Each week, Rivals national basketball analyst and very own Florida Man, Rob Cassidy, takes readers around the hoops recruiting world, touching on news, notes and developments that relate to prospects from coast to coast.
This week, he dissects Gradey Dick’s top eight, has a look at a notable Auburn transfer and gives an overview of some of the marquee names in the 2023 class, which will soon receive its initial ranking.
Gradey Dick narrows focus to eight schools
The No. 37 player in the 2022 class, four-star forward Gradey Dick trimmed his list of options to include just eight schools on Monday evening. Officially, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Illinois, Baylor, Alabama, Florida, Texas Tech and Purdue all remain in the running to land the talented prospect. Unofficially, however, some programs seem to have a better chance than others.
Kansas is seen as the early leader to land Dick for multiple reasons. First, Dick has siblings that have attended KU and feels at ease with the campus. Secondly, he was a bit of a regular behind the KU bench during the 2019-2020 season before COVID-19 took hold. If recruiting is about comfort-level, Bill Self has to love where he stands at the moment.
It’s much too early for Self to start counting chickens, however. The NCAA is still holding a dark cloud over the Jayhawks’ head, and what becomes of that situation will have an impact here. Oklahoma State is a real player, as the Cowboys’ staff is prioritizing Dick and making headway. Purdue, Baylor and Illinois also seem like real options. Dick has long been high on North Carolina, so expect the Tar Heels to join the fray should they offer in the year ahead.
Previewing the class of 2023 rankings
Putting together rankings for the class of 2023 obviously presents some unique challenges. Exposure has been limited for many member of the group due to the pandemic, so Rivals.com will play it consevatve and start with a top-30 roughly two weeks from today. And while we won’t tip our hands on the order or who may make the cut, it seems like a good time to formally introduce some of the more marquee names.. Below are six of the more notable names in the group.
The son of former lottery pick Dajuan Wagner, who played for John Calipari at Memphis and appeared in the cinematic masterpiece National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, DJ Wagner will be in the thick of the discussion for the top spot. Kentucky is seen as the early leader because of his strong family ties to Calipari, though everything is subject to change in the two years ahead.
One of the bigger names in the class, Williams is a marketing machine and has the talent to match his persona. Williams, who recently appeared alongside Drake in a promo video for the rapper's new clothing line, is no stranger to the spotlight. Whether or not the talented guard will actually attend college remains a mystery of sorts. What isn’t a mystery, however, is that he’s one of the top players in 2023.
Matt and Ryan Bewley have been on the radars of coaches and scouts for some time now, but their recruitments are set to blow up in the year ahead. Each is off to a fantastic start this season. Matt is thought to be the more complete player as things stand, but both will be highly ranked. The duo attends Florida’s West Oaks Christian and combined for 30 points and 22 rebounds on Monday night. The twins plan to attend college together and seem to be high on schools such as Florida State and Auburn.
Not as well known as the guys I’ve touched on above, Carlyle was hyper-impressive in the offseason and is off to a blazing start as a sophomore. So while he isn’t at the same level as some of the others on this list, every group needs a sleeper. Expect the young Milton High School star to be in the thick of the top-30 when it debuts. Carlyle posted a 21-point, six-assist performance in his most recent game. Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech have already offered.
Most know the name already, but the son of NBA superstar and the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball, Lebron James, is already under the microscope and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Bronny has big-time talent and is certainly one of the top-50 players in this class. Watching him attempt to create his own lane while his dad chases another NBA title will be fascinating. Expect Duke to be in the mix along with a host of others as offers start to arrive. James will probably figure into the back end of the initial top-30.
