There are still a number of elite 2018 targets left on the board, which we address in this week’s Twitter Tuesday. We examine Romeo Langford and Darius Garland and their chances of attending Indiana together, Darius Days’ looming college decision and high-powered athlete Emmitt Williams.
The Archie Miller era kicks off this weekend with Hoosier Hysteria, Indiana’s version of midnight madness. It will be the first-year staff’s chance to not only show Hoosier fans what they have in store for the season but also an opportunity to host two of the program's top 2018 targets.
Romeo Langford and Darius Garland, two five-star guards, will visit Indiana. They have grown close over the years and and there's talk about the duo playing together in college. While Rob asks about the chances that both commit after the weekend, I think Indiana should hope to get one. I do not expect a commitment from either for at least another few weeks.
Let’s start with Garland, who has already visited UCLA, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The five-star guard would be a tremendous addition for the Hoosiers, but Vanderbilt looks to be in the strongest position at this point. There is still some time to go with Garland and a good weekend in Bloomington could position Indiana nicely heading into the fall signing period.
For as much as IU fans would love Garland, in-state standout Langford is the prospect that has been on every Indiana native’s minds over the past several months. North Carolina hosted Langford on an official visit last weekend, while Kansas will do just the same in two weeks. Those two bluebloods are the ones to beat, though Indiana should not be discounted whatsoever. Miller, since taking the Indiana job, has made it clear that Langford is the program's top priority and this weekend will be his chance to show him that.
Langford and Garland are likely to complete all of their official visits before November which could equate to an early signing next month; KU is the team the Hoosiers must beat for Langford and Vanderbilt is the one they must topple for Garland. If they can do either, IU will walk into the early signing period with a top-five class nationally.
Emmitt Williams, quite possibly the hardest playing big man in the 2018 class, is nearing his college decision. While he remains at a final seven, Oregon, LSU, Florida and Duke are the most likely spots for him. He has already visited the Ducks and Tigers, the favorites for him, and he will head to UF this weekend. Williams has also mentioned potentially visiting the Blue Devils, though that remains in question.
Could Florida somehow shut down the recruitment of the in-state power forward and nail down its second five-star commitment this fall? That seems very unlikely, as Florida is playing catch-up with Oregon and LSU. The Gators do not have a pressing need in the frontcourt but are more worried about landing a versatile wing in the mold of Khavon Moore or Keyontae Johnson, Williams’s commitment would just be icing on the cake for Mike White’s crew.
This is not to say that Florida wouldn’t love to have Williams. He would be a tremendous addition for the SEC crew, and the Gators will do their very best this weekend. However, Oregon remains the squad to beat, with LSU a close second.
Darius Days, a Rivals150 forward, told Rivals.com on Sunday that he would be make his college commitment on Friday. His recruitment is shaping up to be a two-horse race between North Carolina and LSU.
North Carolina, following the commitment of five-star wing Nassir Little, has a top five recruiting class already and would love nothing more than to throw Days into the fold.
LSU, the program that hosted Days this past weekend, was thought to be the heavy favorite for the past few weeks, which they still may be. There is no doubt Days is an important recruit for first-year head coach Will Wade.
It's a neck-and-neck race between North Carolina and LSU but, when push comes to shove, I will take the Tar Heels.
Alabama made noise on Monday as it notched the commitment of Rivals150 guard Jared Butler, the potential next in line to start for the Tide at point guard. Butler becomes the first member of Avery Johnson’s recruiting class, so there remains work to be done by the staff in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama will lose Ar’Mond Davis and Riley Norris, two wing-forwards, following this season and there remains a chance that John Petty, another top-flight freshman, could enter the NBA following just one season in Tuscaloosa. There is more than enough talent for Alabama to overcome potential early departures, but if it wants to remain on the uptick, a few more boxes need to be checked this fall.
The Tide sit in a solid spot with Javian Fleming, a 6-foot-8 big man from Mississippi. They are in his final two along with Georgetown. While the hard-nosed and productive senior has been focused on just these two schools for a few weeks now, a commitment is not expected until next month.
Diante Wood, a good-sized wing and who offers strong scoring punch off the ball, visited Alabama a few weeks back and the Tide remain a favorite for him. Wood, one of the top prospects in the state, would be a nice complementary piece on the perimeter, especially with the pending departures of the program's two seniors and possibly Petty.
Not much has been said about Robert Woodard of late and with bloodlines that lead back to the Mississippi State basketball program, the Bulldogs were thought to be the eventual landing spot for him. However, things remain wide-open for the skilled and versatile forward. Memphis will receive a visit from Woodard in the coming weeks but a number of SEC programs are battling for one as well. The thought was that Woodard wouldn’t sign until the spring and that may remain the case, but he is one that Tide fans should continue to monitor.
Lastly, while Fleming, Wood and Woodard remain Alabama's top three targets this fall, Anfernee Simons is the latest prospect to receive an offer from the program. A one-time Louisville commit that immediately backed off of his pledge to the Cardinals following their involvement in the FBI's basketball corruption probe, the Tide coaching staff will have to do a little work in explaining to Simons how both he and Butler can play together. However, Johnson is a coach that relies on his guards and with many shoes to fill on the perimeter, a backcourt of Butler and Simons would be one of the more talented and electrics ones in America next season.
