Twitter Tuesday: UConn, Matthew Hurt, Penn State, Memphis
RANKINGS: 2018 Rivals150 | 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2018 Team
In this week’s Twitter Tuesday, we evaluate Dan Hurley's first steps at UConn, the leaders for Matthew Hurt, Penn State’s hopes for its 2019 class and Penny Hardaway's recruiting efforts.
Joe is asking about Dan Hurley's first steps with his current and future rosters at UConn.
Regarding James Akinjo, Hurley may reach out to the four-star guard but it is extremely unlikely that the Rivals150 product will recommit to UConn. Akinjo pledged to the Huskies because of Kevin Ollie and his coaching staff and, seeing that he is from California and will have a litany of options this spring, I do not see him playing for UConn in the fall.
Like in most coaching transitions, I would expect for there to be some roster attrition at UConn. That makes Hurley's own work on the transfer market and hitting best available lists for the 2018 class that much more important in the near term.
Where Hurley can make up some ground is in the 2019 class. He led Rhode Island to one of the top mid-major recruiting classes for the 2018 cycle and he'll now be able to recruit even more heavily-coveted prospects. I would look for the Huskies to prioritize regional Rivals150 prospects such as Jaiden Delaire, Akok Akok, Aidan Igiehon, Tre Mitchell and Isaiah Stewart.
A top-five prospect in the 2019 class and arguably the most polished of his elite peers, the recruitment of Matthew Hurt has been a blueblood affair for some time now. While there is no clear leader, North Carolina and Kansas have done the most work with the Minnesota native.
The Tar Heels and Jayhawks have invested a ton of time and attention with the 6-foot-9 forward. Hurt fits the modern day frontcourt prospect perfectly: He can take his man off the bounce, consistently make shots to the perimeter, is an underrated athlete and rebounds in and out of his area. For all of these reasons, it is easy to see why both have had an offer on the table for over a year and a half now.
However, those two bluebloods are not alone in the race for Hurt. His brother, Michael, is a sophomore for Minnesota and the Gophers have continued to battle the nation’s elite for Hurt's commitment. Kentucky jumped in with an offer a few months back and Duke has begun to recruit him as well. Indiana has an offer in and is a solid darkhorse in his recruitment.
Penn State already struck in the 2019 class with the commitment of 6-foot-8 power forward Patrick Kelly. Unknown to most, Kelly is an underrated addition.
The Nittany Lions will need to hit the mark in the 2019 class as they will lose multiple key contributors to graduation and, in the case of Tony Carr, a potential early exit for the NBA Draft.
Penn State has remained focused on a number of backcourt prospects in recent months. It may be difficult to finish things out with four-star guard Casey Morsell but the Nittany Lions are in contention. Judah Jordan is another prospect to keep an eye on, as is Maceo Austin.
Philadelphia standouts Donta Scott and Seth Lundy are prospects to monitor, as is four-star Delaware big man Eric Dixon.
New Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, barring something unforeseen, will soon land the commitment of Rivals150 point guard Alex Lomax. The four-star prospect had signed with Wichita State, but asked for and received his release from the Shockers last week - presumably so he can reunite with Hardaway, his former high school and travel program coach.
It is fairly late in the 2018 recruiting cycle, so there aren't many other high-impact prospects like Lomax still available. One name to monitor is five-star junior James Wiseman, who also played under Hardaway at Memphis East High School.
Rumors continue to swirl that Wiseman, the second-ranked prospect in the 2019 Rivals150, is considering jumping up a year and into the 2018 class. Kentucky was the heavy favorite, but Hardaway’s hiring at Memphis has shaken up his recruitment.
Outside of Wiseman and Lomax, Memphis did offer four-star senior and Memphis native Tyler Harris.
The Tigers could make a run at a surprise recruit from the 2018 class but, more than likely, will round out their roster through the junior college market. However, the 2019 class is where the Tigers will go to work as they will make it a point to land top local products in Chandler Lawson, Malcolm Dandridge and, if he remains in the 2019 class, Wiseman.