Mailbag: Baylor baiting top players
Rivals.com basketball analyst Eric Bossi doesn't just follow the heavyweights. This week, he handles questions about hoops hotbeds such as Baylor, Dayton and Rutgers in his latest mailbag.
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Bearish on Baylor
-- @Hoopmanx (via Twitter)
Sometimes schools prefer to bring in major targets alone, or at least at a time when there isn't somebody they might be competing with for a spot.
Others like to get them together on visit, dangle the spot out in front of the prospects and hopefully create a little competition for the spot.
Either way, what is clear is that the Bears would like to land either four-star prospect. A native of Louisville who spent some time in Texas before settling in at Huntington (W.V.) Prep, Woodson is the No. 37 player in the class of 2013 and a big space eating interior player with soft touch.
A four-star junior college player from Levelland (Texas) South Plains, Moreira is a more lean, lengthy and athletic big guy. N.C. State and Oklahoma appear to be the primary competition for Woodson while SMU and Texas A&M are among the many others chasing Moreira.
Flying high?
Dayton's class a top 25 class?
-- @JustinH_23 (via Twitter)
While they have two Rivals150 combo guards in Kyle Davis and Dayshon Smith in the fold along with three-star small forward Kendall Pollard, the Flyers' class isn't in the national top 25. But, it's sitting just a little bit outside of the top 30 and may be the best class to date in the A-10.
It's certainly the best perimeter trio committed to an A-10 program. Davis is an explosive, hard-driving, high flyer who puts up points in bunches. Smith is a creative ball handler and scorer who makes things happen off the dribble while Pollard is a high-level athlete who can really finish in transition.
Still adding?
In your opinion, does the Marcus Lee commitment rule out Aaron Gordon or Julius Randle for Kentucky? Something has to give.
-- @basadeed (via Twitter)
I don't think the addition of the No. 15 player in the country will have any kind of negative impact on any of the other big fish that Kentucky is recruiting such as No. 1 Randle and No. 5 Gordon.
Lee is a long-term four, but he's plenty big and lengthy to play the five in college and is built for speed. Both Randle and Gordon are high volume rebounders that like to attack off the dribble.
Gordon is more of a high flyer while Randle is more of a banger. Bottom line, either of those guys could easily play with Lee.
Now whether or not Kentucky -- who has commitments from four five-star prospects -- can get either of them is an entirely different story.
Rutgers and Roberson?
Does Rutgers have a shot at Tyler Roberson?
-- @aggs82 (via Twitter)
This is something that I think we will find out the answer to sooner than later. The 6-foot-8 combo forward from Roselle (N.J.) Catholic is on an official visit to Kansas this weekend and he could be making a decision soon.
The No. 30 player in the land does still have visits planned for Villanova and Kentucky but it isn't a certainty that he takes them both.
Mike Rice and Rutgers have been making a big push of late and it's not out of the question that they could keep Roberson at home despite some heavy hitters -- Syracuse is also in the mix -- making big runs at him.
Patterson's play
What happened with Ron Patterson? Why did it not work out with Indiana? Connecticut is making a push and wonder what the back story was.
-- Dr.01 (via message board)
To make a long story short, Patterson was cleared by the NCAA but did not meet the Hoosiers' standards during summer school, so he was let go.
A Rivals150 player in the class of 2012, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard has made his way to powerhouse Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Prep for a post-grad year and reports are that he's making the most of it.
Patterson has always been a high level perimeter defender and strong finisher at the rim. Reports out of Brewster are that he's shooting the ball better and playing with more consistency.
Not ready to pick
Any idea what JaJuan Johnson's status is? Will he be deciding soon?
-- Jackson, Milwaukee (via email)
A lean and lengthy 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Memphis (Tenn.) Southwind who ranks No. 62 overall in the class of 2013 Rivals150, Johnson does appear to be nearing a decision.
One of the country's better perimeter defenders, Johnson visited Marquette last weekend and Buzz Williams and the Eagles are making a major push to try and land the wing. Their primary competition at this point appears to be Anthony Grant and the Alabama Crimson Tide, who have been there with Johnson since day one.
Johnson has also visited Miami, but the Hurricanes appear to be trailing at this juncture.
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