Ranking the Contenders: Deebo Coleman

Deebo Coleman, a native of Memphis, who moved to the Jacksonville area, has not been short on college interest in recent years. While he has not publicized a final list and remains open, there is a select few that have a greater chance.

Below, we rank the contenders as we see it right now.

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Bossi's Best: Most difficult to replace early entries

Three-Point Play: Yat makes the move

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position

2022 Rankings: Top 75

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The Tigers will not be short on so-called ‘shot-makers’ this winter thanks to the returns of Boogie Ellis and Lester Quinones. Throw in Landers Nolley if he receives a waiver to play immediately, and Memphis will have a number of perimeter threats. However, all three could be gone after making the leap for the NBA in the spring which makes Hardaway’s pursuit of Coleman crucial for the 2021-2022 season.

Coleman played for the Team Penny travel program as a middle schooler and had already developed a relationship with him prior to Hardaway actually recruiting him as Memphis’ head coach. The Tigers are not the clear-cut leader but they are in a solid spot.

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The Yellow Jackets head into the season with a chance to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time during the Josh Pastner era in Atlanta. He will heavily rely on his tremendous guard tandem, Michael DeVoe and Jose Alvarado. But issues will arise once the spring arrives and there is a backcourt need. Seeing that Coleman has already visited the school, Georgia Tech is definitely in the mix. It could be a place that he is given the ball early and often which could intrigue the top-50 guard.

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Ole Miss primarily went the transfer route in filling various holes throughout its roster but if Kermit Davis could have it his way, he would load up on some of the best high school talent. Deashun Ruffin is more of a volume guy that likes to have the ball in his hands, so Coleman is a great fit to play off of him thanks to his shot=making prowess. The Rebels have not laid off in their pursuit of Coleman and have been one of the most consistent with him to date.

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Iowa State has been one of the sneakier suitors for some of the better talent from the Sunshine State in recent years. The Cyclones have much more ground to make up but after landing Dudley Blackwell and Blake Hinson, both Florida natives, Coleman may feel more comfortable heading to Ames. Jalen Coleman-Lands will open a shot-making role that must be replaced after the season, one that Steve Prohm would love to fill with Coleman. The ISU head coach has upped his attention toward Coleman in recent weeks with the hopes of luring another Floridian to the Midwest.

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The former staff in Winston-Salem had made Coleman a priority prior to its dismissal but the new group led by Steve Forbes has pin-pointed the top-50 guard as one of its top backcourt targets in the 2021 class. There is not a lot expected out of Wake Forest this season but the 2021 class is a crucial one if Forbes wants to be competitive again in the ACC. Expected to play for the Team CP3 travel program this summer before the pandemic hit, it does not hurt that the team is named after and sponsored by Chris Paul, one of the best to ever play at Wake Forest. The Deacons have a hole to fill in the scoring department which, if sold correctly to Coleman, could see Wake pick up major ground as the fall approaches.

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