Starting Five: Decision looms for Dozier
As the Nov. 12 beginning of the early signing period for the class of 2015 looms larger, schools across the country are looking to make their move with leftover talent. Top 35 guard P.J. Dozier is among those who will decide early, and he wrapped up his official visit process by checking out Louisville over the weekend. We discuss Dozier, an addition to Iowa's class, a few big-time juniors who have made cuts to their lists and more in this week's Starting Five.
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Decision looms for Dozier
Thanks to a weekend visit to Louisville, the nation's No. 34 player in the class of 2015, P.J. Dozier, has completed his official visits. Having already visited his other finalists -- Georgetown, Michigan, North Carolina and South Carolina -- the 6-foot-6 guard from Columbia (S.C.) Spring Valley can go about making his decision.
More than likely, Dozier should be ready to announce his choice within the next week, but since he hasn't yet locked in on date, it is unlikely that he has totally made up his mind. UNC and Michigan are expected in early this week, and there is little doubt that his other finalists will be by to make a last-minute pitch as well.
A versatile guard who can initiate the offense and defend all over the perimeter, Dozier should be able to earn early minutes wherever it lands.
So far, Dozier hasn't said much to indicate any favorites. Behind the scenes, however, it sounds like the recently visited Cardinals, hometown Gamecocks and Hoyas have opened up a little distance in the process. Dozier is a fit for Louisville's pressing system, Georgetown badly wants a point guard in this class, and there is always pressure to stay home.
Most likely, this one will come down to which school has done the best job of making Dozier feel at home with the staff and players. Rivals.com's bet is that his answer will come from that trio of Georgetown, Louisville and South Carolina with the Cardinals and Gamecocks perhaps holding a slight lead over the Hoyas.
Bragg will reschedule UCLA visit
Over the weekend, five-star power forward Carlton Bragg was set to take a trip to UCLA where he would join the nation's No. 2 player Jaylen Brown while visiting Westwood. However, Bragg had to postpone his visit and will now look to set up a new date.
As it turned out, Bragg had too many events coming together at the same time (testing, homecoming, etc.) to be able to get away from the weekend or miss any school. But he will make his visit to Westwood and now it is a matter of deciding whether to do it during the year or to wait until after his high school season finishes.
Rivals.com will have a full feature on Bragg later this week, but so far he has only used one of his official visits and that one was spent on Kansas. In addition to UCLA, Bragg still plans to get to Illinois, and he could return to Kentucky for an official visit after taking in the Big Blue Madness festivities as an unofficial visitor.
Iowa-bound wing on the rise
During the latter part of July, Chicago (Ill.) Simeon wing Isaiah Moss took his play to an entirely new level. Known for his athleticism and ability to slash, he showed off an improved shot and upgraded dribbling ability.
Thanks to the strong end of summer, the 6-foot-5 senior became a popular guy for high-majors to check in on. He tripped to Rhode Island, got an offer from DePaul as well as a recent offer from Iowa State.
Over the weekend, though, Moss made his way to Iowa and he didn't make it out of the weekend without committing to the Hawkeyes. So, what type of player is Iowa getting?
Currently an unranked three-star who is listed as a small forward, Moss is a player whose stock has continued to rise during the fall. Word back from those who have been in to see him during the past few months is that his late summer performance wasn't a fluke and that he has continued to add to his all-around game.
For now, Rivals.com lists Moss as a small forward but that listing is one that will be investigated during the winter. He is most certainly on the watch list for the Rivals150 and if further evaluation reveals that he is more of a shooting guard than a small forward then he could really make a move when rankings for the class of 2015 get adjusted one last time in the spring.
Northern Arizona lands three-star shooter
Late Sunday night, Northern Arizona landed a very nice player when they earned a commitment from Carlsbad (Calif.) La Costa Canyon's Brady Twombly.
A 6-foot-5 wing who rates as a three-star prospect, Twombly has impressed over the last year. He is a tough kid, has a strong base and best of all he can really shoot the ball from deep.
Whether it has been with his high school team, at the Reebok Breakout Camp or with his summer program Gamepoint, Twombly has proven that he has the tools to be a dangerous sniper on the college level. Because he is physically strong, the transition to Division One from high school should be a little easier and he looks like he has the tools to come in and help out early.
Five-star juniors cut lists
Five-star juniors Derryck Thornton and Tyus Battle still have a long way to go in the recruiting process. But, they are at least getting things moving with their recruiting as Thornton has cut his list down to 10 programs while Battle is now down to a group of 11.
A 6-foot-1 point guard from California who plays his high school ball for Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep, Thornton is the second highest ranked point guard in the class of 2016 checking in at No. 9 overall. Last week, the talented floor general cut his list down to a group of Arizona, California, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, N.C. State, UNLV and USC.
On the other side of the country, Battle is actually a good friend of Thornton's and the two have often discussed the possibility of going to school together. A 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard's, Battle ranks No. 15 overall in the class of 2016.
Based on Battle's final 11, the schools who could pull off a package deal of Battle and Thornton are Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami and Michigan. The other six programs on his list are Connecticut, Florida, Ohio State, Syracuse, Villanova and Virginia.
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