Top-40 junior Julian Strawther cuts school list to ten
After enjoying four official visits this winter, Julian Strawther is ready to take an even greater look at his ongoing recruitment. The top-40 junior has cut his school list to a final group of ten, he told Rivals.com, with hopes of visiting two others in the months ahead.
A four-star prospect and a versatile forward from the 2020 class, Strawther is now focused on a group of ten that includes Cal, Florida, Florida State, Gonzaga, Marquette, Oklahoma, UNLV, UCLA, USC and Washington.
“I just felt like it was time. I have dialed into my recruitment and what schools I really like and which schools not so much and with the group of schools that I chose, I am ready to take the next step,” Strawther said. “It is now about building relationships with the coaches and watching the rest of the season and their style of play, how the coaches react on the court and just about taking time to build relationships, that is the main thing right there.”
While including UCLA, a program without a permanent head coach, might raise some eyebrows, the Bruins remain a presence due to the pedigree supporting it. “I feel like it is one the schools close to home and I have always viewed UCLA as one of the schools I would really like to go to,” he said.
Strawther just returned from his fourth official visit over the weekend where he visited Gonzaga. Beforehand, he took official visits to Florida, Florida State and Marquette. He will take his fifth and last allotted official visit during his junior year to Washington on the weekend of March 8, while he could take an unofficial visit to Cal thereafter.
While there is still some time to go before his commitment, Strawther does have a good idea of how he would like for things to play out. “I would love to cut the list against towards the end of July and then I really want to make my decision before my senior year starts,” he said, all of which would lead to a signing in November. “I don’t want to have the stress of my recruitment on me but rather I could go out and have fun in my senior year and play my game.”
A top-50 prospect that brings a wealth of versatility to the playing floor, Strawther is someone that can be plugged into a variety of lineups and produce. He can make shots to the perimeter, finish in traffic, handle as a secondary playmaker and defend up to three positions.