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McDonald's Nuggets: Prospects on the rise; top commits

In this week’s edition of McDonald’s Nuggets, Dan McDonald discusses five prospects with a chance to jump into the 2022 Rivals150 and names his Transfer of the Week and his 2021 and 2022 Commits of the Week.

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MORE: NEW RIVALS150 FOR 2021 RELEASED | Four-star guard Emanuel Sharp chooses Houston

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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WHAT’S ON MY MIND: Five prospects expected to jump into Rivals150

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Noah Clowney
Noah Clowney (Rivals.com)

WHAT’S ON MY MIND: Five prospects expected to jump into Rivals150

We’re getting very close to the next update of the class of 2022 Rivals150, with several prospects potentially playing their way into the next edition.

One prospect that is a lock to make the next cut is Noah Clowney, a 6-foot-9 forward out of South Carolina. Playing again for Team Dickerson this travel season, he’s made huge strides since last summer. He’s shown the ability to hit from three-point range, put the ball on the floor and play on the block. His versatility and athleticism give him a ton of upside. Virginia Tech and Xavier were in with early offers last summer. In the past six weeks, he’s added Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Providence and Tennessee.

Chandler Jackson brings great size and feel to the point guard position. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Memphis native plays the game at his pace, makes great decisions and can score it at a pretty good clip. Alabama, Memphis, Missouri, Ole Miss, TCU and Vanderbilt are among the schools with scholarship offers out to Jackson already.

DJ Jefferson has earned over a dozen scholarship offers to this point and don’t be surprised if that trend continues when college coaches get back out on the road this summer. The 6-foot-5 lefty wing out of Minnesota is one of the top bucket-getters in the class that should make an early impact at the school he ends up choosing.

When Sage Tolentino committed to Auburn in October, it came as a bit of surprise because not much was known about the Hawaii native. But after seeing him a few times so far this travel season with TSF Mack, there is no doubt he deserves a spot in the next edition of the 2022 Rivals150. The 7-foot tall Tolentino knocks down the three consistently, scores on the block and protects the rim. Adding some muscle to his frame when he gets to Auburn could make him a scary presence in the SEC for Bruce Pearl.

After just coming over to the United States from France late in 2020, Yohan Traore now looks like one of the top post players in the 2022 class. The Prolific Prep big man is a great athlete with a great frame at 6-foot-10. He’s a gifted finisher in the paint as well, and he makes his free throws, which is generally a good sign that he has a chance to add range to his shot. Kansas and TCU have offered.

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TRANSFER OF THE WEEK: Bryce Thompson to Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State was hoping to keep the former five-star guard home this time last year, but all's well that ends well. The Cowboys were able to get Thompson to come home this year via the transfer portal, and they need him to step up in a big way with the departure of Cade Cunningham to the NBA. Known for his scoring ability coming out of high school, Thompson averaged only 4.6 points per game last season for the Jayhawks. Look for him to double that - and then some - in Stillwater this year.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA STATE FANS AT OSTATEILLUSTRATED.COM

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2021 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: (Tie) Patrick Baldwin Jr. to Milwaukee and Ty Ty Washington to Kentucky

Patrick Baldwin Jr. had been trending toward the idea of playing for his father at Milwaukee for a while now, and he finally sealed the deal this week. The top 5 prospect in the 2021 passed on the opportunity to play at Duke to instead stay home and play for his dad. Georgetown was also in the mix.

Ty Ty Washington’s decision to choose Kentucky didn’t exactly come as a surprise either, but it’s still a significant commitment. After giving Nolan Hickman his release the Wildcats needed a top point guard in the 2021 class - and they got their man. Washington had a terrific senior season and became a hot commodity with top programs from coast to coast.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KENTUCKY FANS AT CATSILLUSTRATED.COM

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2022 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Emanuel Sharp to Houston

Houston continues to build not only one of the top programs in the American Athletic Conference but also one of the top programs in the country. Coming off a Final Four this year, the Cougars have continued to build momentum on the recruiting trail and now hold the commitment of Emanuel Sharp, one of the top shooting guards in the 2022 class. The four-star prospect is an elite scorer at all three levels and will be able to help Kelvin Sampson early in his career.

SHARE YOU THOUGHTS WITH HOUSTON FANS AT COUGARSDEN.COM

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