In this week’s #TwitterTuesday, we look at the recruiting efforts of Georgia Tech and Pitt, Courtney Ramey’s newfound recruitment and the emergence of Rivals150 forward Filip Petrusev.
Josh Pastner has put together a sneaky good class for the Yellow Jackets thus far, thanks to the commitments of Rivals150 four-star guard Mike DeVoe and high upside forward Kristian Sjolund. What might lay ahead for Georgia Tech this fall?
The Yellow Jackets' primary target remains Nassir Little, a five-star small forward and the fifth-ranked player in the 2018 Rivals150. Thanks to Pastner and his staff investing so much time and attention with Little early in his recruitment, Georgia Tech was able to solidify a spot in his final five. Arizona and Miami, two of his other finalists, look to be out of the picture, while Duke, which landed the commitment of five-star wing Cam Reddish and is a strong suitor for both R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson, might not be Little’s landing spot, either.
This brings us to a final two: Georgia Tech and North Carolina. At this very moment, the Tar Heels may have the lead, but Little is a loyal kid and could be intrigued by the idea of being a building block alongside DeVoe, at Georgia Tech next year.
Outside of Little, Georgia Tech continues to keep tabs on Keyontae Johnson, a Rivals150 wing that would be a fine complementary piece alongside Devoe in the backcourt. The Yellow Jackets will also host Rivals150 guard Brendan Adams in the coming weeks.
Rivals150 forward Filip Petrusev has been the biggest winner of the fall evaluation periods. The 6-foot-11 power forward, who was once committed to Hartford, has seen his stock skyrocket as a handful of top college programs have begun to enter his recruitment.
Petrusev officially visited Tennessee over the weekend and gave glowing reviews about his time in Knoxville. The Vols remain strongly in the mix in his recruitment, but there is no timetable for his decision.
Following his visit to UT, Petrusev told Rivals that he is hoping to solidify his final three official visit dates from a group of five other schools consisting of Arizona, Utah, Virginia, Gonzaga and Maryland. Tennessee is in a good spot, but Petrusev is going to take more time before he reaches his final decision.
Courtney Ramey's recruitment is just beginning thanks to his decommitment from Louisville last week following the FBI probe into the Cardinals' program. Ramey, one of the best on-ball defenders in his class, will not be short for college suitors.
Regarding Ramey and Missouri, look for the Tigers to pursue the Rivals150 standout. Cuonzo Martin has been adamant about zeroing in on the St. Louis region since taking over the reins in Columbia and on Monday, the entire Mizzou coaching staff made their way into see him. Missouri enrolled Blake Harris this summer, a Rivals150 guard, and recruiting point guards in consecutive classes may hinder their chances with him. Martin is also known for playing bigger lineups, but in an era where teams commonly play multiple ball handlers on the floor at the same time, maybe the newly-minted Mizzou head coach will change his approach.
Who else might make a push for Ramey this fall? A number of Big Ten programs have already solidified their future at the point guard position, though, it's worth keeping an eye on Purdue and Ohio State.
The Boilermakers dispatched an assistant coach to watch Ramey on Thursday, just two days after his decommitment. Purdue will lose P.J. Thompson, its stalwart at the lead guard position, after this season, and are also actively recruiting former DePaul commit and four-star guard Tyger Campbell.
Ohio State is a program that has made major moves within recent weeks thanks to a number of commitments. The Buckeyes still have a hole at the point guard position and could become solid competitors for Ramey’s signature.
Do not look for Ramey to rush into a decision. While many programs will likely pursue him, I expect Missouri, Purdue and Ohio State to be three of the schools most involved over the next few weeks, though Texas, Marquette, Illinois, Clemson, Wake Forest and Cincinnati each recently reaffirmed their previous offer to him within the past week.
Kevin Stallings is entering his second full year at Pittsburgh and, while year one didn’t go as planned, the Panthers have made some moves on the recruiting trail. Pitt saw its top three contributors depart the program due to graduation or transfer, and a handful of others also opted to head elsewhere. Despite all of the turnover, the Pitt staff found a way to create a competitive roster for this season and has already hit twice in the 2018 class. What might be next?
The Panthers will lose just three to graduation in the spring and have filled two of those spots with St. James School big man Bryce Golden and junior college lead guard Danya Kingsby. Pitt's top priority entering the fall remains Saddiq Bey, a 6-foot-6 small forward and Rivals150 prospect that looks to be down to a group of three schools.
Bey visited Miami two weeks ago but with the recent FBI college basketball probe, the Hurricanes may be out of the mix. If that's the case, the Panthers, Xavier, and NC State are the likeliest of landing spots.
Xavier needs another wing performer in the 2018 class, while Kevin Keatts needs to restock the cupboard in Raleigh. Pitt may be able to offer the most playing time and biggest opportunity as a freshman.
Look for Bey to pull the trigger on a commitment in the next few weeks. He could make a final surprise visit, though it is not expected.
