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 college basketball and college basketball recruiting.
This week, he says Tennessee could be getting a steal, a coveted transfer is focused on three programs and sizes up the exciting future of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry.
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Commitment breakdown: Illinois lands Brandin Podziemski
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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RECRUITING STEAL OF THE WEEK: Vols land Quentin Diboundje Eyobo
I’d never heard Quintin Diboundje Eyobo’s name before I watched him systematically dissect a talented Link Year Prep squad at a tournament at IMG Academy a couple months back. After the 25-points performance, which the newest Volunteer capped with the game-sealing rebound, Eyobo held a George Washington offer but said he was hoping to land an offer from Tennessee.
Well, the offer eventually arrived and the three-star prospect didn’t waste time jumping on it. Eyobo has the talent to make a difference in the SEC, as he shoots the ball incredibly well but also can create his own shot and score at the rack. Eyobo is celebrated for his efficient long-range shooting but he’s a much better athlete than he sometimes gets credit for being and has the length to become an elite defender. He’ll likely slide into the back end of the Rivals150 when the rankings get their final refresh next month.
Rick Barnes has himself a diamond in the rough here, as the French import has played just one season of American basketball after arriving at Montverde from Montpellier prior to the season. The fact that he spent the year playing a shortened season for Montverde prep team that doesn’t get the same exposure or national attention as the program’s renowned high school squad helped keep Eyobo a secret, despite leading the team in scoring for most of the year. The Florida-based prospect seems to be pandemic-related steal, as it seems unlikely that many high-major coaches had the opportunity to see him play.
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TRANSFER BUZZ: THREE PROGRAMS IN MIX FOR SORIANO
Even in the transfer portal era, guys that averaged a near double-double on the college level a season ago don't exactly grow on trees. It’s why the high-major buzz created by Fordham transfer Joel Soriano is to be expected.
A number of big-time programs are involved in the recruitment of 6-foot-11 center, who recently entered the portal after a season that saw him averaged 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Now it seems three schools have emerged as likely landing spots. St. John’s, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma State look to be the teams in the thick of Soriano’s second recruitment, which continues to play out via Zoom calls with the college staffs.
It’s hard to pick a favorite here, as Soriano is still meeting with coaches and mulling his options, but it seems highly unlikely that he’ll land anywhere other than one of the three aforementioned programs. The Red Storm seems to carry a slight advantage as things stand, but things on that front are subject to change in the weeks ahead.
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PARTING THOUGHT: AUBURN’S REVAMPED FRONTCOURT MEANS IRON BOWL INTRIGUE
Auburn fans have long been awaiting the arrival of touted commit Jabari Smith, a five-star that will carry much-deserved fanfare to campus next season and likely make an immediate impact on the SEC.
On Monday, Bruce Pearl tossed another dose of gasoline on 2021 expectations when he paired his prized high school commit with North Carolina transfer Walker Kessler, whom the veteran head coach snagged out of the transfer portal. Kessler and Smith have the upside to be one of the best frontcourts in the country and arrive just in time to combat the rise of Alabama, which head coach Nate Oats has shaped into a program with the look of a perennial powerhouse.
Everyone loves a rivalry with stakes, and this one suddenly has a surplus of those. If Smith turns out to be as advertised and Kessler picks up where he left off at the end of last season (8.2 PPG and 5.3 RPG in his final 10 games), next year could see an Yellowhammer State battle at the top of the SEC.
