Rivals Roundtable: Boom or bust class; commitment watch
The Rivals.com analyst team of Eric Bossi, Corey Evans and Dan McDonald is back with their weekly Rivals Roundtable. This week the guys are discussing potential boom-or-bust classes, value recruits and the weekly recruiting season commitment watch.
1. Which program's 2020 class has the most potential to go boom or bust before Signing Day?
Bossi: Arizona. Sean Miller and the Wildcats already have a really nice pledge in top-30 point guard Dalen Terry. But, how their class finishes could definitely go boom or bust. A lot will depend on how recent Book Richardson allegations impact their recruiting. The Wildcats already sidestepped bad headlines in 2019 to put together a top-12 class. With guys like five-star wing Ziaire Williams and four-stars like Adam Miller, Kerwin Walton, Puff Johnson and Dawson Garcia among others still strongly considering them, Arizona could easily replicate 2019’s efforts. A few misses, things could get dicey.
Evans: Sorry to tell you North Carolina fans, but it has to be the Tar Heels. UNC suffered through a rather disappointing fall of 2018 and could see a similar fate over the next few months, or it could break through and land some elite talent.
The Heels need a lead guard bad and while they will not land both Cade Cunningham and Caleb Love, I do believe that one of the two ends up in Chapel Hill. Could Isaiah Todd, Greg Brown, Williams and/or Johnson follow? Todd and Brown are the likeliest.
And don’t forget about Bryce Thompson, DJ Steward, Hunter Dickinson, Earl Timberlake and Walker Kessler. Everyone outside of Todd, Brown and Williams is expected to sign early. Will a premier group of talent decide that UNC is the best spot for their college days, or will they look elsewhere? It is boom or bust time in Chapel Hill.
McDonald: I'd definitely go with North Carolina. The Tar Heels have had five-star big man Day'Ron Sharpe committed for a while now, but have yet to add another member to their 2020 class.
It seems like Roy Williams has been involved with more prospects in this class than I can ever remember him actively recruiting. It's been rumored that Cunningham is open to the idea of playing in Chapel Hill, which would obviously be a huge pull, but the Tar Heels are also in play for Williams, Brown, Todd, Thompson, Kessler, Love and Timberlake. That could lead to the No. 1 overall class potentially or a disappointing November.
2. Which player outside the 2020 top 75 is undervalued?
Bossi: Rondel Walker. The combo guard from Oklahoma City ranks No. 92 overall and looks to me like an eventual multi-year starter who can score, set the table and play upper echelon level defense. Walker just visited Oklahoma State last weekend and he saw Texas unofficially back in August. Virginia Tech is also working him hard, but the other two that stand out to me as real players for him are Arkansas and Kansas State.
Mike Boynton has the Cowboys in pretty good shape with Walker and he’s built a strong relationship over time, but I don’t think he’s a done deal and a strong visit with either the Hogs or Wildcats could potentially swing things.
Evans: Maybe it’s because it feels like he has been around forever and we have begun to pick him apart more than we have valued all that he brings to the floor, but DeMarr Langford is one prospect that is a sure-fire producer at the highest level. The 6-foot-4 wing is not a great shooter, which lowers his ceiling some, but everything else is in great supply with the elite defender. He guards all over the place thanks to his strength and length, brings winning intangibles to the floor and can even play on the ball on the offensive end as a giant playmaker.
Boston College has been the long-discussed landing spot after the Eagles landed his brother, Providence transfer Makai Ashton-Langford, earlier this year. NC State and Texas A&M remain in the picture. A signing will be made in November with Boston College out in front for one of the better but also undervalued two-way players in America.
McDonald: I believe I've used him before in another roundtable, but I'm going Osasere Ighodaro, who committed to Marquette on Thursday. I love the upside that he possesses. He's 6-foot-9 with great length and athleticism and you can see the skill level coming along every time he steps on the court. With some added strength and good weight when he gets to college, he has a really bright future and will outplay his current ranking.
3. Who is on commit watch this weekend as official visits ramp up?
Bossi: I don’t know that it’s fair to put either shooting guard Jalen Green or combo forward Scottie Barnes on commit watch. But, I’m going to be very tuned into any talk coming out of the five-star seniors visits to Oregon this weekend. Memphis has been considered the biggest player for Green, but some talk that the Ducks are heating things up has been circulating. He won’t commit until Christmas, but to say his visit to Eugene is key would be an understatement. As for Barnes, he’s already visited Dana Altman and his staff before so a second official visit can’t be a bad thing.
Evans: Is Michigan State ready to add another national recognized prospect to its 2020 class? Last week, it was Mady Sissoko that visited and then committed on Tuesday. The Spartans are hoping AJ Hoggard will be doing the same. The Rivals150 guard just visited Ole Miss and Providence and is expected to visit Florida and Marquette next week, but the Spartans are in a great spot for him.
Also, keep an eye on Barnes. Oregon is a leader for him and with this being his second official visit to Eugene, Altman could be on the cusp of the five-star’s pledge.
McDonald: I'm going to keep an eye on Georgia receiving a commitment from Jackson Threadgill, a 6-foot-6 shooter out of North Carolina. Threadgill cancelled a previously scheduled visit for Mercer to make the trip to Georgia. He already visited Athens once in early August when he received an offer from Tom Crean. I think he comes back this weekend and makes it official and becomes Georgia's first 2020 commitment.