Ranking the Contenders: Jordan Nesbitt
One of the Midwest’s top wing players, four-star Jordan Nesbitt of St. Louis Christian released his final 11 schools last week.
The athletic and tough 6-foot-6 wing is down to Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa State, Maryland, Memphis, Nebraska, Saint Louis, Seton Hall, Texas and Virginia Tech.
Who has the inside track? Today, we rank the contenders.
MORE RANKING THE CONTENDERS: Trey Alexander
MORE: Twitter Tuesday | Three-Point Play
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
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1. SAINT LOUIS
For a while now, Travis Ford and the Billikens have made Nesbitt a major priority. A strong relationship has been built and there are many close to Nesbitt who feel that representing his home city and being close to family are highly important to him. He is very familiar with campus, the players and a do-it-all wing who can play with the ball in his hands like Nesbitt would fit in nicely. In a year where prospects are going to have a tough time taking visits, familiarity is a major benefit.
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2. ILLINOIS
Nesbitt has also been on campus at Illinois and he is the type of versatile wing who fits the physical profile of what Brad Underwood wants in a player. Nesbitt was impressed when he was on campus and the Illini fan base has made a major impression on him. Guards like Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams and presumably Ayo Dosunmu will be gone, so there are some minutes on the perimeter. But the Illini also have returning wing players and a commitment from Luke Goode.
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3. NEBRASKA
Nesbitt took an official visit to Lincoln last fall to visit with Fred Hoiberg and the Huskers, and he had plenty of positive takeaways. Hoiberg’s experience in the NBA and reputation for letting guys take shots and developing their perimeter skills are big sells and are certainly factors that have caught Nesbitt's attention.
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4. ALABAMA
The general thought is the Nesbitt isn’t likely to go too far from home. However, if he does head out of region keep a close eye on Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide. They’ve made an impression on Nesbitt, and most of it has to do with their playing style. John Petty and Herb Jones will be gone next year, so there are certainly opportunities for minutes.
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5. MEMPHIS
The last school to offer Nesbitt, Penny Hardaway and the Tigers are going to have to play a little bit of catch-up here. Also, it remains to be seen how the commitment of Josh Minott could impact Nesbitt. That being said, Memphis isn’t all that far from St. Louis, and when we last spoke to Nesbitt in July, he mentioned that Hardaway had really stepped things up and that they were building a strong relationship.