Three-Point Play: 2022 commits, predictions, reclassification

Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Corey Evans looks into the tale of two tremendous sophomores and their decisions in today's Three-Point Play.

Mailbag: Going pro, UK, Michigan, Oklahoma

2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position

2022 Rankings: Top 75

It is perplexing that two of the top five prospects in the 2022 class, Emoni Bates and Dior Johnson, have already made college decisions, while the top five 2021 prospects remain uncommitted.

While I would love to say that we are seeing the beginning of a new trend, this is more of a fun coincidence than anything else. For Bates, Michigan State was the only program that was really even recruiting him. He took it upon himself to repay the favor by committing to the Spartans and giving Tom Izzo his biggest recruiting win.

Johnson, meanwhile, chose the home-state Syracuse Orange in February before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe.

Both Bates and Johnson chose prestigious, if not blueblood, programs and are working to add even more talent to their respective rosters. Johnson has already been rather vocal about recruiting others to join him at Syracuse, while Bates will surely try to convince some of his new new prep teammates - Jaden Akins, Shawn Phillips and Javaugh Hannah - to play in East Lansing.

While questions remain as to whether Bates or Johnson will even attend college, it will be interesting to see if any other top 2022 standouts follow their lead.

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Speaking of the 2022 class, could there be another top 10 prospect on the cusp of a commitment? It's possible, but I would not bet on it.

Caleb Houstan and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield have frequently been discussed as prospects that reclassify into the 2021 class. Duke just offered Houstan last week and Kentucky would love to take Huntley-Hatfield in 2021.

Jalen Duren and Chris Livingston don’t seem too interested in the recruiting process just yet and, like Bates, might not be receiving many offers due to a widespread belief that they will skip college for the professional ranks. The same could be said for Keyonte George and even Amari Bailey, who has already backed off commitments to DePaul and UCLA in recent years.

For Kijani Wright and Jaden Bradley, they are actually enjoying the recruitment that an elite prospect should but I wouldn’t expect for any movement from either of the two anytime soon.

We have already seen Moussa Cisse move into the 2020 class and more reclass decisions could be on the way soon.

First, with Cisse, it looks like he is finally inching closer to a college decision. LSU was the leader a month ago but, with so much time passing between when he was expected to commit and now, it's possible that some of his other finalists have made up serious ground. I have been told that Cisse could make a commitment as early as this weekend.

Two others that could make the leap into the 2020 class are Efton Reid and Franck Kepnang but it appears as if they will both remain in the 2021 class. Kepnang announced his decision earlier in the week and I expect for Reid to do the same in the coming days.

We will see if Mac Etienne decides to remain or makes the leap into college later this summer.

The pandemic impact should not be discounted, here. The inability for prospects to take visits could push a few of them back into the high school ranks.