As college football teams duke it out on the gridiron this weekend, college basketball fans will be paying more attention to which elite hoops prospects are hanging around on the sidelines.
From detailed video presentations to name chants from fans in the stands to lucrative NIL deals, coaches and fans will pull out all stops trying to lure some of the best high school basketball players in the country.
Here are a handful of the hoops VIPs that are roaming on different campuses this weekend.
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VJ Edgecombe’s visit to Florida
Good luck finding a more productive guard than Edgecombe over the last year and now Todd Golden and the Gators will get first chomp at the 6-foot-5 shooting guard. Make no mistake, Golden’s pitch will have to be captivating with officials to Baylor, Michigan, Duke, Alabama and Florida State on deck in the following weeks.
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Naasir Cunningham’s visit to West Virginia
Interim head coach Josh Eilert will get a chance to prove his mettle this weekend at the Backyard Brawl, sporting Cunningham by his side. The 6-foot-7 wing was once upon a time considered to be the top prospect in the 2024 class, and despite now checking in at No. 31 overall in the Rivals150, Cunningham has all the tools to make an instant impact. Cunningham recently took a visit to USC and has received increased pressure from Arkansas.
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Kon Knueppel’s visit to Duke
Talk about an information overload! Knueppel has been to Wisconsin and Virginia this week before heading to Durham to see Jon Scheyer and the Cameron Crazies. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard has been in high demand all summer after proving to be one of the most lethal scorers in the country, averaging 28.2 points a game and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. The back-channel conversations surround Knueppel, who checks in at No. 15 overall in the Rivals150, making a decision over the next month if not sooner. Scheyer’s reputation as the ultimate closer could help the Blue Devils’ chances.
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Jahki Howard’s visit to Arizona State
Bobby Hurley gets his chance to sway one of the most versatile athletes in the 2024 class in Howard. The 6-foot-7 wing checks in at No. 65 overall in the Rivals150 and does it all on the court inside and out. A human highlight waiting to happen. Howard also holds offers from Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas, Georgia Tech, USC, Auburn, Florida State, Georgetown and Texas.
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Chase McCarty’s visit to Missouri
Dennis Gates gets his swing at the 6-foot-6 wing who has had one of the most productive last 10 months of any player in the 2024 class. McCarty led Westminster Christian to the state title game last high school season, averaging 24.7 points a game then followed that up by pumping in 20 points a game for the Atlanta Xpress this summer in the Under Armour Association. McCarty won the 3-point shooting title at the Under Armour Elite 24 in August. He’s already taken official visits to Houston, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. He told Rivals that he plans to have a decision by November.
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Darius Adams’ visit to Michigan State
Adams has been all over the country lately, recently taking a visit to Indiana a week ago and Notre Dame on Friday before landing in East Lansing on Saturday. It makes sense that Tom Izzo and other heavyweight coaches are hot on the trail of one of the most dynamic guards in the 2025 class. This is just the beginning for the 6-foot-5 three-level scoring guard.
