In this week’s Twitter Tuesday mailbag, we answer your questions about the recruiting efforts of North Carolina and Illinois, the team to beat for J’Raan Brooks and Iowa State’s chances with Xavier Foster.
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Illinois continues to chase after some of the top available talent remaining in the 2018 class, including Tevian Jones and Courtney Ramey. While the Illini aren't a sure thing to land either prospect, the Big Ten program has begun to gain some traction.
Jones, a 6-foot-5 wing that can defend, finish and shoot, would be a quality piece to what the Illini have begun to accumulate on the perimeter. With the upcoming departure of grad-transfer guard Mark Alstork, Jones would have the opportunity to step in and immediately grab some minutes. Things are far from a done deal with Jones and while the Illini are in a good spot, Oregon, Arizona, Cincinnati, Texas and a slew of others remain in contention.
For Courtney Ramey, what we know right now is that he has taken official visits to Texas and Oklahoma State. Villanova and UCLA, two programs that had scheduled official visits with Ramey, are no longer in contention but SMU, Ohio State, South Carolina, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Tennessee now are. No visits are scheduled for the time being so there is still some time before a decision is made.
Jones may be the likeliest of the two to pledge to Illinois, though Brad Underwood and his staff are doing all that they can to grab both.
The talk of late with Armando Bacot has centered around Duke. He was in attendance for the blueblood battle between the Blue Devils and North Carolina two weeks ago and last week, coach Roy Williams was in to see Bacot at his high school.
The Tar Heels are a bit behind but they gained ground recently. It will not be an easy fight though, as Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State, two major dark horses for the junior big man, are right there as well.
Alonzo Gaffney, one of the most talented prospects in the 2019 class, has said in the past that North Carolina was his dream school growing up. I don't know why the Tar Heels haven't offered yet, but I don't think he would immediately jump at an offer. Ohio State and Michigan State have laid down a ton of groundwork with the five-star forward, as have Georgetown and Pitt.
It is not too late yet but as the months go by, the ship may sail for a Gaffney and North Carolina marriage.
J’Raan Brooks, a onetime USC and St. John's commitment, is back on the market and one of the best senior recruits available.
A native of Southern California but having spent most of his recent years in Seattle, the Garfield High standout could have the pick of the litter of where to attend on the West Coast but one program that would make a lot of sense is Washington. The Huskies have strong connections thanks to Will Conroy and last year’s hiring of Dave Rice and Cameron Dollar.
Nothing is imminent but UW would make a lot of sense.
Iowa State has a very good chance with five-star sophomore forward Xavier Foster, though there is still some time before he makes a decision.
A 6-foot-10 big man and one of the top prospects to come from the state of Iowa in the past decade, Foster is solidifying his standing as a national prospect, though the Cyclones and rival Iowa remain in a good spot. Both coaching staffs have been in to see Foster a number of times this winter as he has also taken in a game or two at each of the campuses.
Foster has also visited Kansas and Creighton in recent months. While things are still developing with his recruitment, look for a number of name-brand programs to jump into the picture soon.
