Report Card: Breaking down the early signings in the SEC
The early signing period has wrapped up. Here is a report card for the SEC on how its teams fared during the early signing period.
HEAD OF THE CLASS
In a development that won’t surprise anybody, John Calipari and Kentucky have the best recruiting class in the SEC. The group of five-star point guard Immanuel Quickley, five-star wing Keldon Johnson and high end four-star shooting guard Tyler Herro currently ranks No. 3 overall nationally and most likely the Wildcats will add more high-end talent before the class of 2018 graduates.
BIGGEST SURPRISE (IN A GOOD WAY)
Will Wade’s first full class at LSU currently sits at No.2 in the SEC. That’s a huge accomplishment for the Tigers. Nazreon Reid is as naturally gifted as any big man in the country. Javonte Smart was an important addition because LSU has to keep top talent home. And lastly, Darius Days is the perfect type of player to build around over four years.
Three SEC programs were the recipients of good news from prospects who previously had committed elsewhere. The biggest winner of them is Mississippi State, which signed Reggie Perry after he initially committed to Arkansas. Missouri was able to land Torrance Watson after he backed out on Ohio State, while Texas A&M secured Antwann Jones’ commitment after he no longer wanted to play for Oklahoma State. All three should be productive players in the SEC.
BIGGEST SURPRISE (IN A NOT-SO-GOOD WAY)
South Carolina shocked the college basketball world back in March with a run all the way to the Final Four. That usually results in a jolt for a program on the recruiting trail in the following class, but it hasn’t worked out that way for the Gamecocks yet.
NEXT SEMESTER
Two SEC programs, South Carolina and Kentucky, remain in the hunt for the top available player in the country, Zion Williamson. Kentucky is believed to be a much more serious player as it hosted him on an official visit. UK is also in the mix for another five-star big man in Moses Brown.
REPORT CARD
Alabama: B-. Avery Johnson hit on his two biggest targets in Jared Butler and Javian Fleming, and remains in the mix for Khavon Moore.
Arkansas: A-. The Hogs signed six players this week with two of them being four-star guards in Keyshawn Embery and Isaiah Joe.
Auburn: F. Bruce Pearl’s class fell apart after the FBI arrested assistant coach Chuck Person as part of the corruption scandal in college hoops.
Florida: B+. Mike White’s backcourt will be in good hands going forward as the Gators added a five-star floor general in Andrew Nembhard along with two four-star wings.
Georgia: C+. The Bulldogs will be replacing Yante Maten after this season, and will do so with four-star big man Amanze Ngumezi.
Kentucky: A. Two more five-stars headed to Lexington, and Big Blue might not be done.
LSU: A. Will Wade’s first class in Baton Rouge looks like a really good one.
Mississippi State: B+. Reggie Perry could be one of the best players in the SEC before long.
Missouri: B-. Cuonzo Martin convinced four-star wing Torrance Watson to stay home after he initially committed to Ohio State, and that’s great news for the Tigers.
Ole Miss: C+. The Rebels added one of the more underrated scorers in the country with Serrel Smith.
South Carolina: N/A. The Gamecocks have yet to capitalize on the momentum of last year’s Final Four run.
Tennessee: N/A. The Vols are scoreless in the 2018 class.
Texas A&M: B-. A late addition in Antwann Jones gives the Aggies a quality wing scorer.
Vanderbilt: A-. No program in the SEC needed a prospect more, for a variety of reasons, than Vanderbilt needed Darius Garland, and Bryce Drew got it done.