCHERO DEBATE HEATS UP
A debate that has captivated the recruiting world for nearly a year has now hit the mainstream, as Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero continue to jostle for top position in next year's NBA Draft.
When Banchero and the Blue Devils knocked off Holmgren and No. 1 Gonzaga 84-81 on Friday night, the buzz about the individual battle was equal to that about the result. Banchero finished the contest with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Holmgren battled foul trouble and posted 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. The performances were comparable, but momentum is certainly building on the side of the Duke star.
“[Banchero] will be No. 1 [because of] his size, strength and ability to score at all three levels,” an NBA Front office member told Forbes Magazine’s Adam Zagoria following the game in New York.
This is where I should begin to tip my hat to our own Jamie Shaw, who was one of the few people in the industry that was pushing hard to make Bachero the No. 1 prospect in the 2021 class. Every major recruiting publication, including this one, ranked the incredibly unique and impressive Holmgren as top dog because of his rare blend of length and skill, while Jamie kicked and screamed until the final ranking was released.
This battle obviously isn’t over. But should Banchero end up the top pick in the draft – and things seem to be trending in that direction – I’ll buy Jamie a hard seltzer or whatever it is he drinks. He deserves it.
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DAYTON’S LOADED CLASS FINDS ITS FOOTING
Last year at this time, Anthony Grant signed the top recruiting class in Dayton history, when he landed three Rivals150 prospects (Kaleb Washington, DaRon Holmes Jr and Malachi Smith) and the top haul in the Atlantic 10. Expectations were sky-high right up until the Flyers started the season 1-3 with losses to UMass Lowell, Lipscomb and Austin Peay.
Ouch.
Growing pains are a funny thing, though, as they tend to be strong but short. A week later, Dayton is 4-3 with back-to-back-to-back wins over Miami, Kansas and Belmont. The sudden resurgence? It was, of course, led by a freshman. The No. 136 player in last year's class, Smith was named MVP of the ESPN Events Invitational, during which he averaged 11 points, five rebounds and six assists to help Dayton capture the title. Holmes (No. 46 in the 2021 Rivals150) added a double-double and blocked six shots in the title game.
It’s too early to tell exactly what kind of team the Flyers will turn out to be at season’s end, but the freshman class that was expected to lead the way sure seems ready to do so.