Each Monday, Rivals.com analysts Rob Cassidy, Jamie Shaw and Dan McDonald sound off on three topics related to college hoops and recruiting. This week in the roundtable, the trio examines disappointing teams, sneaky good recruiting classes and where five-star Mark Mitchell may land.
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More: Checking in on top five college freshmen
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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1. WHICH SCHOOL OUTSIDE THE TOP 15 IN THE RECRUITING RANKINGS COULD HAVE A SNEAKY GOOD 2022 CLASS?
Cassidy: I’ve been impressed with what Notre Dame has been able to do. The Irish’s class sits at No. 19 on the backs of J.J. Starling, Dominick Campbell and Ven-Allen Lubin. The No. 40 prospect in the country, Starling packs versatility as an offensive player and can score from all three levels. He gets the most publicity of any of the Notre Dame commits, but I’m incredibly intrigued by Lubin as well. Lubin has obvious limitations when it comes to his pro potential, but his high school production and the way his skill set translates to the college level is tantalizing. The Iris likely have an incredibly productive four-year player on their hands. Mike Brey has taken criticism for his recruiting in the past, but this class should buy him some good will.
McDonald: I’ll go with Syracuse. The four-star trio of Quadir Copeland, Chris Bunch and Justin Taylor all fit what the Orange need perfectly. Copeland is the play-making guard with length and athleticism to play in the front of the zone. Bunch is another long, athletic forward that will be perfect playing on the wing in the back line of the zone. Taylor’s ability to make shots will be much needed as Buddy Boeheim departs from the program. And lastly, Peter Carey is an intriguing 7-footer with upside to anchor the middle of the zone. I really like what Jim Boeheim and his staff did during the early signing period.
Shaw: Xavier’s two-man class of Kam Craft and Tyrell Ward catches my eye. Ward has been on a rapid rise over the past eight months as the lengthy and explosive wing has added shot making to his repertoire. Kam Craft earned his reputation as a shot-maker after leading Meanstreets to the Peach Jam semi-finals, averaging close to 17 a game. The wing duo should do some good things for the Musketeers.
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2. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT TEAMS THAT EXCEED EXPECTATIONS, BUT LET’S GO THE OTHER WAY THIS WEEK. WHICH TEAM HAS BEEN THE MOST DISAPPOINTING SO FAR THIS SEASON?
Cassidy: I am anticipating everyone going with Michigan here, so I’m going to decline to pile on and find a different direction. We expected growing pains from Memphis. In fact, I discussed it at length here. I expected some rocky time, but I’m not sure I expected back-to-back losses to Iowa State and Georgia, neither of which is expected to make the NCAA Tournament. There’s some pressure on Penny Hardaway to make some noise with this loaded roster. If he fails to win an NCAA Tournament game, groans from the fan base could grow louder.
McDonald: The easiest choice here would be Memphis, but I’m going to take Michigan instead. Juwan Howard still has plenty of time to right the ship, but it’s definitely concerning how the Wolverines have looked lately. Wednesday night’s loss to North Carolina wasn’t close and it doesn’t get any easier for the Wolverines with Big Ten play right around the corner. I’d still bet on Michigan figuring it out come NCAA Tournament time with all the talent on the roster.
Shaw: Can we talk about the ACC as a whole here? Only one team, Duke, was ranked in the AP Top 25 last week. Virginia Tech, Virginia, Syracuse and Florida State each already have three losses. North Carolina was boat-raced by Tennessee and Purdue in the Mohegan Sun. Traditionally one of the best conferences top to bottom, the ACC has not been off to a good start to the season.
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3. WE ARE APPROACHING A DECISION FOR FIVE-STAR MARK MITCHELL. WHAT’S IT GONNA BE: UCLA, MIZZOU OR DUKE?
Cassidy: I’ve long had a difficult time seeing him land at Missouri. In fact, the Tigers’ inclusion feels like simple courtesy to me. Maybe I’m wrong. If I am, I fully expect Missouri fans to let me have it. I see it as Duke versus UCLA and when I last saw Mark Mitchell roughly a month ago in Dallas, I started to get a UCLA vibe based on our conversation. Would I wager any money on that vibe? Of course not. I haven't even put in a FutureCast, but I’ll go with the Bruins for the purposes of this roundtable.
McDonald: It sounds like this one could be trending in favor of UCLA as a decision nears. The Bruins already have a terrific recruiting class, but still have a big need for a wing forward like Mitchell to join them. The five-star prospect had a great visit to Westwood and has family out in Los Angeles that could make the transition easier for him. This could be another huge addition as Mick Cronin continues to build momentum at UCLA.
Shaw: All the smoke here is around UCLA. What a class that would be for the Bruins as they already have No. 2 Amari Bailey, No. 33 Adem Bona and No. 51 Dylan Andrews; talk about capitalizing on a Final Four run. Also, look for Mitchell -- currently No. 11 -- to be in the conversation for a bump in the next ranking update.
