Another Friday means another roundtable here at Rivals.com, as national analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan weigh in on three topics related to the world of basketball recruiting. This week, the trio weighs in on July stock-risers, programs setting up for big 2025 classes and potential recruiting steals.
More Cassidy: Top prospects in the 2027 class
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1. WHICH PROSPECT YOU WATCHED THIS JULY CONVINCED YOU THAT HE’S TRULY ELITE THROUGH HIS PLAY ON GRASSROOTS CIRCUIT?
Cassidy: I was already higher than some on Miikka Muurinen. Rivals currently has him ranked at No. 39 in the Rivals150, which is obviously high praise for anyone. The way he shot the ball, however, has me considering aggressively shooting the Finland-native up the rankings once again, as he has looked every bit the top-15 prospect for much of the summer.
The 6-foot-10 forward was one of the Peach Jam scoring leaders and showcased his range to the tune of a 14-for-28 performance from 3-point range. Muurinen’s length and floor-spacing ability makes him a rare prospect and he seems to be getting more comfortable taking defenders off the bounce.
Jordan: For me it’s Braylon Mullins. His ability to move without the ball and find grooves and lanes to launch his jump shots is an art form. Also his quick release and efficiency was just really impressive overall. I specifically watched as teams put more athletic and quicker guards on him and how he handled that pressure and he remained productive throughout. He always found a way to contribute to the win. That’s impressive to me. He’s got some holes, but ultimately he more than lived up to the hype he created this summer.
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2. WHICH NON-BLUEBLOOD COLLEGE PROGRAM DO YOU SEE SETTING UP TO HAVE A HYPER-SUCCESSFUL 2025 RECRUITING CYCLE?
Cassidy: Here we go again with Indiana, right? Once again, Mike Woodson has a number of legitimate irons in the fire with high-profile prospects. And while the Hoosiers hope this cycle ends better than the last one when it comes to actual commitments, it’s better to be in the thick of the hunt with major national prospects than it is to be scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Five-star Jalen Haralson is set to take an official to Indiana in late August, and the Hoosiers remain in play with in-state stars Braylon Mullins and Trent Sisley, both of whom are in the midst of a stock-boosting summer. Big men Malachi Moreno and Eric Reibe are also in play to some extent. Five-stars Bryson Tiller and Mikel Brown are also priority targets for IU and seem to be seriously considering Woodson’s program.
If Woodson can land even two of the aforementioned prospects, it would lay the bedrock for an incredibly strong 2025 class in Bloomington.
Jordan: I often sit back and wait to hear names of coaches and schools consistently for questions like these and Syracuse is a program that’s definitely been ringing out with top-tier prospects of late. Adrian Autry and his crew have laid solid groundwork this summer and made inroads to set the table for potentially landing elite players in the class.
None is more important than Kiyan Anthony, son of Carmelo Anthony. After his dominant summer, Syracuse reeling the legacy prospect in would go a long way.
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3.WHICH PROSPECT IN THE 2025 CLASS DO YOU THINK IS UNDER-RECRUITED AND WILL BE A STEAL FOR THE COLLEGE THAT LANDS HIM?
Cassidy: Darrel Brown Jr. really made an impression on me at Pangos All-American Camp this year and his recruitment seems to be trending toward a handful of mid-major programs at which I’m almost certain Brown has the skill set to become a star. Brown lacks a bit for exposure because he doesn’t play on a top-flight, major circuit AAU team but the three-star guard’s trademark bounce and explosiveness helps offset his slight, 6-foot-1 frame. While a bit limited defensively because of his lack of size, Brown is a natural scorer that shines as a slasher but also boasts a reliable stroke from long range.
Maine and Sacred Heart have both offered Brown, and the three-star guard would be an absolute steal for either of those programs.
Jordan: I’ve been impressed with the consistency from Omari Witherspoon this summer. He’s unranked currently but after dominating the competition on the UAA all summer that should change. At 6-foot-4 he’s got great positional size as a scoring guard and a high IQ on the offensive end, efficiently scoring it at all three levels.
He has good offers from West Virginia, Pitt, Virginia Tech and others but I’ve always felt he would earn the blueblood offers eventually. He's definitely going to be a steal when it’s all said and done.
