Four key basketball flips from the spring
Long gone are the days where only football coaches worry about committed recruits pulling off the infamous flip. Now, as college basketball’s transfer portal bursts at the seams doling out an abundance of experienced options for coaches, top high school prospects will undoubtedly opt out in greater and greater numbers for sure-fire playing time scenarios.
The 2023 class gave us a small glimpse of what’s to likely come every spring.
Here are the class’ four key springtime flips and how they’ll fit into their new home.
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Ronald Holland - Texas to the G League
Holland officially backed out of his commitment to the Longhorns in April, and backchannel voices indicated that he had strong interest in suiting up at Arkansas. Ultimately, Holland opted for the G League Ignite. Makes sense for a 6-foot-8 all-everything wing who many regard as the best two-way player in the class. Holland’s size and length allow him to crowd players on the defensive and his wide array of offensive skills keep his stat-line filled every game. Holland is a superior athlete with great speed and quickness who moves well without the ball and attacks the glass on both ends with purpose. His game will thrive as spacing increases at the pro level.
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Mackenzie Mgbako - Duke to Indiana
Usually, when a top-10 prospect backs out of his commitment to any school it’s front page news, but when that school is blueblood royalty like Duke it’s even more mind boggling. At least it would have been pre-transfer portal. Sounds weird to say, but losing Mgbako wasn’t a devastating blow for the Blue Devils. When you manage to retain Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell you sleep easier losing top tier young talent. Mgbako joining the Hoosiers next season made sense for a few different reasons, not least of which was his ability to step into Mike Woodson’s reconstructed offense and be a go-to player. Also, Woodson was a head coach in the NBA for nine seasons, guiding stars like Joe Johnson and Carmelo Anthony; Mgbako has one-and-lottery aspirations and feels Woodson can guide him to an early handshake with Adam Silver a year from now.
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Simeon Wilcher - North Carolina to St. John’s
Wilcher backed out of his commitment to North Carolina a week after Elliot Cadeau announced he was reclassifying from 2024 to 2023 to suit up for Hubert Davis next season. When he picked Rick Pitino’s Red Storm, Wilcher was the 12th addition to next year’s roster, which makes his decision more understandable. Wilcher is going to play... A lot. As a gifted and versatile scorer, Pitino will be able to utilize the 6-foot-3 guard in a variety of different ways and lineups and his impact can be felt on both ends of the floor. Expect Wilcher to be used at both guard spots in Pitino’s system; his ability as a playmaker and his length will make him an invaluable asset in the unforgiving Big East.
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Chris Johnson - Kansas to Texas
Johnson was high on Texas throughout his recruitment, so it’s no big surprise that the 6-foot-4 combo guard opted for Austin, telling Rivals he “always wanted to wear that Texas across my chest.” He’s a major pickup for Rodney Terry as a multifaceted guard who does all the dirty work, can stretch the defense and serve as a defensive hound with his size and length. Johnson played at Montverde (Fla.) Academy, so he’s adept at genuinely accepting a role and maximizing his potential in it. That will be vital for Terry, who already has a potent backcourt of Max Abmas and Tyrese Hunter.