Twitter Tuesday: Latest on Georgetown, Pitt, Baylor, Florida St.
In today's Twitter Tuesday mailbag, Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Corey Evans answers questions about Georgetown, Pitt, Baylor, Florida State and more.
Starting Five: Josh Minott & Zuby Ejiofor show out, event notes
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
I just don’t see it happening right now. Georgetown boasts a top-25 class after Jalin Billingsley's commitment this weekend and the Hoyas are among the suitors for some of the very best including Efton Reid, Aminu Mohammed, Chet Holmgren and Patrick Baldwin.
Reid and Mohammed are the likelier of the four and while Reid is a vintage big man that Patrick Ewing would love to add to his program, the Hoyas have a lot of ground to make up. Maybe, just maybe, Mohammed is the one they get. Returning to where he grew up and having the chance to be the face of Georgetown basketball might be enough to intrigue him.
While Holmgren has stated publicly that he would like to visit the Hilltop before deciding, and Baldwin has affirmed that the Hoyas are one of the programs speaking with him the most often, I just don’t see any of it in the cards. If Duke is not Baldwin's pick, he will likely be playing for his father at Milwaukee; Gonzaga will be tough to beat for Holmgren, and if it is not Mark Few’s program, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio State will also not be easy to topple.
Most likely, Georgetown will whiff on all four but things have gotten better of late with Ryan Mutombo. Florida State may now be out for the four-star, which only improves the Hoyas' chances of landing him.
I wouldn’t say that there are Pitt leans exactly, but there are a few that the Panthers have a better chance with compared to all others.
In the frontcourt, Jeff Capel would love to land one of Franck Kepnang or Efton Reid. Of the two, Reid is the likelier for Pitt. He has decided to remain in the 2021 class and will prep in the fall. Florida State was seen as a heavy suitor but it is likely out, which leads things to a battle between Michigan, Ohio State, Virginia and a few others. The Panthers could also pursue Samson Johnson and Bretner Mutombo if Kepnang and Reid go in another direction.
On the perimeter, Pitt wouldn’t mind taking a versatile wing or forward such as Brandon Weston or David Jones. Weston transferring into Hillcrest Prep in Arizona does not help in the proximity department, though.
Capel did awesome work with his 2020 class and will have just two scholarships to fill after the season. It appears that a true post is the biggest wish which could be granted via the high school realm and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Panthers hit the transfer market in the spring for their other needs.
This is the beauty of recruiting. Programs can never relax as there is always another class to prioritize. This is exactly where Baylor sits after securing a top-five 2021 class following a tremendous run of commitments in recent weeks.
While the Bears could always take another 2021 prospect, they will most likely now look to get ahead in the 2022 class. You can bet that they will go with a big, which is why Lee Dort and Vincent Iwuchkwu are two to monitor. There have been rumblings in recent weeks that the Bears could be the team to beat for both.
Davion Mitchell will be gone by the time the fall of 2022 arrives, so picking up a quick-twitch guard along the way is a must. Austin Nunez fits the bill, as does Derrian Ford and Nick Smith. A versatile guard-wing wouldn’t be a bad idea for Scott Drew either, which is why Anthony Black, Joseph Pinion and Colin Smith hold Baylor offers.
It is still early, but Baylor looks to be setting itself up for another quality run on the recruiting front within its state and region for 2022.
Leonard Hamilton has done some impressive things in Tallahassee over the years, but this could be his best work yet. The 2021 class that he and his staff have put together is the quintessential Florida State group that is full of elite talent, versatility, further upside and most of all, length and size.
If they land Jalen Warley later this weekend, they would have the No. 1 class in America. RIght now, Florida State sits with two immediate scorers off the ball in Matthew Cleveland and Bryce McGowens.
If the Seminoles don't land Warley, maybe they go the junior college route. Meanwhile, Florida State has not focused much of its attention on the 2022 class just yet but the program has thrown out offers to Jaden Bradley, Dillon Hunter, Dereck Lively and Vincent Iwuchukwu. Rest assured, with the quick success FSU has had in the 2021 class and with Hamilton at the helm, another nationally recognized class will be in store a year from now.
This is not the best season to rely on a boatload of newcomers due to increased uncertainty and reduced preseason workouts because of the coronavirus pandemic. This may not favor Arkansas after the Hawgs brought in such a big recruiting class along with a bevy of transfers. However, the return of Isaiah Joe sure does help, and so does the talent base that Arkansas will have.
I see there being a top tier in the SEC of Florida, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee. However, there is definitely a chance that a team like Alabama or Arkansas slips into the upper-crest of the league and receives the double-bye for the SEC Tournament. There is no doubt that if the pieces fall right, that Arkansas is a second weekend NCAA Tournament squad thanks to the shot-makers and versatility it possesses, which would be difficult to game plan against in a 48-hour window.
As far as how the starting lineup will look, I am not sure that Eric Musselman knows what it is going to be. For now, you have to assume that Moses Moody and Isaiah Joe will be starting at the wing positions; KK Robinson will likely complete Arkansas' backcourt at the one. Then comes the tricky part. I love Jaylin Williams and while Connor Vanover brings a mismatch option at the five, will Musselman go the small-ball route and load up with a five-out mix by starting Vance Jackson and Jalen Tate or Justin Smith?
Those are good problems to have, but either way, expect for the pace of play to be among the quickest in the sport so that the Hawgs can use its quality depth.
Yes, Aamir Simms will be gone, which will leave a big hole in the frontcourt, but Brad Brownell could have already answered that need with last week’s commitment from Lynn Kidd. Clemson could have waited things out with the four-star, but instead the program reclassified Kidd and will now have him on campus this fall.
Sure, the Tigers would could go the big man route again and, just as you stated, Ian Schieffelin and Jonas Aidoo are on their radar, but their most pressing need is on the wings and with a versatile forward type. They’re going to miss on Jordan Hawkins but do sit in a good spot with Jakai Robinson. If Hawkins does choose UConn, it takes the Huskies out of the race for Robinson and would give Clemson an even greater chance.
David Jones is another that Clemson has taken a hard look at and sits within his final group. Elijah Tucker, a hard playing forward that brings a blue-collared approach, comes to mind, too, as do a few others including Kaleb Washington, Lucas Taylor and Shane Dezonie.