McDonald's Nuggets: Stock risers, big transfers, top commits
In this week’s edition of McDonald’s Nuggets, Dan McDonald discusses five prospects with a chance to jump into 2023 Rivals rankings and names the top commitments and transfers of the week.
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More: Questions prior to 2022 rankings release
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 the 2023 rankings
We’re getting closer to updating and expanding the class of 2023 rankings on Rivals.com, which means many new names will appear in the next edition. I’ve got five prospects we are strongly considering as we go through the process of finalizing the rankings.
Look for Finley Bizjack to be a priority prospect in the Big 12 and schools with strong academic reputations around the country. The 6-foot-3 guard can score it with some flare and has the athleticism and feistiness to be a tough defender. DePaul, Stanford and TCU are in with early offers, but expect that list to grow in a hurry.
Don’t be surprised if Aaron Bradshaw shoots up the rankings over the next couple years in the 2023 class as the New Jersey native has immense upside. At 7-foot, he possesses great ability, can play in the paint, and has added some perimeter skills to his repertoire to make him an even more impressive prospect. LSU, Miami, Nebraska, St. John’s, TCU and Texas A&M put out early scholarship offers.
Another scoring guard to watch in the 2023 class is Blue Cain. For example, the Knoxville (Tenn.) native put up 73 points in a game this year. The 6-foot-3 guard is a three-level scorer capable of lighting up score boards in a hurry. South Carolina, Syracuse and Tennessee jumped in early with scholarship offers.
London Johnson has been on a hot streak this spring and could possibly earn a spot in the next rankings update. The 6-foot-3 point guard combines the ability to run a team as a floor general while also being able to pump in as many points as needed. Scholarship offers are in from Georgetown, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Xavier.
The biggest no-brainer on this list to make the next cut is Kris Parker, a 6-foot-6 wing out of Florida. His size, skill and athleticism package rival some of the best wings in the class right now. He has five-star potential in the long term. Florida, Florida State, Kansas State and Ole Miss are the four high-majors to make early scholarship offers.
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RECRUITING NOTE: Jayden Epps backs out of Providence commitment
Earlier this week, Jayden Epps decided he rushed into his decision to commit to Providence and wants to look into some different schools to make the best decision. As one of the top guards in the 2022 class, it didn’t take long for his phone to start buzzing with scholarship offers. Kansas, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech were quick to make sure he knew previous offers were still valid. Illinois jumped in with an offer as well. As the summer plays out, don’t be surprised if some of the top programs around the country come banging on his door.
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TRANSFER OF THE WEEK: Quincy Guerrier to Oregon
Oregon always seems to make good use of the transfer wire and did so again on Thursday with a huge commitment from former Syracuse standout Quincy Guerrier. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds as a sophomore this season for the Orange. The Ducks edged out Arizona State, Illinois and Memphis to win this battle as Guerrier joins De’Vion Harmon to give Oregon two of the top transfers this year. Guerrier will have three years of eligibility remaining in Eugene.
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2021 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Arthur Kaluma to Creighton
It’s been a rough couple months for Creighton with players leaving the program and coaches bolting for other opportunities, but the Blue Jays received some great news earlier this week with the commitment of Arthur Kaluma. The top 50 prospect in the 2021 class had originally signed with UNLV before TJ Otzelberger departed for the head coaching job at Iowa State. The versatile 6-foot-9 power forward should be expected to make an early impact in the Big East.