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RIVALS ROUNDTABLE: Toughest five-star recruitments to read
In this week’s Twitter Tuesday mailbag, Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Corey Evans look at the pending commitments of Cole Anthony and Keion Brooks, checks in on Pitt and more.
Yes, I do believe that Cole Anthony will end up at North Carolina, but I am not as confident about that prediction as I was just a few weeks ago. Oregon is just as strong as a suitor as the Tar Heels and, by all accounts, Anthony is impressed with all the Ducks can offer. Furthermore, it does not hurt that they have a former high school teammate of his, Chandler Lawson, already committed to the program. However, the cache and name-brand appeal of North Carolina along with having the chance to be the go-to guy for Tar Heels as a freshman may be too much to overcome.
Give me Indiana. Keion Brooks, a five-star small forward from the Hoosier State, has taken all of his official visits and all that is left is for the scoring wing to make his college commitment. The Hoosiers have been the most talked about landing spot for him throughout his recruitment and while different suitors have entered the picture at different points, Archie Miller and his staff’s attention toward him have only heightened.
If not Indiana, watch for Kentucky, Michigan State or North Carolina. The Tar Heels may have the greatest chance of luring another Midwest prospect to its campus but Brooks belongs to a fairly tight-knit family and has created a strong bond with former travel teammate and IU pledge Trayce Jackson-Davis
I’ll take Indiana.
The end is near for Isaiah Stewart, and I believe he will make a decision by the end of January. The five-star center told Rivals.com earlier this month that he has pretty much decided on which program that he will select and the primary hold-up is more about how he would like to go about announcing his commitment.
Stewart is down to a final five of Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State, Syracuse and Washington, but I view this as more of a three-horse race between the Blue Devils, Spartans and Huskies. I expect Stewart to choose Washington, giving Mike Hopkins the biggest recruiting win of his young head coaching career.
Qudus Wahab's recruitment is a total toss-up. The four-star prospect told Rivals.com yesterday that he will be committing on Jan. 30, though to whom remains in question. That's the type of situation that we are following and it seems as if his finalists are as in the dark as the rest of us.
Beyond Wahab, Pitt has made up some ground in recent weeks with Gerald Drumgoole. He is expected to visit in the not-so-distant future and it seems as if the Panthers have caught his eye thanks to their relatively impressive start. He has already visited Minnesota and South Carolina, while others such as Georgetown and Georgia remain involved, too.
Christian Brown's recruitment is still underway and he could visit Pitt once his Oak Hill team’s season comes to the end. Clemson, Georgia, Illinois and NC State are also heavily involved.
Pitt may still have to wait a little longer for its first 2019 pick-up but the Panthers are gaining some traction with worthwhile recruits.
