Rivals Roundtable: Recruiting locks, July live period questions
Another weekend means another Rivals Roundtable. This week, analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan address topics surrounding the upcoming July live period as well as possible recruiting locks for a pair of programs.
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1. Which uncommitted player do you see as the closest thing to a lock for a certain school?
“It has long seemed as though Cooper Flagg was going to land at Duke. Reclassification rumors have also found their way into the Flagg-to-Duke buzz, as some think the class-of-2025 five-star could join the Blue Devils as part of the 2024 class. There seem to be very few other serious players in Flagg’s recruitment, which seems strange for such a high-profile prospect. Things change on a dime in recruiting, obviously, but I feel OK saying I expect Jon Scheyer to land his top target unless a professional league makes some sort of massive move in the coming months.” - Cassidy
“Having done this for so long I shy away from the term 'lock' because these guys change at the 11th hour quite often. But I think Tre Johnson and Baylor make a lot of sense because the sell is super strong. Johnson has already set the stage for a legendary high school finale after a dominant summer in the Nike EYBL, he’ll join a loaded Link Academy squad and then could join Jason Asemota and Rob Wright to form the most lethal freshman backcourt in the country in 2024-25. Conventional wisdom says he doesn’t turn that down. But yes, I’m aware that recruiting is anything but conventional.” - Jordan
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2. Which player do you expect to blow up from an offers standpoint this July?
“I feel like Jaiden Glover’s offer list doesn't match his talent. He’s had an impressive summer thus far and has the chance to put an exclamation point on it while playing with the Riverside Hawks this July. There simply aren’t that many athletic, 6-foot-6 wings that shoot it and handle it like Glover, who has been a standout at the NBA100 Camp this week. Schools such as Butler, Illinois, Creighton, St. John’s, Villanova and Ohio State have offered Glover, but I expect others to line up before summer gives way to fall.” – Cassidy
“This will sound weird because certainly this guy isn’t lacking for offers, but I think Jalil Bethea still has a few big offers to grab. He’s been consistent all spring and dominant thus far at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. Bethea is proving his mettle as a fringe top 10 prospect, jumping 24 spots to No. 15 overall in the latest Rivals 150. He’s already set up two officials (Kansas and LSU) and plans to cut his list after Peach Jam, which means the big boys will have to jump in quickly.” - Jordan
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3. What's the biggest question you hope to have answered during the upcoming July live period?
“I’m really interested to see how things shake out with the top of the point guard rankings in 2025. I think the class has a handful of elite options and there certainly isn’t much to separate Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown and Tyler Jackson, who are currently ranked 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively, in the Rivals150. The three bring vastly different styles to the table. Acuff is a volume scorer that posts eye-popping point totals despite limited size. Brown, a true point guard, is the most advanced facilitator of the group, and Jackson might be the most well-rounded, but he's not as splashy from a box score standpoint. The fact that they all play on different shoe circuits will ensure they never match up, so the debate about who is the best player should rage on for some time. I’m just hoping to have a little bit of a better idea on which way to order them by the end of the live period, as I see any order as a total crapshoot at this juncture.” – Cassidy
“I still want to know who the top junior in the country is. Cooper Flagg got the nod in the latest rankings revamp. For the record, I’m not mad about that ranking, but I’m still unsure of it. To be fair, I'm not sure it should be Cameron Boozer, either. Their matchup at NBPA Top 100 Camp didn’t help; they both played well. Boozer had the production edge (22 points and 14 rebounds) while Flagg won the game (14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists). There’s an obvious unspoken rivalry between them rooted in this very question. I hope Peach Jam can deliver another sample size.” - Jordan