Another week brings another mailbag from Rivals recruiting director Rob Casisdy. This week, Cassidy tackles topics such as K-State’s recruiting momentum, the recruitments of national prospects Dylan Harper and Trentyn Flowers, as well as what he’d do to spice up a small-school conference tournament.
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I think the line you’ve set is a great one, to be honest, but saying “push” would be the most cowardly thing imaginable, so let’s get into it.
If we’re going 2.5 years from today, I’ll take the under … for a couple of reasons.
First, Tang has already proven he's not afraid to make runs at high-profile recruits. He landed a top-60 prospect in Darrin Ames before he ever coached a game and took check swings that didn’t connect at a few five-star prospects in the class of 2022, including Julian Phillips. These days, he’s equipped with momentum in addition to a staff that has relationships with some of Texas’ top grassroots programs. Tang will have a 20-something-win season and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament to flaunt as he hits the trail this summer. K-State’s first-year head coach is no longer selling a dream. He’s got tangible numbers to back him up.
Maybe the most important reason why he’s got a decent shot to pull it off, however, is the fact that some perennial powerhouses that would normally be in play for back-end five-stars might soon follow the new Duke blueprint and not chase such prospects. If recruiting juggernauts turn their attention to the transfer market, more players in that 10 to 25 range per cycle will have to go elsewhere. In this case, elsewhere could well be a program on the rise in the country’s strongest league.
K-State is in play for 2024 prospect David Castillo, who sits on the verge of five-star status and has already visited Manhattan. The class of 2025 features Aaron Rowe and BJ Davis-Ray, who have mentioned K-State as a possibility in interviews. There's no way to be certain about which way the wind will blow on the recruiting trail, as momentum can evaporate in an instant if things go south. Right now, though, under 2.5 years seems like the better bet.
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Hi, Chuck. Rob Cassidy, Atlantic Sun commissioner. Damn glad to meet you.
I’m happy you asked about our conference tournament because I’m thrilled to share some of the exciting changes coming to our format in 2024. We here at the league are positive the revamped event will attract new viewers and fans.
First, we’re moving the championship away from on-campus sites ASAP. And since we at the ASun are self-aware enough to know we might have some trouble filling a big, neutral-site arena, we’ve decided to forgo a building entirely and play all tournament games on outdoor courts on Miami Beach. The oceanside setting is a natural fit for a league that has the word Atlantic right there in its name, after all. If Michigan State, Syracuse and North Carolina can play games on an aircraft carrier, we can play down the street from the Clevelander. Also, forget this prime time stuff. The Atlantic Sun Tournament will take place under the actual Atlantic Sun, as the first game tips off at 10 a.m. ET. We’re not the Atlantic Moon Conference, after all, and the unique daytime event is sure to attract TV interest.
We’re confident that our many hundreds of dedicated fans will travel to Miami and also hope to draw crowds of Magic City locals, many of which are “real estate agents” or some sort of crypto grifters with nothing better to do than watch basketball in a day-party atmosphere on the beach all week.
We’re confident that the changes to the ASun Championship format will set our league apart from the pack and provide some excitement, the likes of which low-major college basketball often lacks.
We hope to see you on South Beach in 2024.
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Flowers’ recruitment is fluid, and I’m not ready to put in an official pick yet, but I still like Creighton’s chances. The four-star wing took an official visit there last fall and returned on his own dime for an unofficial in January, not long before he trimmed his list of options. I think the relationships in place as well as the fact Flowers sees himself as a glove-like-fit for the Bluejays' system are major factors.
All bets are off if head coach Greg McDermott leaves for a new gig between now and the time Flowers signs his letter of intent, however. Even if he doesn’t, Louisville and North Carolina are worth monitoring here. UNC’s standing as a legitimate player may depend a bit on how things shake out with Jarin Stevenson, who is seen as a Tar Heel lean as well as a reclassification possibility.
The situation has a lot of moving parts, but I’d lean slightly toward him landing in Omaha with Stevenson headed to Chapel Hill, as things stand.
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Harper’s recruitment is going to include a lot of noise, but I think there are only two real contenders: Duke and Rutgers.
Which way he’s leaning is a bit difficult to discern, as he and his family are playing things pretty close to the vest. Harper released a top five comprised of Kansas, Duke, Auburn, Indiana and Rutgers. I’d still lean toward Duke here, but I’m not as confident as I was a while back.
A couple months ago I would have given Duke a massive edge, but the way Rutgers is recruiting as of late (landing fellow 2024 five-star Airious Bailey), combined with Duke’s rough first season under Jon Scheyer has given me a bit of pause. Right now, I feel comfortable saying I’d be shocked if the pick was anyone outside of the Blue Devils and Scarlet Knights. I guess Indiana would be the third real possibility, but I think there’s a gap between the Hoosiers and the other two.
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I put in a FutureCast prediction for Thomas to Houston in October of last year, which seems like an eternity ago in recruiting time. I still think the Cougars are in play and are among the leaders, but the fact that Thomas has been to Arizona twice (official and unofficial) since I entered the UH pick is significant. We don't have a good way to withdraw FurtureCasts in our system or I’d likely change it to something that reflects the fact that I think Houston, UNLV and Arizona stand on something resembling level footing for the time being.
Thomas was once thought to be a reclassification candidate and still could be before all is said and done. The picture of his recruitment should clear up in the coming month.
