Mailbag: Flory Bidunga, Cincinnati, Jalil Bethea, Indiana
It’s mail day at Rivals, as national analyst Rob Cassidy has turned to the application formerly known as Twitter to field questions dealing with all manner of recruiting-related issues. This week, he sinks his teeth into five-star Flory Bidunga’s impending commitment, the gaggle of irons in the fire at Indiana and what could be next for Cincinnati.
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OK, here we go.
It seems like Bidunga is closing in on announcing a commitment. There was some buzz early in the week that he planned to make a choice by the weekend, but that chatter seems to have faded a bit. If it’s not this week, I’d expect something in the very near future.
I don’t think it will shock anyone to learn that this is a Kansas vs. Duke battle. Michigan and Auburn are essentially window dressing on his list of finalists. Everything I’m hearing in the last 48 hours has pointed to Kansas, but I’m a bit trigger shy when it comes to putting in a FutureCast for two reasons.
1. Bidunga’s recruitment has been played pretty close to the vest for its entirety, so information leaking now is a bit surprising.
2. I hate betting against Duke on the recruiting trail.
Still, I know people close to the Kansas program feel good as things stand and the smoke coming from other non-KU sources also seems to indicate the Jayhawks are the team to beat. All of that said, If I was confident, there would be a FutureCast and I can’t bring myself to enter one just yet,
Maybe later in the week.
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I think it’s certainly worth watching Tyler Betsey. There’s buzz that the 6-foot-7 wing is getting closer to narrowing his focus and Cincinnati is definitely becoming one of the major players in his process. I’m told an official visit is in the works, and I expect the Bearcats to make a move if that takes place. Betsey has a strong relationship with Bearcat alum Cane Broome, who coaches at his high school.
Nothing is certain when it comes to New Jersey-based star and Cincinnati obviously, but I like Wes Miller’s chances to make noise if he’s able to get the four-star on campus in the early fall. UConn, Indiana and Creighton are among the other schools heavily involved. Obviously, Miller and company are also serious players with Travis Perry and others in 2024.
Looking further ahead, 2025 point guard Jalen Reece is certainly worth monitoring. Reece’s father, who coaches him in both the high school and grassroots level, has strong ties to the area. The fact that he was teammates with current Bearcat Edgerrin James Jr., could also play a role. I expect the Bearcats to be a serious player until the end with Reece, who averaged 8.8 points and 4.4 assists per game in five outings at 16U Peach Jam this month.
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I’m not sure who the singular front-runner is, but I think I can handicap the field some. The programs I see as actually having a chance to land Jalil Bethea are Miami, Syracuse and Villanova. Alabama is technically in the talented guard’s final five but I don’t see it as a real player.
Then, there’s Kansas. I wouldn’t classify the Jayhawks as one of the leaders as things stand but I had somebody in the know tell me that the Jayhawks should be treated as a “dark horse.” Bill Self and company could make a strong move down the stretch and find themselves in the thick of the hunt. For now, however, the Hurricanes, Wildcats and Orange should be the most optimistic.
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Here’s a little secret:
I have absolutely no idea how the Rivals team rankings formula works. None. It was created before I got here and has been automated since. Plus, I have a strict “no algebra policy” in my day-to-day life. I just rank the players and let the equation decide who has the best class. That makes it extremely difficult for me to project who might finish top five.
That said, I think the top five is within reach if things break correctly. It starts with Liam McNeeley, for whom the Hoosiers feel like the current favorite. The five-star has set his second official visit to Bloomington for Sept 8. Sealing the deal with him seems like a must if the Hoosiers want to flirt with the top five.
IU also feels like a serious player for guys such as Jaeden Mustaf, Boogie Fland, Austin Swartz, Rakease Passmore, Annor Boateng and others. I think the Hoosiers will ultimately miss out on Dylan Harper, Asa Newell and Tyler Betsey, but nothing on either front is set in stone because things in recruiting have a tendency to turn on a dime. There are enough irons in the fire here to give Indiana a shot at the top five in my rough estimate, but it all hinges on McNeeley first and foremost.