SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The 2022 Hoophall Classic featured a long list of elite high school teams stocked with college-bound talent, many of whom have already chosen a school and put the recruiting process behind them.
Rivals.com caught up with a number of such committed or signed prospects to ask which program finished second in their process and how close the race to land their commitment actually was.
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MORE FROM THE HOOPHALL CLASSIC: The Cassidy Awards | Takeaways
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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THE PLAYER: North Carolina commit Simeon Wilcher
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Nebraska
WHY: “I liked Nebraska. I liked the way it’s an upcoming program. It’s never been a big-time basketball school, so the idea of going there and building was cool. I really feel like coach (Fred) Hoiberg is a good coach. He’s a really good coach. He’s been in the league and he’s coached some really good guards. Him having that NBA knowledge might have helped me a lot.”
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THE PLAYER: Kentucky signee Chris Livingston
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Georgetown
WHY: “I’d say I was going to Georgetown, but it was kind of close between Tennessee State and Georgetown. I really liked the coaching staff there and I could really envision myself there. I liked Patrick Ewing and I liked the stuff he talked to me about. Ultimately, it was Kentucky, but there was a time that I could see myself at Georgetown.”
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THE PLAYER: Texas signee Dillon Mitchell
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Tennessee
WHY: “It’s definitely Tennessee because I liked their play style and I really liked coach (Rick) Barnes. My mom liked it a lot. That was a big thing. You know, you gotta keep the mom happy. Tennessee did that well. It was actually really, really close.”
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THE PLAYER: Providence signee Jayden Pierre
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Minnesota
WHY: “They were so consistent. They were just really consistent as a coaching staff. They showed a lot of trust in me and they trusted me to be able to play right away in the best conference in college basketball. They were the only other visit I took because of that.”
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THE PLAYER: Kansas signee Gradey Dick
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Baylor
WHY: “I really liked it. Coach (Scott) Drew is one of the most genuine dudes out there. I feel like learning from him every day could have been cool, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
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THE PLAYER: Florida State signee Cameron Corhen
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Illinois
WHY: “Really, it was about my relationship with (assistant) coach (Chester) Frazier. He was like a brother to me. We talked about everything. I think I really could have gone there, but I’m happy with the decision I made.”
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THE PLAYER: Syracuse signee Chris Bunch
WHO FINISHED SECOND: Washington
WHY: “I was definitely really interested in Washington. I really liked coach (Mike Hopkins). I was actually going to commit there. I was thinking hard about it, but things changed overnight.”
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THE PLAYER: Auburn signee Chance Westry
WHO FINISHED SECOND: LSU
WHY: “It’s a good guard school and they let their guards play. It was kind of close. I just talked to my family about LSU and Auburn and we went for the best decision in the end.”
