Twitter Tuesday: Anthony Harris, Memphis, Johnny Juzang
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In this week’s Twitter Tuesday mailbag, we evaluate North Carolina's chances with Anthony Harris, look ahead to Memphis' spring targets, discuss Kerry Blackshear’s options and more.
I don't think Cole Anthony's pending commitment to North Carolina impacts Anthony Harris much. The four-star guard has always played alongside tremendous talent at the point guard position in high school and on the travel circuit, and his situation with the Tar Heels wouldn't be any different. Plus, don't forget North Carolina is losing not just Coby White, but also Kenny Williams this spring.
In their places, the Tar Heels would enroll Anthony, if he does commit, and Jeremiah Francis, though the latter continues to work back from an injury. There are no clear-cut replacements for Williams returning and seeing that Harris is not known for being ball dependent, he would be a match on the floor alongside Anthony.
My gut says Harris will end up at North Carolina thanks to the draw of staying close to home and playing in the ACC.
Memphis is involved with several coveted prospects this spring.
Precious Achiuwa is on his official visit to Memphis and the Tigers might be in line to land the talented forward in the coming weeks.
R.J. Hampton will not decide until later this summer and there is a strong chance that he will reclassify into the 2019 class. Kansas is my pick for now and while Memphis has a good shot with the five-star prospect, the Jayhawks look to have all of the boxes checked with Hampton.
Lester Quinones could join Achiuwa in Memphis. The former travel teammates enjoyed great success with the New Heights travel program last summer and could attempt to do the same next year at Memphis. Things could change, though, as Quinones is expected to visit Indiana and Michigan in the coming days before committing on May 10.
If the Tigers land Achiuwa, it would seem to be difficult for them to ink Trendon Watford’s due the amount of bodies in the frontcourt.
It is a total guessing game right now with Kerry Blackshear and, after speaking with him shortly last week, he is far from any sort of college or NBA decision. The Virginia Tech transfer has already submitted his name for the NBA Draft but if he does not receive positive feedback, he will likely return for his final year of college ball which would make his college commitment, at the earliest, in late May.
Which college could land him, though? Texas A&M does have a very good chance as Buzz Williams mentored him for the past four years in Blacksburg and completed an in-home visit with his family over the weekend. Florida, the local program, has had good conversations with Blackshear and his family as there has been talk of his desire to spend his final year in college close to home.
From there, look for every program in America to toss their hat into the ring. Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, you name it, will likely be involved. Blackshear is one of the more low maintenance ballplayers around and will not be wooed by the name of a school but rather the fit and how quickly he can feel comfortable with his surroundings, which is why Texas A&M and Florida may be among the early leaders for him.
Johnny Juzang has not come out and said that he will reclassify into the 2019 class but whispers have swirled around such a move. Kentucky completed an in-home visit with Juzang and his family last week, which led to an offer being extended. The Wildcats may need another versatile guard to complete their 2019 class thanks to the recent departure of Tyler Herro and they’re hoping that Juzang would be the guy to fill such a void.
His commitment will not come easy for Kentucky.
For UCLA, it is vital that Mick Cronin develops a strong rapport with Juzang. The five-star wing kept the Bruins on his list this winter despite the firing of Steve Alford, reflecting his true feelings for the program. He also took an official visit to Virginia last year and is hearing from Kansas, Marquette, USC and Villanova. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Vanderbilt jump into the mix thanks to the recent hiring of associate head coach David Grace, a coach with strong ties to Juzang’s Compton Magic travel program.
Sahvir Wheeler's recruitment is more of a two-horse race. The former Texas A&M recruit backed off of his Aggie pledge following the coaching change in College Station and seems to have narrowed things down to Georgia and Iowa State. Both programs have needs to fill in the backcourt, and adding Wheeler would go a long way in solving those issues. Wheeler is expected to make a decision in early May and, barring any late entrants into his recruitment, this one seems to be a 50-50 draw between the Cyclones and Bulldogs.