Ranking the Contenders: Arthur Kaluma
Arthur Kaluma has become one of the more heavily pursued prospects this summer.
The well-rounded forward has coast-to-coast connections as he was born in Boston, moved to Texas at a young age and now lives in Arizona, which has resulted in a variety of programs entering his recruitment. Kaluma is down to a final eight but has not yet set a timetable for his decision.
Here are the contenders for Kaluma's commitment.
More: Will it be St. Louis, Illinois, Nebraska, Alabama or Memphis for Nesbitt?
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
1. USC
USC commit Harrison Hornery is a solid mix and match big man that can play inside and out and it would seem that Kaluma would complement him perfectly. USC is set to lose a lot along the frontcourt in the spring, so a hard-playing and productive forward like Kaluma is of a great need. The Trojans have made Kaluma a priority and sit as one of the few programs to beat in his recruitment.
2. TEXAS A&M
If Kaluma decides that he wants to play in his home state, then Texas A&M is going to be the pick. The Aggies got off to a good start under Buzz Williams last season and showed that they will be a formidable team in the SEC in the future. Their recruiting efforts have followed a similar trajectory, as Texas A&M's 2020 class was a good start and the program's lone 2021 commit to this point is five-star Manny Obaseki. Williams has done his best work with hungry, blue-collared forwards like Kaluma, which is a major reason why the Aggies have a chance to land his signature.
3. UNLV
TJ Otzelberger, at least during his first year as UNLV's head coach, took a different approach than his predecessors in Las Vegas. Instead of chasing after highly-ranked prospects, he has instead focused finding players that the Rebels can develop and best fit his program. The strategy has paid off so far, as Otzelberger has gotten the Rebels back on the path to relevancy within the Mountain West Conference. However, with just one graduating senior on its roster, UNLV could go for the home run pick-up in Kaluma. The four-star is exactly what Otzelberger looks for in a prospect with his lunch-pail mentality and strong character traits. The Rebels may might not be the team to beat, but they are in a prime spot to land Kaluma.
4. ARIZONA STATE
Arizona State has done a tremendous job of placing an early priority on some of the top talent in Arizona, which is why they will have a chance with Kaluma. The Sun Devils do not have a major need in the frontcourt, but Kaluma's talent is too great to pass up and ASU could be ready to make a push. While the Devils are playing from behind, they are still worth monitoring as things get later in the process.
5. SYRACUSE
At one point in time earlier in the year, Syracuse was believed to be the favorite for Kaluma. Things had even progressed to the point that there was talk that he was about to commit to the Orange. That obviously didn't happen, and while Syracuse remains in the picture, it is now playing catch-up. Kaluma does fit all that the Orange do, but there's a gap between Syracuse and the programs at the top of his list.
6. ARKANSAS
Arkansas will lose Vance Jackson and Justin Smith, two versatile wing-forwards, to graduation this spring and Kaluma represents the Razorbacks' best chance of replacing their production outside of the transfer portal. Eric Musselman has an extensive network in the state of Arizona and bringing well-connected David Patrick onto his staff should definitely help, but the Hawgs are behind with Kaluma.