Twitter Tuesday: Louisville, North Carolina, Kansas outlooks
Back for another round of the #TwitterTuesday mailbag, which comes on the cusp of Caleb Love's commitment tonight. Members of the Rivals150 continue to come off the board, which leads us to such topics as Louisville’s next target to commit, an update on John Hugley, North Carolina’s blue chip haul, the ramifications of the notice of allegations received at Kansas, and how Alabama can strike in the 2020 class.
First, credit to Chris Mack and his staff for landing Jayden Scrubb. Arguably the best junior college prospect in the land, while the walls felt like they were caving in thanks to the Cards’ recent misses, Mack could not have had a better answer than Scrubb’s pledge.
How they add to that is up for debate. I don’t see Jaemyn Brakefield deciding anytime soon and Louisville is definitely playing catch-up with Gethro Muscadin, who will visit Texas Tech next weekend, a program that I see as the favorite for him. However, JJ Traynor, an emerging local talent whose father played for the program, is someone that Louisville has really picked things up with. He is expected to visit their next weekend and might be the next to pop in favor for them.
Lastly, Devin Askew will commit within the next three weeks. He just visited Arizona and will see Memphis on Friday, and then complete his visit schedule at Kentucky this weekend. Those are his top schools alongside Louisville. I believe that his trip to Lexington could be a game-changer for the Wildcats but the Cardinals still do have a legitimate chance with the top-10 junior that could potentially reclassify later this year.
John Hugley is expected to visit Kansas State next weekend, but he could decide to hold off and end his recruitment. While he has been adamant about taking all of his official visits before deciding, very rarely do we see a specific prospect visit the same program in consecutive weekends like he did with Pitt without committing.
There was whispers that he was close to committing to Pitt in July and there was also whispers that he was close to doing the same for NC State last month. Therefore, it would not surprise if Hugley were to hold off once again and visit Kansas State and possibly a few of others before signing in November. If that is the case, Pitt might not be his college spot but for now, I am willing to push my chips entirely in on the Panthers landing the productive center that they dearly covet.
I would give it a 10-percent chance of it happening primarily because there just might not be enough room to take all three, to go along with what North Carolina already has in two five-star centers Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler.
Todd is a UNC lean, but the fact that they have two big bodies already and could also return Armando Bacot next year, does not bode well for the Tar Heels despite their big men reliance and that Todd is more of a perimeter-based forward rather than a low post asset.
Cade Cunningham is in the middle of his visit tour and I believe that if he does not choose Oklahoma State, it would be for UNC. However, latest rumors have circulated around him choosing the Pokes despite his desire to play with Ziaire Williams in college. I do not see Williams leaving the west coast for college, but the idea of playing alongside the elite playmaker could be enough to woo the top-10 wing to Chapel Hill.
I believe so, even though I do not see Kansas being hit with all three of the Level I violations. I discussed it last week with Bryce Thompson and could see many others like him looking elsewhere for college. The longer that the harsh penalties hang over the Jayhawks’ heads, the greater ammo opposing programs have to use against KU on the recruiting trail.
Furthermore, it is not as if Kansas is chasing after fringe Rivals150 prospects that they can bank on their brand alone but rather are fighting other blue bloods for the top talent. These elite have elite options and one giant negative against the Jayhawks could go a long way to failing to land such talent.
This is why I could see Kansas having one of its more down recruiting cycles because of the what-if factor. What we might see is KU change their recruiting pitch and chase after more three- and four-year guys compared to the usual one-and-done types.
I am going to say that they both land at Alabama. Nimari Burnett just visited over the weekend and still must visit Oregon and Texas Tech before deciding. He has already been to the campus at Michigan, and has also begun to hear from Memphis. The Ducks were the perceived co-favorite earlier this year alongside the Tide, while no one has picked up more ground with him of late than Texas Tech. Nate Oats and his staff have placed a heavy priority upon him and each side seems to have met eye to eye on certain expectations which is why I see him ending in Tuscaloosa next fall.
Isaiah Jackson just visited Syracuse over the weekend and Alabama is expected to receive his final official visit on Oct. before he decides. He has already visited Kentucky. Oats' Michigan background definitely helps the Tide with Jackson and it looks as if things are trending in the right direction with Alabama's top two targets.