Another Friday means another Rivals Roundtable. This week, our analyst duo of Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan discuss three questions that span the recruiting world and include important commitments, rising concerns over empty cupboards and more.
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2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2026 Rankings: Rivals150
Transfer Portal: Full coverage | Player ranking | Transfer tracker | Player search
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1. WHICH SCHOOL THAT HAS YET TO LAND A 2025 COMMITMENT ARE YOU MOST WORRIED ABOUT?
“The beauty of the transfer portal era is that it’s easy to recover from a rough high school recruiting cycle. With that in mind, I’m not exactly worried that Indiana will somehow miss on every target and go down in flames. I am, however, a little cornered for the fan base’s mental state if things this cycle go south in a similar manner to how they did last time around. Mostly just because nobody deserves that. The Hoosiers targeted a number of high-profile prospects (Liam McNeely, Boogie Fland, Derik Queen) last year and ended up coming up mostly empty-handed despite staying in the thick of things until the very end, crushing some fans’ spirit. This year, a similar situation is developing, as the Hoosiers are in the thick of things with guys like Braylon Mullins, Jalen Haralson, Bryson Tiller and Mikel Brown Jr. The Bloomington faithful are obviously hoping for better results this time around and I sorta hope they get them because most Indiana fans I know are good people that deserve to be happy.” – Cassidy
“I wouldn’t say worried because some schools pass altogether on high school guys to add proven, experienced players in the portal but I will say that I’m watching how things go with North Carolina as some big commitments start to unravel over the next few months or so. They missed on Jasper Johnson, which is understandable with him being from Lexington and all, and Isiah Harwell cut them in June but they’ve still got their hands on top-tier prospects who should be deciding in the near future. I’ll be more concerned if they swing and miss on everyone.” – Jordan
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2. WHICH RECENT COMMITMENT DO YOU SEE AS MOST IMPORTANT?
“Texas-based guard Kayden Edwards isn’t a major national name and checks in at No. 91 in the Rivals150, so there wasn’t too much made of his pledge to TCU on Wednesday. But while Edwards isn't a one-and-done type, his pledge to the surging Horned Frogs means something. Not only is Edwards among the most reliable at-the-rim finishers in high school basketball, he plays an exciting brand of hoops and is absolutely a weapon in transition. His commitment to the Frogs over a number of major programs is indicative of the momentum Jamie Dixon has built in Fort Worth. Dixon is the first coach in program history to lead the TCU to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and his program’s reputation is starting to spread.” – Cassidy
“Isiah Harwell to Houston is a big get for Kelvin Sampson for sure. It’s important on multiple levels; first the 6-foot-6 guard is a prototypical Cougar with toughness for days, potential elite defender in the wing and the ability to score in all three levels. He looked every bit the part of a Houston guard at Wasatch Academy playing in the Nike EYBL Scholastic. He’s also a guy other prospects want to play with, so having him as the extra recruiter could yield results in the near future.” – Jordan
3. WHICH RECENT OFFICIAL VISIT DO YOU THINK MADE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE RECRUIT THAT TOOK IT?
“There are a few to choose from here. Returns from five-star wing Darius Adams’ mid-week UConn visit have been overwhelmingly positive. So, too, have the reports coming out of Winters Grady’s trip to Iowa a few weeks back, as Fran McCaffrey seems to have made a strong move with the four-star wing while he hosted him in Iowa City. We’ll see what happens in both cases, but fans should be at least a little encouraged with the buzz the trips left in their receptive wakes. One or both could end up being a game-changer.” – Cassidy
“Kingston Flemings raved about his recent visit to Texas and how impressed he was with the intensity of its practices. There wasn’t a football game, which usually isn’t a selling point, but he was excited to see the focus all on hoops. He gave it a 10 out of 10. He’s still got visits to Gonzaga, Arkansas and Houston, so a lot remains to be seen, but a home run for the hometown school is never not newsworthy.” – Jordan
