Twitter Tuesday: Memphis, North Carolina, Michigan
RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings
MORE: Eric Bossi's 2018-19 college basketball awards
In this week’s Twitter Tuesday mailbag, Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Corey Evans takes a look at Memphis' next potential recruiting win, examines how North Carolina could fill out its roster and wonders if John Beilein can sign a McDonald’s All-American.
Memphis doesn't have many other needs for the 2019 class following last week’s commitment of Damion Baugh, but the Tigers have continued to recruit Precious Achiuwa, Trendon Watford and Lester Quinones in an attempt to close out the cycle with a home run.
It's hard to get a read on Achiuwa and I am going to say that he will pass on Memphis, though settling on a final prediction is not easy. Watford should end up at either Alabama or Memphis; the Tigers have gained some steam in recent weeks, but I will pick Alabama for now. I don't think Memphis will strike out on all three, so I will predict Quinones will ink with the Tigers. By all accounts, his visit was tremendous over the weekend and Memphis may have jumped into the leader’s position as a result.
As of right now, North Carolina looks primed to finish its 2019 class with Cole Anthony. The five-star guard has not discussed his recruitment much in recent weeks but, from all accounts, his trip to Chapel Hill two weeks ago went great. It would be a giant surprise if he didn't end up with the Tar Heels.
Beyond Anthony, there is no clear-cut answer for North Carolina's frontcourt needs. The Tar Heels just missed on Keion Brooks last week and aren't viewed as a favorite for either Matthew Hurt or Achiuwa. Roy Williams will need to figure something out as his program must replace Cameron Johnson and Nassir Little at the 3-4 spots, so look for the Tar Heels to be active this spring at those spots.
John Beilein is never going to waver from what he is looking for in a high school prospect, but let’s not forget that the Wolverines have won some recruiting battles in recent years for prospects that just missed out on inclusion for the McDonald’s All-American Game.
If Beilein does coach out the remainder of his contract, he will land his first burger boy. We can talk on about the murky waters that is the recruiting circuit but if straight-edged Tony Bennett can land one (Kyle Guy), then Beilen certainly can.
The likeliest is Walker Kessler as he is being heavily pursued by Virginia, too. Duke, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina are also involved and while it won't be easy for Michigan, it's possible that Kessler could be Beilein’s first McDonald’s All-American.
Great question. It really brings to mind that the scouting process is not as cookie cutter as one might believe. The perfect example is Tennessee’s current roster, which includes just two Rivals150 prospects. Whether that was an oversight or not, what we do know is that those that have over delivered in Knoxville in recent years did so thanks in part to their competitive mindset and work ethic. Those cannot always be measured appropriately.
Grant Williams was slighted for being a 6-foot-7, under-the-rim, throwback post in high school that didn’t fit today’s game. As you can see now, his grit and determination could make him one of the best to ever play in the SEC. Oh, and by the way, watch what you put on social media! Intangibles and strong character traits go a long way.