Ranking the Contenders: Four-star Rakease Passmore
Four-star guard Rakease Passmore is in the thick of his fall visit itinerary. His latest trip was a tour of Oklahoma, but he’s also been on campus at Oregon, Indiana and Mississippi State for official visits. Passmore names a long list of high-major offers but it seems there are only a few programs that have a real chance of landing the North Carolina-based prospect’s pledge.
Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy ranks the contenders to sign Passmore, who is yet to set a commitment date.
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1. ARKANSAS
Passmore feels like Arkansas’ to lose at this juncture, but the four-star wing’s Oct. 6 visit will determine whether or not the Razorbacks slam the door shut. It feels important that head coach Eric Musselman and company keep Passmore off of Kansas’ campus this fall, if for no other reason than peace of mind.
They should also be aware of hard-charging LSU, which will host Passmore for an official on Sept. 22. That said, most signs point to the Hogs when it comes to the battle to land the 6-foot-5 prospect’s pledge. There’s time for a late twist, obviously, but Musselman and his staff should be cautiously optimistic.
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2. KANSAS
Placing the Jayhawks at No. 2 on this list may seem a little presumptuous on the surface, but it’s to guard against a fast and aggressive close, something Bill Self has proven capable of pulling off time and time again over the years. Passmore has not yet taken a visit to Lawrence, but the Jayhawks seem to be hovering on the periphery of his recruitment, and, as anyone who follows recruiting knows, are capable of striking quickly.
KU had an assistant in attendance at Passmore’s open gyms this month and seem to be keeping him warm. If a KU visit pops up on the schedule in the near future, it will give every other involved team serious pause.
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3. MISSISSIPPI STATE
The Bulldogs have plenty of work to do, even in the wake of Passmore’s Sept. 9 visit to Starkville but should not be ruled out. Head coach Chris Jans stopped in to see Passmore work out at his high school last week and intend to keep turning up the heat. The Bulldogs are a serious player and have a legitimate chance to win this battle. They just might need a fortunate break or two to do so.
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4. LSU
A scheduled official visit on Sept. 22 will determine how serious LSU is when it comes to landing Passmore, but knocking off Arkansas will be a tall task for the Tigers no matter what. Head coach Matt McMahon was present at a recent Combine Academy open gym workout and likes his chances enough to keep using resources, so that should be viewed as a positive by the Bulldog faithful.
The Tigers are a real player here and seem to be a fortunate break or two away from standing at the center of Passmore’s process. .
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5. OKLAHOMA
Passmore canceled his Sept. 16 visit to Miami in the wake of the Hurricanes becoming the heavy favorite to land five-star guard Jalil Bethea, and the Sooners were the beneficiary of the move. Passmore headed to Norman instead of Coral Gables over the weekend, and the visit gives Oklahoma a puncher’s chance – well, at least more of one than it had pre-visit – in the fight to land the Lincolnton (N.C.) Combine Academy star commitment star.
The Sooners are still gonna need some luck down the serious stretch, obviously, but getting Passmore on campus this late in the cycle warrants a mention here just in case.
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6. INDIANA
Passmore took an official visit to Indiana in November of last year and hasn’t been back since. Mike Woodson’s program is in the thick of the hunt for a pile of high-profile 2024 prospects and Passmore is no different. Will they actually land Passmore? It’s not looking likely, as things have been pretty quiet between the Hoosiers and the four-star wing for a while now. That said, IU shouldn’t be ruled out if a surge of involvement develops in the month ahead. For now, however, it seems as though the program has, for all intents and purposes, bowed out.