I've Got Five On It: Lingering questions about the 2022 class
The 2022 recruiting cycle is nearing its end, as high school seasons are wrapping up and the final Rivals150 update is approaching. There are still loose ends to be tied up, however, so the class’s intrigue is still alive and well.
Today in I Got Five On It, Rivals.com has a look at the biggest lingering questions surrounding the class of 2022.
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Florida Man: Pac-12 FutureCast, tourney prediction, Georgia opening
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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1. WHERE WILL ANTHONY BLACK LAND?
The top uncommitted prospect in the 2022 class, Anthony Black has taken his time with the process. Oklahoma State and Gonzaga seem most likely to land the guard’s letter of intent, with the Cowboys once seeming like the front-runners. Still, the longer things drag out, the blurrier the line between the programs gets. These days, there’s little to separate the two programs.
Arkansas also remains a player and got Black on campus in mid-February. Eric Musselman and company made an impression at that time, so the Texas-based star choosing the Razorbacks wouldn’t be a total shock.
No decision date has been announced, but one could pop up early next week, as Black’s senior season at Duncanville High School will conclude over the weekend.
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2. WHO WILL FINISH AT NO. 1
Duke signee Dariq Whitehead sits atop the Rivals150 as we head down the home stretch of the cycle, but we aren’t at the finish line just yet. Whitehead will perform on the GEICO Nationals stage before the final update and will also join fellow No. 1 hopefuls Dereck Lively and Nick Smith Jr. at the McDonald's All-American Game in late March.
In a year where multiple No. 1 prospects have reclassified to 2021, the top spot in 2022 remains very much in doubt even as we inch closer to finalizing the Rivals150. Three to four players have a very real opportunity to finish their high school career as the country’s No. 1 prospect.
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3. WILL CALEB FOSTER JOIN THE 2022 CLASS?
We’ve been watching a game of will-he-or-won’t he when it comes to Duke commit Caleb Foster, a 2023 star that committed to the Blue Devils back in September and has been mulling a reclassification to 2022 ever since. The decision will ultimately hinge on NBA Draft decisions as well transfer portal fallout, so Foster’s future won’t be set in stone until after the Blue Devils’ season.
A reclassification feels slightly more likely than not at this juncture, but these things have a way of turning on a dime. Something on this front could shake in the week or so after Duke’s final game.
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4. WHAT’S NEXT FOR SKYY CLARK?
Longtime Kentucky commit Skyy Clark parted ways with the Wildcats last week, and there will be no drama when it comes to the point guard getting a release from his letter of intent. Instead, the remaining intrigue centers on where the talented senior will land.
Overtime Elite and the NBA G league both checked in on Clark, but the guard recently took to Twitter to let everyone know that he’ll be pushing aside any professional options to play college basketball.
Illinois might be a serious player here. Arizona State is also in play, as Clark has a relationship with Sun Devils assistant Joel Justus, who helped recruit Clark to Kentucky during his time at UK. That said, little is set in stone because Clark has been back on the market less than a week.
Tennessee, Georgetown, Syracuse, South Carolina and others have also kicked the tires on the four-star point guard.
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5. WILL COACHING CHANGES CREATE FREE AGENTS?
The coaching carousel has already started to spin, as a number of Division I jobs are open. The coming weeks will see more movement on that front, and that will almost certainly lead to a handful of off-the-market prospects backing off their pledges.
It’s a bit reckless to speculate which players may retest the recruiting waters if the coach to which they committed is suddenly elsewhere, but programs such as Georgia and Kansas State have prospects in the fold (for either 2022 or 2023) and have coaches on the hot seat.
Figure in the likelihood of sitting coaches leaving for greener pastures, and there’s no doubt we’ll see some movement.