McDonald's Nuggets: Illinois, Texas, Rutgers ready to rise
This week’s McDonald’s Nuggets projects three potential breakout programs, updates Trey Alexander’s recruitment as he approaches a decision and names the 2021 Commit of the Week.
MORE: Florida Man on Michigan, Kentucky
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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
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WHAT’S ON MY MIND: Which schools are ready to break out?
Momentum is a huge deal in college sports because it can often add jet fuel to a program in the recruiting process that experiences success on the court. There were three really good examples last season of programs having breakthrough seasons and taking advantage of it this recruiting cycle.
Baylor used the momentum of a great season to put together a phenomenal 2021 recruiting class that currently ranks eighth overall. Florida State is another program that had the potential to make its first Final Four under Leonard Hamilton before the season was cut short, and the Seminoles have also used that to put together the No. 2 overall class as we approach the Early Signing Period. And, lastly, Georgia Tech surprised a lot of people by winning 11 games in ACC play last year and now have three Rivals150 commitments in the 2021 class for the first time under Josh Pastner.
Which schools could be on the verge of following those schools over the next calendar year? I have three in mind.
Illinois seems like the most obvious candidate here. Brad Underwood has steadily built up his roster since arriving in 2017 and it looks like the 2020-21 season could be the year the Fighting Illini take it to the next level with a shot at winning the Big Ten and making a Final Four run. Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn give him one of the best one-two punches in college basketball, and there is plenty of help around them.
It could also be the year when Shaka Smart turns the corner in Austin with the Longhorns. Texas brings back five players who averaged 9.3 points per game or more, with senior guard Matt Coleman back to run the team as the floor general. Five-star small forward Greg Brown should also give the program a jolt.
Lastly, Rutgers started to surge last season under Steve Pikiell and was definitely in the mix to earn an NCAA Tournament bid before the season was cut short. Assuming the 2021 NCAA Tournament happens, the Scarlet Knights should be able to make it this year without having to sweat it out on Selection Sunday. Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker are back this season, and they combined for 23 points per game last season. Rutgers won its biggest recruiting battle in years in the 2020 cycle by landing Clifford Omoruyi, who should immediately make a big impact in the frontcourt with his athleticism, physicality and ability to score in the paint.
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RECRUITING NOTE: Trey Alexander names a top three, updates decision date
Four-star shooting guard Trey Alexander recently cut his list down to seven schools, with Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Grambling State, Kansas, Oklahoma and Ole Miss remaining in play to sign him in the 2021 class. He also set a decision date for Nov. 10., with plans to sign during the Early Signing Period.
On Thursday night, the Oklahoma native updated his status with Rivals.com. Instead of working with a list of seven schools, he’s now focused on three schools: Arkansas, Auburn and Kansas. He’s also likely to push back his decision date to later next week, likely Thursday.
Look for a full update with his thoughts on each program this weekend, but all three schools have his full attention as he works toward settling on one school. As for Arkansas, he has a strong relationship with the coaching staff and likes that the coaching staff has NBA experience. Auburn’s style of play and Bruce Pearl’s history of elevating the play of his guards gives the Tigers a real shot at earning his signature next week. The prestige of Kansas - along with Bill Self’s track record of producing NBA guards - gives the Jayhawks a really strong shot here.
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2021 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Daimion Collins to Kentucky
Daimion Collins has been discussed almost weekly in this column, and his recruitment ended in favor of Kentucky last Friday - as we predicted in last week’s edition. His relationship with UK assistant coach Jai Lucas was huge for the Wildcats and helped them win out over Oklahoma and Texas. Collins became John Calipari’s first five-star commitment in the 2021 class.
Collins is currently ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect in his class and he possesses as much upside as any prospect in the class. He has elite length and athleticism, and the 6-foot-10 power forward is starting to develop the skill level to go along with it. The next step is continuing to add strength to his thin frame and becoming a more consistently productive player. There is no better place for him to do that than Kentucky.