Wednesday's Leftovers: Dishing on Kentucky, Missouri, more
Several questions were still in the Twitter Tuesday mailbag, so for this week’s Wednesday’s Leftovers Analyst Corey Evans addresses Kentucky’s frontcourt misses, Missouri’s top 50 junior hunt, how Clemson ranks with two in-state prospects, Houston’s latest commitment and the ongoing recruitment of Niven Glover.
It was not your typical recruiting cycle for Kentucky this past year, as the Wildcats swung and missed on James Wiseman, Vernon Carey, Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart, the top four frontcourt prospects in the 2019 class. Is it a sign of things to come or rather just a random occurrence and a rash of bad luck?
My guess is that it is more of the latter. There were a variety of unique circumstances surrounding each, especially Wiseman, and I do not expect that will be the case in the 2020 class. The Wildcats might not land N’Faly Dante, though they are pushing for his early enrollment, but they have really impressed Isaiah Todd, have gained traction with Cliff Omoruyi and sit in a good spot with Scottie Barnes. Remember, UK still finished with the second-ranked 2019 class, and should find similar success in the 2020 class.
Cam'Ron Fletcher. This is not to say that Missouri will land Fletcher, nor that the Tigers will miss on Caleb Love. But Fletcher has been their top priority for the past two years, they have strong connections to him and have not wavered in their pursuit. Michigan State has been the other strong suitor for him and more continue to work their way into the picture, thanks to the upside and tremendous talent Fletcher boasts. It does not hurt that his former high school teammate, Mario McKinney, will be enrolling at Mizzou this fall, though.
On the other hand, the recruitment of Love is just beginning to take off. Duke showed early interest this spring and while that has cooled some, Love did just land a North Carolina offer to go along with priority attention received from others, including Indiana, Illinois, Louisville, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia. A visit to Kansas could take place next month, too, as the sweepstakes for Love have continue to ramp up another few notches.
Myles Tate is the safer bet of the two. Clemson does not have a pressing point guard need in the 2020 class, but when there is a talent like Tate who is from the state and is also interested in the Tigers’ brand, there is never a bad time to take that talent. His recruitment continues to escalate, thanks to his toughness at the lead guard spot, and the Tigers are in a good spot.
His travel teammate, PJ Hall, has been connected with Clemson throughout the past several months, thanks to his close proximity to campus, but the feeling is that Florida and Tennessee are the two to beat. Many others have continued to pursue Hall, but with a sister that plays volleyball at Florida and an official visit ahead to the SEC program set for this weekend, the Gators sit in a tremendous spot. Tennessee invested plenty of attention with him, too, and both should be seen as the favorites, though Clemson is not too far behind.
I would love to go with Andre Curbelo, but I have written often about him, and by the look of his recruitment it is fair to say that he has received the requisite love and attention at this point in time.
So, I have to circle back to Texas native Jamal Shead. He is a top 5 assist guy in the Nike EYBL this spring and is already one of the best on-ball defenders nationally. Sure, he does have to shoot it much better, but his mechanics and follow-through are precise, which tells me that with the proper reps, he could develop into a tremendous offensive weapon. Shead made a quick and early commitment on Monday, and Houston was the program that came out on the winning side. He, along with fellow Rivals150 junior Tramon Mark, should make for a tremendous backcourt in the coming years and be another reason why the Cougars will be a consistent participant in the NCAA Tournament.
Niven Glover’s stock is absolutely soaring. One of the top available seniors this spring, Glover is in no rush to make a college decision and is first expected to set a handful of visits later this week before likely committing sometime next month. Just last week, Georgetown, Oregon and Wake Forest offered, and each are expected to receive a visit from him. I would also not be surprised to see some others enter the picture because of the dearth of quality high school prospects that remain uncommitted at this point in time and also because of his versatility.
While Glover continues to round out his overall skill set, the three-star senior is one of the best, most explosive athletes in the high school game. Finding the right fit and system is of the utmost importance, which is why he will carefully navigate his high-major recruitment.