McDonald's Nuggets: Recruiting changes, TCU, visitor to watch
Dan McDonald is back with his weekly column, McDonald's Nuggets. This week’s edition includes thoughts on recruiting changes, TCU's recruiting efforts, the Commit of the Week - and more.
MORE: 3-Point Play on prospect empowerment, early commits, Micah Peavy
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150
WHAT’S ON MY MIND: Recruiting keeps changing
I have been covering basketball recruiting in the Rivals.com network for exactly 10 years this weekend. In the past decade, there have been several changes in the way college basketball coaches recruit and the way recruits handle the recruiting process.
Of all the ways the recruiting process has evolved, the one change that stands out the most to me is the way high-major coaches have started to embrace transfers. When I first started, it was mostly mid-major and low-major coaches trying to bring in transfers coming down from the high-major level. Over the last few years, it’s become more and more common for a kid to end up at a low-major or mid-major program, have a great freshman and/or sophomore year, then transfer up to a high-major. The frequency in which players graduate and transfer - a lot of times because they already transferred once and have the redshirt year to allow them to graduate early - is also way higher.
When I have conversations with college coaches nowadays, it seems like most high-major coaches now plan on saving a scholarship for the late signing period with the intent on getting a transfer. It also seems like most coaches recruit as if they are going to lose at least one player to a transfer.
So, a little public service announcement to all fans out there: If your favorite team’s coaches seem like they are a little slow in adding players in the 2020 class, it could very well be because they are going to be active in the transfer portal after the season.
RECRUITING NOTE: Keep an eye on TCU this weekend
Three-star big man Eddie Lampkin released a top five recently that includes Arkansas, Seton Hall, TCU, Texas A&M and Western Kentucky. As we move into Labor Day Weekend, he’ll be using his first official visit to hang out with Jamie Dixon and the Horned Frogs. This will be a visit to keep an eye on at the end of the weekend and into next week. There has been some talk behind the scenes that there is a decent chance he ends up on TCU’s commitment list sooner than later.
*****
VISITOR TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND: Isaiah Jackson heads to Lexington
Five-star power forward Isaiah Jackson will be making an official visit to Kentucky this weekend. This is pretty significant news, as it has been hard to get much information from Jackson or anyone around him. This weekend will be critical to John Calipari and his staff in their hopes of reeling in one of the top forwards in the country to go along with the two highly talent wings he has committed in B.J. Boston and Cam’Ron Fletcher. Alabama, Indiana, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State and Syracuse are among the other schools in the mix for the Michigan native.
COMMIT OF THE WEEK: St. John’s keeps Posh Alexander home
Mike Anderson had a big recruiting win last Friday as he and his staff were able to convince Rivals150 guard Posh Alexander to choose the Red Storm. Dayton, Illinois, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall were also in the mix for the New York City native. Alexander is what you generally think of in a guard from the Big Apple as he’s a tough, competitive, stocky guard at 5-foot-10. In the Nike EYBL, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game playing for the New York Lightning. This is the type of battle Anderson needs to win on a regular basis in order to get the Red Storm back in contention for the Big East championship.