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McDonald's Nuggets: Momentum for UK, Georgia Tech, Dayton

Skyy Clark
Skyy Clark (https://rivals.com)

This week’s McDonald’s Nuggets discusses three programs with significant momentum on the recruiting trail as the Early Signing Period approaches.

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MORE: Florida Man's latest update

RECRUITING UPDATES: Ben Middlebrooks | Wesley Cardet

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

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WHAT’S ON MY MIND: Kentucky's latest commits. Another big one coming? 

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise when it happens after the way the last decade played out, but John Calipari once again has Kentucky heating up on the recruiting trail. It started a week ago when the Wildcats were able to secure a commitment from five-star class of 2022 point guard Skyy Clark, beating out Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA to land one of the top floor generals in the country, regardless of class. Clark could end up in Lexington next year as there have long been rumors of him reclassifying into the 2021 class, but as of right now he plans to stick in the 2022 class and is an excellent start for Big Blue Nation.

Earlier this week, Kentucky scored a commitment from four-star small forward Bryce Hopkins. The Illinois native had been committed to Louisville for a year before opening his recruitment again in August, which resulted in several schools jumping into the mix, including Kentucky. Currently No. 30 overall in the 2021 Rivals150, Hopkins is a really skilled offensive player with the size and versatility to play either forward spot at the next level. Backing out of a Louisville commitment to choose Kentucky is a good way to add a little juice to a rivalry that doesn’t exactly lack hostility.

And it looks like Kentucky might not be far away from more good news. Five-star power forward Daimion Collins will announce his college decision on Saturday, and he will be choosing from a top five that includes Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech. Early on, it looked like Texas had the edge. Not too long ago, Oklahoma had surged and the Sooners were viewed by many as the leader. As we head into decision time on Saturday, Kentucky sits in great position to land the No. 10 prospect in the 2021 Rivals150.

How did Kentucky suddenly make a big move? Look no further than Calipari’s decision to hire Jai Lucas to his staff this offseason (Note: Lucas recruited Collins while he was at Texas). Initially, Lucas was brought in for a support staff role, which meant he could not recruit and could not bring any players he had previous relationships with to Kentucky due to the NCAA’s Individuals Associated With a Prospect (IAWP) rule. On Thursday afternoon, Calipari decided to make Lucas one of his three assistant coaches and moved Tony Barbee to a support staff position. Lucas developed a great reputation as both a recruiter and on-court coach at Texas before making the move to Kentucky. He also built a relationship with Collins during his time in Austin, so this opens the door for Collins to sign with Kentucky.

Collins has a really high ceiling at 6-foot-10 with his length, athleticism and always-improving skill level. To give you an idea of the type of talent he is: Collins will often play a primary ball-handler role for his high school team.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KENTUCKY FANS AT CATSILLUSTRATED.COM

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RECRUITING NOTE: Georgia Tech trending upward

Josh Pastner
Josh Pastner (AP Images)

Josh Pastner started his tenure at Georgia Tech by surpassing expectations in a big way in his first season in charge of the Yellow Jackets. But ever since then it’s been tough for the ACC program to generate any momentum in a really tough league with the cloud of an NCAA investigation hanging over the program.

With the NCAA issues in the past and a breakthrough season on the court with 11 wins in ACC play, Pastner’s program is finally trending upward again going into his fifth season. The Yellow Jackets have a strong enough roster to contend for an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2010. But after this season, there could be several departures from key players if they don’t take advantage of the additional year the NCAA is giving student-athletes due to the pandemic. It’s imperative that Georgia Tech secures a strong recruiting class this year, and that’s exactly what Pastner and his staff are doing.

Last month, four-star shooting guard Miles Kelly jumped on board and chose the Yellow Jackets over several ACC and SEC programs. He’s a really smooth scoring guard at 6-foot-5, and he will only get better as he fills out his thin frame. Georgia Tech landed another four-star guard this week with Deebo Coleman’s commitment. Like Kelly, he’s a very talented scorer that can play either spot in the backcourt because of playmaking ability.

Georgia Tech might not be done before the Early Signing Period ends. Rivals150 small forward Jalon Moore will likely announce a college decision in the next couple weeks and the Yellow Jackets are one of the schools under consideration, along with Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee State. Moore was a new addition to the rankings in the last Rivals update after a strong finish to the travel season. At 6-foot-6, he’s a really good athlete with a nice perimeter stroke and has some toughness to him, too. He’ll be able to play both forward spots at the next level.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA TECH FANS AT JACKETSONLINE.COM

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2021 COMMIT(S) OF THE WEEK: Dayton doubles up

It's really unfortunate we weren’t able to see what Dayton could do in the NCAA Tournament last season with Obi Toppin, but Anthony Grant and his staff aren’t dwelling on what they couldn’t control. Toppin is likely to be a top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and the Flyers are well on their way to securing the type of recruiting class that will give them a chance to soon make another run in March.

Dayton’s big week started with the commitment of DaRon Holmes, the No. 36-ranked prospect in the 2021 class. Holmes chose the Flyers over Arizona, California and Marquette, among many other scholarship offers. He’s the highest-ranked prospect in the history of Rivals.com to choose Dayton, and it won’t take long for him to make a big impact. Like Toppin, Holmes is a really athletic 6-foot-8 forward with a lot of skill. He’s developed a nice balance to his game and can play both in the paint and out on the perimeter.

The Flyers scored another impressive commitment on Monday night with four-star small forward Kaleb Washington. The Georgia native had an strong summer for Game Elite as he showed off his potential to be a lockdown defender at the next level. He also has a smooth jump shot with a nice, high release on it. He’ll only get better as he gets to a college weight program and fills out.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH DAYTON FANS AT FLYERHOOPS.COM

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