In this week’s Twitter Tuesday mailbag, Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Corey Evans previews upcoming decisions from Josh Christopher and Karim Mane, examines Syracuse’s recruiting efforts and looks at where Memphis and Miami find success this spring.
MORE: Will USC extend hot streak?
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
The only thing that left for Josh Christopher is for him to make a commitment. Although he is down to a final four of Missouri, UCLA, Arizona State and Michigan but, in all reality, this appears to be a two-horse race between the Sun Devils and Wolverines.
Christopher has not set a commitment date and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he just randomly announced his decision on social media. There really is no rush on his part, though, but it does feel as if a commitment is imminent and I expect him to pick Michigan.
While the NCAA's dead period is set to end on April 15, I would be very, very surprised if it were not extended another month at least. That is part inside knowledge and part common sense. I cannot see universities allowing their employees to go on the road to work, while also putting potential student-athletes and their families in harm’s way by bringing them on-campus.
Karim Mane hopes to begin to taking official visits once they are allowed. He is not in much of a rush and, even if recruiting were to be banned until May 15, I still believe that he would be OK holding off from committing until after that time.
Mane has only taken an official visit to Marquette at this point. If an extended dead period does get in the way between him and his decision, that would seem to work in favor of the Big East program. Mane visited Maryland last year and Michigan State has continued to gain ground.
Look for Mane to wait out the process a bit longer before hearing the latest on the pandemic and when actual visits could resume.
Despite the feeling that Syracuse has continued to miss on its top targets of late, the Orange remain one of the top fixtures in the ACC and are led by a coach in Jim Boeheim that will go down as one all the all-time greats. Simply put, Syracuse will remain a top landing spot for the best within their region.
However, there has been a short downturn on the recruiting trail and it might not be for one reason alone. Some do not want to play in the Orange’s vaunted 2-3 zone as they don't believe it will help them fully prepare for the NBA.
The loss of Mike Hopkins three years ago to the Washington head coaching job also hurt. So, too, did Syracuse’s move to the ACC, and its location could be viewed as a negative as the region hasn't produced talent recently like it did in the past.
Lastly, there are some that wonder about Buddy Boeheim's presence on the team - even though he was one of four players to average double-figures - and how it may impact their opportunities on the court.
Add it all up and those are just a few of the things working against Syracuse, but the program also have several things working in its favor: its famed tradition, Boeheim’s coaching pedigree, the ACC and second-to-none fan support.
I don’t see Moussa Cisse at Memphis and while Penny Hardaway will give his best effort to landing the blue-chip talent, I think the top-10 junior ends up at LSU. There is also a strong belief that Cisse will reclassify into the 2020 class. Florida State, Georgetown and Kentucky, among others, are also in the picture.
For Jalen Green, as much as I want to continue to stand on the pulpit in my belief that he will pick Memphis, don’t underrate Auburn’s chances. Bruce Pearl’s bunch had gained most of the talk the last few months and with another two weeks before he decides, a final decision from Green really won’t be set in stone until he actually announces.
As far as Jon Kuminga goes, yes, Memphis had invested some time in recruiting him in the fall but since then, they have backed off in their pursuit. Maybe they circle-back with Kuminga in the coming weeks, but for now, the teams in the best spot are Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Texas Tech, while it would never be a good idea to discount Duke and Kentucky with a talent like him.
Alan Griffin is Miami's primary transfer target this spring. The Hurricanes have found consistent success in the grad transfer market in recent years and while the Illinois transfer will not come easy, Miami is one of the few programs with a legitimate shot with him.
Miami is also expected to add another grad transfer piece to its roster but, outside of that, there are not any other high school prospects that the Hurricanes are after in the 2020 class.
In the 2021 class, look for the Hurricanes to prioritize the DMV and Philadelphia area as their primary recruiting regions. Those areas are loaded again with talent coming in the form of Benny Williams, Jalen Warley, Rahsool Diggins, Trevor Keels, Quincy Allen and Nnanna Njoku.
While many believe Max Christie is a Duke lean, I am not willing to go that far just yet. Sure, the Blue Devils are squarely in the mix, but defeating some of the local programs along with a few East Coast outfits will not be easy.
Villanova and Virginia will need a guard in the 2021 class and, thanks to Christie’s backcourt versatility and strong intangibles, the fit is there. Northwestern, where his mother played college basketball, will also have a chance, as will Illinois. Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue are three others to monitor, while Michigan State is a dark horse contender. The Spartans don’t have many holes to fill in the 2021 class which is why they could place an extra emphasis on Christie.
