Florida Man: Futurecast for C.J. Gunn; Boyton stock soaring
Each week, Rivals national basketball analyst and very own Florida Man, Rob Cassidy, takes readers around the college basketball and hoops recruiting world, touching on news, notes and developments that relate to prospects and teams from coast to coast.
This week, he predicts Indiana and Virginia will soon land commitments, explores the the recruitment of a junior college prospect and says Oklahoma State’s Mike Boynton should be a hot commodity in the offseason ahead.
MORE: Ranking the contenders for C.J. Gunn | Rivals Roundtable
*****
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
*****
FUTURECAST OF THE WEEK: C.J. Gunn to Indiana
Rivals150 guard CJ Gunn is set to announce his commitment on Feb. 7 (hopefully before the Super Bowl kicks off), and I like the in-state Hoosiers here. A number of high-major programs have been linked to Gunn, but it seems as though the communication between the well-rounded prospect and most programs cooled as Indiana began to look like his likely landing spot.
That’s not to say this is a lock, however, as there’s no such thing as a lock in recruiting. Cincinnati, Kansas State, Missouri and Xavier were all involved with Gunn to some extent not long ago, so who knows if the immediate future holds a late push. Still, I like Archie Miller and staff to keep the in-state star home.
BONUS FUTURECAST OF THE WEEK: Isaac McKneely to Virginia
I’m a little less certain of this one than I am when it comes to Gunn and Indiana, but I still feel good enough to put it in print. When four-star combo guard Isaac McKneely announces his commitment on Jan 30, Virginia and West Virginia seem to be the most likely landing spots. In the end, however, It appears as though the combination of academic prestige and basketball tradition offered by the Cavaliers may be too much for legendary coach Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers to topple in this case. McKneely included both North Carolina and Kentucky as finalists despite not having an offer from either, so I suppose that warrants mention in the case of an extremely late development, which could change things quickly.
JUCO TO TRACK - Marsei Caston
Back in 2019, point guard Marsei Caston earned offers from Arizona State, Wichita State, and SMU as a high school prospect. After graduation he landed at Northwest Florida Junior College and has now resurfaced on the recruiting radar.
Ole Miss and Oregon have gotten involved as of late, and the Florida-based star is starting to heat up once again. A commitment could be in the cards sometime in the month ahead, but no date has been set because Caston is still feeling out his options. The Rebels and Ducks seem like two teams to watch for the time being.
TAKE OF THE WEEK - Oklahoma State's Mike Boynton should be in demand after this season
Before a bunch of people with Pistol Pete avatars jump into my Twitter mentions, I should note that I’m not suggesting Boynton should or would leave Stillwater. I’m just saying a lot of athletic directors should attempt to pay him to do so.
The 39-year old coach has Oklahoma State, which is still postseason eligible because of its pending sanctions appeal, looking like a no-doubt NCAA Tournament team and will soon place Cade Cunningham in the top two picks of the NBA Draft. Boynton has recruited and won at a high level through a heap of NCAA Investigation adversity he had no hand in creating.
He’s young, energetic, well-liked and thriving in a season marred by both a global pandemic and the dark, NCAA-scented cloud that’s been overhead for some time. So while Boynton may not yet have the same level of sustained head coaching success as a few other in-demand names, it sure feels like he’s sitting on the brink of something. Striking now, before the Oklahoma State head coach’s price gets too high, seems like a good move.
A crafty ACC team or something of the like should attempt to move the head coach back closer to his East Coast roots, where he and his staff could possibly build a juggernaut. Would Boynton leave Stillwater? Who knows, but it’s certainly something I’d check on if I were making a hire this spring.