In this week’s Twitter Tuesday, we assess how Illinois might round out its 2018 class, predict where Tyger Campbell may end up, assess the chance of Anfernee Simons attending college and look at how Virginia's 2019 class improve thanks to his current success on the hardwood.
STARTING FIVE: Weekend basketball observations
Illinois hasn’t caused much of a ruckus on the commitment front of late, though the Illini did secure the signature of five-star guard Ayo Dosunmu in November.
The Illini remain on the look out for a shot-making wing that brings better size and versatility to the perimeter, to go along with an interior-based frontcourt prospect that can rebound and block shots.
Things have begun to heat up with Rivals150 wing Tevian Jones. The long and active wing could easily develop into a solid 3-and-D asset on the perimeter, someone that would replace grad-transfer guard Mark Alstork. Gaining any sort of concrete information pertaining to his recruitment has been difficult to come by, but Illini fans should definitely keep tabs on the Arizona native.
In the frontcourt, Valdir Manuel is a name that has begun to heat up for the staff in Champaign. Defeating local programs Seton Hall and Rutgers may be difficult, but he would be an excellent pick-up thanks his physicality, toughness and motor.
Along with Jones and Manuel, the Illini were recently spotted watching top-50 guard Courtney Ramey and, back in the fall, offered Woodstock Academy combo forward Luis Rodriguez; they also offered Oak Hill Academy power forward Maurice Calloo last month.
The recruitment of Tyger Campbell has had its ebbs and flows, but he announced Monday that he would be committing on Thursday, Feb. 1.
This past weekend, the elite facilitator went on his fourth official visit, one that took him to UCLA. The Bruins remain in the hunt for a lead guard prospect and will host top-50 guard Courtney Ramey for an official visit in the coming weeks.
The Bruins are bit late to the mix but they have made up some ground on the three other programs - Maryland, Purdue and DePaul - that have hosted him for official visits.
There is no real leader for Campbell's commitment as he heads into the days leading up to his announcement.
Tony Bennett has his team on the cusp of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament thanks to, what could be, the most efficient and dominant defense that the college game as seen in decades. Can this success and a statement win at Duke change the outlook for the Wahoos in the eyes of recruits? It sure can but then again, it is not like Virginia is a flash in the pan. The program is on track to win its third ACC title in the last five years and finish in the final top-12 of the KenPom rankings for the fifth-straight year.
What Virginia will always do under Bennett is emphasize fit over rankings in recruiting. They would love nothing more than to lock down five-star big man Armando Bacot or top-60 center Oscar Tshiebwe within the 2019 class, but Virginia has never been about trying to plug a circle through a square hole.
Take the 2018 class, for example. Virginia was heavily in the mix for elite scorer Noah Locke but instead took the commitment of long-term shooting wing and Australian native Cody Stattmann. The same could be said at the lead guard spot with Jared Butler. Virginia was in the thick of the race for the Rivals150 guard but Bennett had an inkling that three-star guard Kihei Clark would make for a better fit, and took Clark before Butler could decide.
Virginia continues to change the perception of its program in the eyes of college prospects, something that might nudge some of its top junior targets to take a deeper look at the program in Charlottesville.
Anfernee Simons faces a unique recruiting situation as the five-star guard could, if he feels like it is in his best interest, forgo his college eligibility this spring and instead enter the NBA Draft. Simons would be able to do this because he will be a full year removed from his high school’s graduation and will be of the proper age at the date of the draft in June.
A one-time Louisville commit, Simons is one of the very best guard prospects in his class and one of the best available backcourt recruit. NC State will play host to Simons for his second official visit in two weeks where after kicking off his visit tour with a trip to Tennessee. Florida, South Carolina, UCLA and a number of other programs remain involved.
The ultimate question is will Simons jump straight to the NBA or take his chances with college ball. At this point, Simons is more than likely to attend college.
