McLaughlin will take time
Advertisement
CHARLOTTE -- Four-star point guard Jaquori McLaughlin is hoping that the third time will be the charm. A rising senior, he's twice made commitments and re-opened the recruiting process. This time around, he's taking as much time as he needs to be 100% sure he's making the right pick.
A 6-foot-3 floor general from Gig Harbor (Wash.) Peninsula with smooth athleticism and a deft feel for the position, McLaughlin first committed to Oregon State as a sophomore. But Craig Robinson and his staff were let go in the spring of 2014 so he opened things back up.
Then as a junior, McLaughlin committed to Lorenzo Romar before backing off that pledge during the spring.
Because he hasn't played much on any national circuits, this week's Under Armour All-America Camp Presented by Rivals.com was a huge opportunity for McLaughlin and the coaches interested in him.
"It is important to play well but I also know that coaches just want to see me play my game," McLaughlin told Rivals.com. "They just want to see me be a leader, be efficient on the floor, get people on my team to want to like me and make open shots."
Though he is a good jump shooter and a gifted scorer who could play some at the two, McLaughlin makes it pretty clear that he wants to be recruited as a point guard.
"It turns me off a little if somebody recruits me as a two," McLaughlin said. "I feel more comfortable at the point guard. I feel more natural facilitating the ball and getting my teammates involved."
Since opening things back up, a small group of very good programs have been making a push.
"I've heard the most from Gonzaga and Arizona," said McLaughlin. "Wisconsin is talking to me a lot and I've heard from Stanford and Washington."
The only non West Coast program on McLaughlin's list, Wisconsin is a school that he has come to appreciate. However, the Badgers pick to replace Bo Ryan will be pretty important in his recruitment.
"I've watched them a lot," McLaughlin said. "I thought that they were a much slower team but they actually play with some speed.
"Assistant coach Greg Gard, if he's the coach there I'm still interested in them."
So far, McLaughlin says that he'll definitely take official visits to Arizona and Gonzaga and that Wisconsin would get added to that list if Gard is named as Ryan's replacement. He doesn't have a timeline to make his decision.
"I want to take as long as possible and make the right decision," McLaughlin said. "I could go into the spring right now, I can't really tell."
