BROOKLYN, N.Y – The MVP of the recent Under Armor Elite 24, Shon Abaev was a summer stock riser that is a lock to move up from his No. 46 spot in the Rivals150. He has six visits scheduled for the fall but plans to take his time when it comes to choosing a college destination.
Rivals recently caught up with Abaev to discuss his recruitment and what the future may hold for the four-star wing.
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ON HIS UPCOMING OFFICIAL VISIT DESTINATIONS:
“It’s Dayton (Aug. 23), Syracuse (Aug. 30), USC (Sept. 13), Auburn (Sept. 20), Maryland (Oct. 8) and Cincinnati (Oct. 2).”
ON SYRACUSE:
“It’s a good relationship. I’m really close with the head coach (Adrian Autry) there. He's given me great advice as a player and as a human being as well, so I really think the relationship is really good.”
ON CINCINNATI:
“Wes Miller is a really good coach that played at a high level himself. I feel like I have a really good connection with him. I really like the way he coaches and the way he has his teams play. He's really energetic when he's coaching, and that's something I like.”
ON USC:
“Eric Musselman has been talking to me for a long time. He said he watched me a lot when I was younger. He said he’s always liked my game. He told me once when I was younger that he was going to recruit me heavily when I was older. Now I'm older, and he’s doing it – recruiting me heavily – so it’s cool.”
ON A DECISION TIMETABLE:
“I don't have a date or anything yet. I’m going to take my time. It’s a very big decision for me and my family because it could determine if I eventually go to the (NBA) or not, so I’m going to take my visits and take my time.”
RIVALS' REACTION
Abaev has helped his stock significantly this summer and will rise in the next rankings update. As far as his recruitment goes, he’s officially down to Dayton, Syracuse, USC, Auburn, Cincinnati and Maryland and has plans in place to visit each.
Arkansas and Duke have also been in contact as of late, so they are worth loosely monitoring in case something more serious arises from the late-arriving interest.
