I've Got Five On It: Prospects that will be watching the coaching carousel
A handful of coaching moves have already been made and the end of the regular season promises to bring on more. With that in mind, today's I Got Five On It focuses on prospects that could be affected by this year’s spin of the coaching carousel.
Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy discusses five prospects that could see their recruitment shaken up when the silly season begins in earnest next month.
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More: Georgia Tech lands four-star junior Brandon Stores Jr.
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KARTER KNOX
Ranking: No. 14 in the 2024 Rivals150
What might change: Knox seems to be seriously interested in Louisville, so a possible coaching change at the program would impact his recruitment in one way or another. That said, it’s not a forgone conclusion that dismissing Kenny Payne would take the Cardinals out of the Knox sweepstakes.
Payne’s replacement could keep the program in the hunt if the transition is somewhat seamless, so the situation is certainly worth monitoring. Knox, whose brother Kevin became a star at Kentucky, is also considering the Wildcats in addition to hometown USF.
With that in mind it’s worth keeping an eye on Bulls head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who could find himself in the mix for high-major jobs this offseason.
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VYCTORIUS MILLER
Ranking: No. 48 in the 2024 Rivals150
What might change: Miller is only on this list due to the fact that Dana Altman retirement rumors are once again beginning to circle. Should those rumors die down, Miller will enroll at Oregon and that will be that. Should they yield a coaching change, however, things could get interesting.
Miller’s recruitment included a number of twists and turns before he committed to the Ducks on Nov. 15, so it’s difficult to guess where he might land should he return to the market.
Programs such as USC, LSU, Gonzaga and Cal will be worth watching for the California-born guard.
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JUNI MOBLEY
Ranking: No. 50 in the 2024 Rivals150
What might change: Ohio State has already dismissed former head coach Chris Holtmann, and who the Buckeyes land to replace him may determine the future of Mobley, the Buckeyes' top-ranked 2024 recruit. Should the hire not jive with what Mobley wants, he could wiggle out of his letter of intent and take second looks at Creighton, Arizona State, LSU, USC and Xavier.
At just 6-foot, Mobley is an undersized guard that can only truly thrive if placed in the right situation, so the Ohio State coaching hire will be massively important.
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KHANI ROOTHS
Ranking: No. 33 in the 2024 Rivals150
What might change: The top-ranked prospect in Michigan’s 2024 class, Rooths chose Michigan over finalists Georgia and Florida State. And while Rooths has signed a letter of intent with the Wolverines, programs don’t tend to protest too much about cutting prospects loose in the event of a coaching change, which could very well be happening at Michigan this spring.
Should Rooths find himself back on the market, the Seminoles, Bulldogs and others will be worth monitoring closely. Rooths, who is originally from the Washington D.C. area, plays his high school ball at Florida’s IMG Academy and was linked to Maryland and Virginia Tech in addition to his three finalists.
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MALEEK THOMAS
Ranking: No. 7 in the 2025 Rivals150
What might change: Michigan has been consistently mentioned as a program to watch when it comes to the five-star junior. As the losses mount and frustration builds in Ann Arbor, a coaching change is starting to look more likely. Should the Wolverine part ways with Juwan Howard after the season, they would be officially waving the white flag on Thomas’ recruitment.
Truth be told, however, the instability that has taken hold of the program makes the Wolverines unlikely to land the five-star either way. A year ago, Howard and company were seen as a serious threat to win the Thomas Sweepstakes. That narrative was put to bed in a hurry, however, thanks in part to this year’s clunker of a season.