Sting Factor: McCormack to Kansas

News came down on Sunday evening that David McCormack, a top-50 center prospect from the 2018 class, will play his college ball at Kansas next year. While it is a giant victory for the Jayhawks, where might his other finalists, Oklahoma State, NC State, Duke and Xavier, look next?

Sting factor: 5

Would David McCormack have been a quality interior piece for the Blue Devils and someone that Coach K could have relied upon in competing for a national championship? There is no doubt about it.

Despite the likely departures of Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter after their lone seasons in Durham this winter and the questions surrounding Marques Bolden’s long-term potential at Duke, there will be a void left for the Blue Devils for the 2018-2019 college basketball season.

However, the ACC blueblood laid off the gas pedal with McCormack in recent weeks and seems to have turned more of their attention to the backcourt while also prioritizing Zion Williamson. They already boast the commitments of five-star guards Cam Reddish and Tre Jones and continue to pursue Darius Garland and R.J. Barrett.

Missing on McCormack isn’t much of a whiff, but if Williamson declines the Blue Devils' offer, well, it would be more of a burn than a light sting which is being felt by McCormack today.

Sting factor: 7

There was a lot of talk back during the summer months that the Cowboys, thanks to the hiring of David Kontaxis, a one-time coach with McCormack’s travel program, Team Loaded, were the in the driver’s seat. As always, things changed over the course of a few months, and now the Big 12 program must regroup and hit on another one of their targets in the frontcourt.

While McCormack would have been the crown jewel of Oklahoma State’s recruiting class this fall, the Cowboys do sit in a good spot with Yor Anei, a 6-foot-8 forward that took his first official visit to Stillwater this past weekend, and Reggie Chaney, a Rivals150 big man that will likely visit Oklahoma State next month.

Thankfully for Cowboys fans, they lose just one frontline member next spring with the graduation of Mitchell Solomon; their priorities remain in the backcourt as they have made the final lists for Elijah Weaver and Ayo Dosunmu, and they remain a sleeper for top-50 wing Khavon Moore.

Sting Factor: 8

From a necessity standpoint, NC State’s miss on David McCormack is not a big one. They already hold the commitment of Rivals150 center Immanuel Bates, and while they will lose Abdul-Malik Abu and Lennard Freeman to graduation after this season and could also see Omer Yurtseven leave for the NBA after his sophomore campaign, realistically, McCormack alongside Bates may have been a difficult fit.

Landing the Oak Hill center would have been ginormous in the optics category as first-year head coach Kevin Keatts would have shown he can go up against the elite and secure a priority, top-tier talent.

However, what the Wolfpack really want and need is a scoring wing that can be leaned upon during his freshman year on campus. Keldon Johnson and Jericole Hellems are two of those to keep tabs on. While NC State will continue to keep a pulse on those in the frontcourt, as they recently re-entered the mix for one-time Creighton commit Ian Steere, their priorities remain with Johnson and Hellems.

Sting Factor: 9

Xavier made a major swing at McCormack. They secretly hosted the top-50 big man for an unofficial visit in the summer as well as an official this month. However, the two trips weren't enough, and now Xavier must regroup and find the proper replacements for outgoing seniors Kerem Kanter and Sean O’Mara.

While they do hold the commitment of Jake Walter, a big man that should be good in time, Xavier must nail down at least one frontcourt commitment this fall. This weekend, the Musketeers hosted junior college big man Shaq Carter; they will then host Rivals150 forward Jermaine Harris next weekend for an official visit. They are also in pursuit of Darius Days, though they are playing catch up, and would love to add local big man Jaxson Hayes in the coming weeks, though the recent offer from Kentucky may have changed things some.

The loss of McCormack stings, but thankfully for Xavier fans, they remain entrenched in the recruitments of several talented bigs this fall.