Nearly half of the top 20 prospects in the class of 2024 have chosen a college and are preparing to make things official when the early signing window opens next month. There are still plenty of elite players on the board, however, and Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy addresses a handful of them in this week’s installment of I've Got Five On It.
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1. COOPER FLAGG
RANKING: No. 1
WHAT’S GOING ON? Flagg has narrowed his focus to include just Duke and UConn and will take his final recruiting visit, a second official to Durham, this weekend. Kansas was briefly considered a finalist but was abruptly cut before a scheduled visit last month.
It seems logical to expect a relatively quick decision following this weekend’s trip, as the Blue Devils and Huskies have had plenty of time to make their pitches, and Flagg has had space to form strong opinions. The No. 1 prospect in the class has not set a commitment date, but he seems likely to sign during next month’s Early Signing Period.
CASSIDY’S TAKE: There’s a prevalent school of thought that Flagg-to-Duke is a sure thing, but I think the Huskies are more of a player than some people think or admit. They also seem to be gaining ground by the day. That said, it’s going to take a herculean effort for the defending champs to withstand not only the fact that the Blue Devils hold the final visit but also Flagg’s deep and longstanding relationship with Jon Scheyer, who has been recruiting him for well over a year.
I view Duke as the leader here, even if I’m not itching to slam the door on Dan Hurley and company, who seem to have some fight in them.
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2. DYLAN HARPER
RANKING: No. 3
WHAT’S GOING ON? “What’s going on?” is actually a hell of a question as it relates to Harper these days. The five-star guard has seemed extremely close to a commitment to Rutgers a handful of times over the last six months but has held out. He’s been rumored to want to take additional visits to Duke, Auburn (likely) and Kansas (possibly) before making a decision but has declined comment on that situation.
He popped back up on Rutgers' campus last weekend for a second official visit and may well show up on the campus of one of the other, aforementioned schools in the near future. Harper is playing his recruitment close to the vest down the home stretch as intrigue continues to grow.
CASSIDY’S TAKE: It’s possibly foolish given the other involved parties, but I still like Rutgers here … at least for the time being. Scarlet Knights head coach Steve Pikiell and staff would prefer it if Harper didn’t take additional fall visits, but it seems possible that such a ship is about to sail. If Harper actually turns up on campus at another school, nerves should rightfully take hold. If not, it seems as though Rutgers will be able to guide the commitment plane into the hanger.
A timetable on a decision is anyone’s guess because further visits would likely result in an extended process that will drag out beyond the November signing period.
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3. TRE JOHNSON
RANKING: No. 4
WHAT’S GOING ON? Johnson recently narrowed his list to include just Texas and Baylor. The two in-state schools have long seemed like the frontrunner, even if it was only made “official” this month. Kentucky was kicking around for a time, but never became a serious threat.
Johnson has set no timetable for a commitment but has already visited his two finalists and seems to be in reflection mode. Johnson’s father started his college hoops career at Baylor. And while that fact is certainly worth noting, it doesn’t seem incredibly vital here. Texas shouldn’t be dismissed for obvious reasons.
CASSIDY’S TAKE: I admittedly don’t have a particularly great handle on this situation, but the tea leaves suggest Baylor might be tough to beat due to deep relationships and family ties. There’s also the fact that the Bears have one of the best pure point guards in the class already in the fold in Robert Wright, who has a knack for making off-ball scoring guards look great. There seems to be a lot working in Scott Drew’s favor as it relates to Johnson, even if Texas can’t be counted out. I’m not logging a FutureCast or anything at the moment because I’m simply not sure how this will end.
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4. VJ EDGECOMBE
RANKING: No. 5
WHAT’S GOING ON? Edgecombe got a late jump on things, as the five-star prospect didn’t burst onto the scene as a major national recruit until a year ago at this time. Major offers continued to roll in until this summer, so Edgecombe didn’t begin to take official visits until a few months back. Officially he is considering Duke, Alabama, St. John's, Baylor, Miami, Michigan, UConn, Florida State and the the NBA G League
CASSIDY’S TAKE: The NBA G-League is worth watching very closely here, as it seems to absolutely love the five-star’s upside and is making a furious pitch to get him to forgo college and play for Ignite. Still, there are colleges under serious consideration.
If Edgecombe decides to go the college route, Alabama, Duke, St. John’s and possibly UConn feel like the programs to monitor closely. Either way, it seems unlikely that a decision will come before the end of the early signing window.
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5. BOOGIE FLAND
RANKING: No. 10
WHAT’S GOING ON? Fland will announce his decision on Oct. 20 at a ceremony at New York’s Archbishop Stepinac High School, where he became a star and a top-flight prospect. He’s narrowed his focus to include just Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana and has already visited each campus.
The last few months have seen all three coaching staffs make multiple visits to his school as none of the three schools that remain in play have started to wave the white flag. Fland’s recruitment has been one of the more contested races of the 2024 cycle.
CASSIDY’S TAKE: Nothing feels certain as we head toward Fland’s commitment. Concrete information on which way the five-star guard is leaning is exceedingly difficult to come by these days, but it would be both a cop-out and a lie if I wrote that I see it as a three-way tossup. With that in mind, I see the hierarchy as Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama – in that order.
I’d be stunned if the pick were Alabama, but Mike Woodson’s Hoosiers closing the gap and winning out still feels like a possibility, even if I’m leaning toward UK as I type this. This is a two-horse race in the final corner. I wrote this a month or so ago and have heard nothing thus far that would make me want to alter the pecking order I outlined at the time. We’ll see, though.
