Rival150 standouts impress at Under Armour Association
NEW YORK CITY - The second day of the 2017 Under Armour Association had several Rivals150 prospects play up to their rankings, while members of the 2019 and 2020 classes made their mark as well.
Recruitment: Kansas, Arizona, Stanford, Seton Hall, Villanova, Virginia, Maryland, Syracuse
His day: Physically, he looks like a lot like former UNC star Marcus Paige. The more you watch him play, the more he feeds into that comparison. He’s a very poised floor general, makes good decisions with the ball, and can score in bunches when called upon. He made several big plays for Sports U down the stretch in the win over Florida Vipers.
Quote: “I don’t have a top list or anything yet. I’m looking for the best of both worlds with basketball and school.”
Prediction: Basketball and school are both important for him, so keep an eye on Virginia, Villanova and Stanford here. He’ll be the type of college player that will be good from the minute he steps on campus and it will feel like he’s been at the school forever by the time he leaves.
Recruitment: Arkansas, Creighton, Nebraska, UNLV, Texas, Houston, Tulsa, Baylor
His day: The Oklahoma native is simply wired to score. He needs to care more about playing on the other end of the court more consistently, but there is no doubt he can get a bucket when needed. Not many players can hit the type of contested jumpers he hits, and he has some terrific separation moves.
Quote: “I love it at Creighton. They have a great coaching staff.”
Prediction: It’s hard to pinpoint where he’ll end up, but it’s not hard to predict that wherever it is that he’ll give that program an immediate scoring punch. Creighton, Houston and Arkansas are in good shape early.
Recruitment: Offers from Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, USC and Utah among others.
His day: He started the game off quick with five points on a three-pointer and a pull up jumper and never slowed down the entire game. He possesses a smooth jumper and makes really good decisions with the ball. He also plays ball screens very well.
Prediction: He’ll be ranked among the best point guards and probably one of the better players in the 2020 class. He’ll have all the big dogs on the West Coast and around the country fighting for his signature.
Recruitment: Arizona, Arizona State, California, TCU, UNLV and Washington
His day: Green combined with Mannion for roughly 40 points in the first half. He threw down some really impressive dunks and also connected on some deep jumpers. He’s very well-rounded wing with good size.
Prediction: The Pac-12 schools are already lining up but, before long, his recruitment may go national.
Recruitment: Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Texas A&M have offered.
His day: It was a slow start for Edwards against Earl Watson Elite, but he really turned it on in the second half. His shot wasn’t falling the way it usually does, but he used his size, strength and athleticism to bully his way to buckets.
Prediction: He’ll be one of the top shooting guards in the country in the 2020 class. There is a long ways to go in his recruitment, but Florida State is in a good spot early.
Recruitment: Clemson, Davidson, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Middle Tennessee are involved.
His day: Greer is a very poised floor general with a really good feel for the game. He knows when it is time for him to generate his own offense, but he also knows when to set up others. He played a big part in getting Anthony Edwards going, and delivered at least five assists to his big man in the paint.
Prediction: Bob McKillop was on hand watching Greer, and Davidson seems like a perfect fit for the Georgia native.
Recruitment: Creighton, Tennessee offers; Louisville, Providence, Maryland, Wichita State, USC interest
His day: After a slow start on Friday night, Steere bounced back with two really good games on Saturday. He’s a really crafty finisher in post-up situations and he can rise in a hurry for dunks. He also has a nice jump shot in his repertoire.
Prediction: In a class that isn’t deep with post players, particularly in the southeast, Steere will generate some serious attention if he continues playing like he did Saturday. He’ll be in double digits with high-major offers.
Recruitment: Florida, Louisville and Wake Forest are showing most attention.
His day: In a matchup with five-star 2018 small forward Khavon Moore, Baker put on an absolute show. He had the jump shot working and had some really nice dunks in transition. He’s also improved his off the dribble game and knows how to finish in traffic.
Prediction: He already has some top programs on him, but before long, expect Duke and North Carolina to get serious with him. They won’t make it easy to snatch him out of state.
Recruitment: Committed to Louisville.
His day: As a scorer, there aren’t many better than the Louisville commit in the 2018 class. He shoots it so well that you almost expect every shot he takes to go in. Long term, he has some potential as a combo guard under Rick Pitino as he’s still an unselfish player.
Recruitment: Tennessee, Miami, Rutgers, South Florida, and Louisville are involved with him.
His day: Dowuona is just one tough basketball player in the paint. The best trait he has right now is knowing exactly what he is and what he isn’t. He stays in the paint, rebounds everything in his area, and offensively is a pretty tough finisher in the paint. He’ll eventually need to add more offense, but he’ll end up with plenty of options at the high major level just the way he is.
Prediction: Dowuona will have a lot of coaches coming back to watch him next weekend when the Under Armour Association moves to Indianapolis. He had coaches buzzing on Saturday afternoon after his play in a matchup with Ian Steere.