Wednesday's Leftovers: Dishing on Kentucky, UConn, Pitt, more
The Early Signing Period comes to a close Wednesday, but there is still a litany of pressing concerns for some of the top programs across America. In this week’s Wednesday’s Leftovers, we take a deeper look at the recruitment of Jaden McDaniels, why Kentucky has struggled as of late, where Pitt and UConn could strike in the frontcourt, and the talent headed to Texas Tech.
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The race for Jaden McDaniels is an entirely open affair, so I would not look at this recruitment as being down to Kentucky and Washington. Rather, I do believe that all five in the picture – Kentucky, San Diego State, Texas, UCLA and Washington – have a puncher’s chance.
Where do I ultimately believe that he will end up? I am sticking to my guns and going with the local Washington program, but I am not entirely confident. He just completed his official visit tour over the weekend, and now all that is left is for McDaniels and his family to regroup and decide which program is the best stop for him next fall.
Personally, I do not see him leaving the West Coast, and while Texas had some momentum earlier in the process and Kentucky could have caught his eye – like it always does with elite prospects – San Diego State or Washington would be my best guess for his eventual pledge.
Competing programs have picked up a few tricks along the way, and Duke has emerged as the don of the recruiting universe. Players and their interests have changed, too. And while the NBA will always be something they want, the fact that five-star prospects have struggled in recent years at UK just adds more ammo to those competing against the blueblood program.
Add into it that the Wildcats have not reached the Final Four since 2015 and have not had the first overall draft pick since 2015, and it's easy to see why the formerly successful recruiting pitch that John Calipari had used might be getting a little old. This is not to say that UK won't get some of the best. It still sits with a top 10 class nationally this fall.
But compared with what UK fans had become accustomed to just five years ago, this is a difficult pill to swallow, and the Cats will have to change some things if they want to take the pole position in the recruiting rankings over the next few years.
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Pitt remains heavily in the mix for Akok Akok and Qudus Wahab this fall. Neither seem to be in much of a rush to make a college decision, and they will now sign in the spring. The Panthers and UConn were the most discussed programs with Akok over the weekend during the National Prep Showcase, while Georgetown, Pitt and UConn are the three that have gained the most pub with Wahab.
While the Panthers definitely have a chance here, the longer this goes the more difficult it is to predict where either player will end up. This leads us to Tyrese Samuel, a four-star forward from Canada who visited the campus last week. This could be the guy the Panthers get in kicking off their 2019 class, though they have started to place a greater priority on three-star center Karim Coulibaly, too. But he will not sign until the spring and he has yet to take any official visits.
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UConn has already struck in the backcourt this fall, thanks the signings of two impact guards: Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight, the latter a four-star senior who was tremendous during my viewing of him over the weekend. The Huskies need to secure a few pieces in the frontcourt, and they remain a heavy presence in the recruitment of Akok Akok. The top 35 forward is done with his visits, and I would not be shocked to see Akok choose the Huskies, although Pitt is also heavily involved.
The recruitment of Kofi Cockburn is far from over, but UConn should have a say. The same could be said for Precious Achiuwa, a five-star forward, and Qudus Wahab, a Rivals150 center who, just like Akok, is done with his visits. Tre Mitchell and Karim Coulibaly are two others to keep tabs on for Huskies fans, and it would be a monumental surprise if UConn does not land at least one of the those players. Akok might be the first.
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Jahmius Ramsey is already the highest-rated Texas Tech commit during the Rivals era, and he could break even more ground as he is on the precipice of a five-star rating. The 6-foot-4 scoring guard who can play all three spots on the perimeter. Ramsey fits the ethos of what Chris Beard has come to want and need in his backcourt, and after seeing him last week, Ramsey is definitely making a case for receiving his fifth and final star.
Russell Tchewa, on the other hand, was intriguing during my viewing of him over the weekend, but I am not just there yet in placing him in the four-star territory. His physical stature and dimensions are tremendous, but he needs to improve his skill set and feel for the game. However, he does have the chance to develop into a solid contributor along Tech’s frontline in the years ahead.
