Rivals Roundtable: Stock boosters, Dior Johnson, predictions
With college coaches finally back out on the road, things on the recruiting front are in full swing. There's no shortage of recruiting topics to discuss these days, so Rivals analysts Rob Cassidy, Dan McDonald and Jamie Shaw discuss three wide-ranging subjects in this week’s roundtable.
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More: The biggest visits in the month of June
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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1. WHICH PROSPECT HELPED HIMSELF THE MOST IN YOUR EYES DURING THE TWO JUNE LIVE EVALUATION WEEKENDS?
Cassidy: I was really impressed with the performance of Daniel Skillings at the first Philly weekend of the Philly Live event. As were coaches from UMass, VCU and Rhode Island, all of which offered him a scholarship after the event. The 6-foot-6 guard handles the ball pretty well and makes his living with quickness, getting to the rack and finishing with either hand. He’s jumper needs to become a bit more consistent but there's no doubt his stock has risen this month.
McDonald: Ernest Udeh out of Florida had started to receive a lot of offers after Memorial Day, but during the first live period in Georgia, he showed coaches all over the country that he’s an elite post prospect in the 2022 class. At 6-foot-10, he’s an explosive athlete with strong hands and soft touch. He’s dominant on the boards and uses his quick leaping ability to be a strong rim protector. To go along with his impressive talent level, he’s also a 4.0 student. Look for him to be one of the most highly recruited post players in his class over next few months.
Shaw: Austin Ball. Ball is a rangy 6-foot-7 wing prospect who transferred from Man (W.Va.) High School to Charlottesville (Va.) Miller School and reclassified to the 2023 class, just prior to the scholastic live period. All Ball has done in June is pick up offers from Fairfield, Radford, Stetson, Marshall and West Virginia. Ball is playing with confidence and he has used this live period to boost his offer sheet from a handful of Div> IIs to a bona fide Power Five prospect.
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2. WILL RECENT OREGON COMMIT DIOR JOHNSON ACTUALLY PLAY FOR THE DUCKS?
Cassidy: I’ll take a gamble and say the combination of NIL rules and Oregon’s ability to market Dior Johnson will ensure the point guard plays a college season. I would have been a hard no a couple weeks back, but his sudden commitment to the Ducks makes me think Johnson was being truthful when he told me he was seriously considering college a month ago or so.
McDonald: I’d say it’s unlikely. I’m sure Oregon has plans to help him capitalize on the new name, image and likeness legislation, but that still likely doesn’t match what he can make playing professionally, plus he wouldn’t have to go to class and stay eligible. It just seems like the odds are and have been against him ever playing college basketball.
Shaw: No. There is a lot of money to be made out there and Dior Johnson has a name that will attract clicks and revenue. Of course, with this new NIL ruling coming down the pipeline and Oregon being the feature school for Nike, that could make things very interesting here, but as things stand I am looking strongly at Johnson moving toward the pro route.
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3. MAKE A PREDICTION ON WHERE AN UNCOMMITTED FIVE-STAR MIGHT LAND.
Cassidy: Dariq Whitehead to Duke seems like a solid pick. So does Keyonte George to Texas. Whitehead, who grew up a Duke fan, recently visited campus and seemed to come away at ease with the coaching transition in Durham. As for George, his relationship with Chris Beard should be enough to seal the deal. George has long been seen as a Texas lean but always spoke highly of Beard, even when the new Longhorn coach was at Texas Tech. When Beard made the move to Austin, the deal may have been all but sealed.
McDonald: I’ll go with Jazian Gortman ending up at Florida State. The Seminoles have always done a great job recruiting the Carolinas under Leonard Hamilton and there has been a lot of buzz lately about the five-star point guard ending up in Tallahassee. Other high-major programs up and down the East Coast won’t make it easy, but I have him ending up at Florida State as of today.
Shaw: Whether it be Jazian Gortman to Florida State, Julian Phillips to Ohio State, or Dariq Whitehead to Duke, the 2022 class is down the road with their recruitments. So let us have some fun and go with a 2023 prospect here. I am going to go with Gregory Jackson to South Carolina. Jackson is the No. 20 prospect in the 2023 class who attends Columbia (S.C.) Ridge View High School. While there will be some bluebloods heavily involved with Jackson, Duke and North Carolina have already offered, I believe the pull of staying close to home could be too great to turn down in the end.