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Three-Point Play: Reclassing prospects, Rahsool Diggins, more

In today's Three-Point Play, Rivals analyst Corey Evans explores the popularity of reclassification, shines a light on Rahsool Diggins' recruitment and updates everyone on the latest breakout from New England.

MORE: Class of 2022 prospects who could have pushed for national rankings

2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position

2022 Rankings: Top 75


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1. RECLASSIFICATION PERIOD SETS IN

Adama Sanogo
Adama Sanogo (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

Just like the transfer portal filling up earlier this spring than normal, the same could be ahead for reclassifications. In the past 48 hours, Adama Sanogo and Jaxson Robinson made the move into the 2020 class and more could be on the way.

Thanks to the coronavirus, the offseason began quicker than any of us could have imagined. In the past, most prospects would hold off from reclassifying until making it through at least the first half of the travel season, if not later. That is not the case this spring.

Sanogo, in any other year, may have waited until August to move into the 2020 class so that he could complete the entire travel season. Robinson would have been gearing up for another string of weeks with his Team Griffin bunch; instead, he will be in summer classes next month.

Already, three four-stars have moved into the 2020 class, with William Jeffress changing classes earlier in the winter. Those ranks could grow with prospects such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moussa Cisse and Khristian Lander, three five-stars who are expected to transition a year up.

We could be entering an age where college basketball has early and late signing periods, and then also a reclassification period.

2. DIGGINS GETS HIS DUES

Rahsool Diggins
Rahsool Diggins (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

In a weak point guard class, I never understood why Rahsool Diggins wasn’t a more heavily coveted prospect. That changed over the past two weeks, which says something about the state of the game that prospects are receiving offers that they should have enjoyed all along despite things remaining at a stand-still due to the ongoing pandemic.

Whether it is programs realizing just how thin the 2021 class is, especially for premier lead guard talent, that Diggins is actually this good or that juniors are coming to college decisions much earlier than we have ever seen, the top-50 guard has become a top-level recruit practically overnight.

Despite the increased attention, Diggins isn't anywhere near his college decision. However, the Villanova offer that he received a few days ago should be noted. Diggins is a Philadelphia native and attends the same high school that Collin Gillespie graduated from and runs with the same travel program that junior commit Nnanna Njoku was slated to appear with this summer. Suffice it to say, there are a lot of connections between the Wildcats and Diggins.

Look for Diggins to take his recruitment into the fall with visits being made once they’re permissible. Earlier this spring, I would have said DePaul and Virginia Tech were the two to beat. They still might be, but Villanova is definitely one to monitor, as is Kansas, Miami, St. Joe’s and UConn.

3. SIMMONS BEGINS TO EMERGE

Three-star wing Casey Simmons likely would have been one of the few trending names after the evaluation periods last month but despite the recruiting shutdown, he still found a way to catch the attention of a number of high-major coaching staffs.

Simmons’ junior high school season tape shows his improved perimeter jumpshot, his size and length and also his positional versatility.

Running with the Mass Rivals program, Simmons already held offers from Brown, Northwestern, Penn, Rhode Island, Temple and Yale coming into April, and had taken unofficial visits to Penn, Rhode Island, Temple and Yale within the past year.

His recruitment took a change for the better last week with offers from Boston College, Georgetown and Texas, and it won’t be long before more high-majors jump into the picture. Miami, Pitt, UConn and Xavier have also expressed interest.

Simmons is not anywhere near deciding, but he was hoping to take official visits to Northwestern and Penn this spring before the pandemic hit. Once on and off campus recruiting is allowed, Simmons might be one of the more recruited prospects in the region.

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