I've Got Five On It: Big-name programs still looking for first 2024 commit
Commitment season has arrived, and 2024 prospects are beginning to fly off the board in advance of November's Early Signing Period. Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy keeps that in mind in this week’s installment of I've Got Five On It, as he examines the respective situations of five brand-name programs still in search of their first class-of-2024 commitment.
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MORE: Ranking the Contenders for 2024 four-star Tyler Betsey
2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 130
2026 Rankings: Top 65
Transfer Portal: Latest news | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (hoops) | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (football)
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1. INDIANA
THE SITUATION: Indiana is hoping for good news in the near future, as it recently hosted top target Liam McNeeley for a second official visit. Mike Woodson and company have long been in the thick of the race to land the five-star forward, and the Texas-based star’s most recent trip to Bloomington was an opportunity to seal the deal. The Hoosiers are also involved with McNeeley’s high school teammate, Derik Queen, who visited over the weekend. Then there’s the quickly strengthening bond between the program and five-star guard Boogie Fland, who has already visited campus and hosted the IU staff for an in-home visit on Tuesday night.
Names such as Jaden Mustaf, Asa Newell, Patrick Ngongba II and Rakease Passmore are also linked to IU to differing extents. Indiana obviously won’t be totally shut out of this cycle, but it feels like it needs to land at least a couple of the aforementioned names to feel genuinely positive about its class.
This cycle could be a massive boost for a program on the rise. It could also be one that will be remembered for big swings and misses if things break in the wrong direction.
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2. MARYLAND
THE SITUATION: The Derik Queen situation remains intriguing. Maryland felt like the clear and obvious leader to land the in-state big man not long ago. And while things have tightened up on that front thanks to pushes from Indiana and Houston, College Park is still one of the most likely landing spots for the Montverde Academy senior.
Four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf is also fresh off a visit to campus and plans to announce his college choice on Sept. 14, but Georgia Tech feels like the team to beat there.
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3. VIRGINIA
THE SITUATION: Virginia’s lone 2024 commit, Christian Bliss, reclassified into 2023 this spring. Still, there’s probably no reason to panic about the class, especially in the portal era. UVA has irons in the fire and feels relatively good about where it stands with four-star forward Jacob Cofie, who recently visited Charlottesville.
Rivals150 forward Matthew Hodge was also on campus recently and is considering the ‘Hoos, in addition to Maryland, Marquette and others. Virginia is a player for five-star Kon Knueppel, but probably not the leader as things stand.
David Punch, a 6-foot-8 forward, is set to visit on Oct. 20 and could be an option depending on how things go on the trip.
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4. VILLANOVA
THE SITUATION: Villanova is technically alive in the race to land five-star guard Jalil Bethea, but Miami and Kansas present serious problems. The Hurricanes and Jayhawks should be looked at as co-favorites to land the Philly-based star who seems set to announce in short order.
There are plenty of possibilities beyond Bethea, however. Isaiah Elohim was recently on campus and is a name worthy of headlining a top-flight Big East class. Arkansas is a threat on that front, obviously, but the Wildcats are still very much in the mix. Power forward Matthew Hodge is also in play, and Curtis Givens, Malcolm Thomas and Josiah Moseley are worth tracking to differing extents. Moseley is set to visit campus on Sept. 23.
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5. TEXAS TECH
THE SITUATION: Texas Tech’s class will be light be design, which isn’t a red flag or reason to sweat in the era of the transfer portal. That said, it seems unlikely that the Red Raiders opt out of high school recruiting altogether this cycle. Tech recently offered SoCal Academy center Miles Goodman, the No. 89 player in the class, but things seem to be in the early stages there.
A new name or two will likely surface as Red Raider targets this fall, as it’s difficult to imagine a world in which head coach Grant McCasland doesn’t take at least a couple of high school prospects this cycle. The 2024 class isn’t nearly as deep as 2025 or 2026, so it seems McCasland and his staff are being intentionally selective this year.