Wednesday's Leftovers: More Twitter mailbag on Pitt, Louisville, more
RANKINGS: 2018 Rivals150 | 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2018 Team | 2018 Position
Since we were unable to get all of your questions for yesterday’s Twitter Tuesday mailbag, here's another installment of Wednesday’s Leftovers. Topics today include a look at the recruiting landscapes at Pitt, Arizona and Louisville, along with a few recruiting predictions.
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Jae'lyn Withers remains a priority for the top programs nationally. I expect him to ultimately commit to Louisville - there was chatter about him potentially pulling the trigger last month following his visit.
Patrick Williams remains fairly wide open with his recruitment, with Wake Forest, Florida, Virginia Tech and a handful of others remaining in contention. However, I expect the in-state NC State Wolfpack to reel in his commitment when all is said and done.
Khalil Whitney has been one of the top breakout performers of the 2018 travel season and his recruitment hit the highest level last week with Kentucky extending an offer. Illinois, Louisville and many others are a factor in his recruitment but a commitment to Kentucky seems likeliest at this point. Whitney will officially visit UK on Aug. 3 and it wouldn’t be a giant surprise if he left Lexington a committed man.
James Wiseman will complete his final session on the travel circuit this week in Las Vegas and then begin to focus greater attention on his recruitment. While he may cut his list to a final five or six, this race is truly a duel between Kentucky and Memphis. There's no end to this in sight, and I could see things seeping into the winter months. This situation is a total toss-up between the Wildcats and the Tigers and if you were to ask 10 of the top analysts within the industry as to where he would land, five would say UK and the other five would say Memphis.
Originally down to a final three of Florida, Tennessee and Kansas, Tre Mann had decided to announce his commitment on July 30. That is no longer the case. NC State, Iowa State and North Carolina have since become involved and many others are expected to enter the picture, too. However, I still feel like Tennessee or Florida will be Mann''s eventual landing spot.
Yes, of course. The Wildcats have not picked up a commitment in the 2019 class yet but they did secure the talents of top-50 guard Brandon Williams, a 2018 prospect, which was a major win for the program earlier in the spring. They are heavily involved for five-star Jaden McDaniels and have a great chance with recently reclassified guard Nico Mannion. Arizona might not finish with a class comparable to the ones that it had from 2013-17, but it will complete the year with a top-25 group. The same can be said for Louisville as it already boasts the pledge of four-star guard Josh Nickelberry and is in a fine spot for such others as Jae'lyn Withers, Aidan Igiehon, Rocket Watts and David Johnson.
The center position is ultra-important for first-year Pitt head coach Jeff Capel this summer where the Panthers have a rather limited front-line that needs attention. They have placed a priority on Aidan Igiehon, Armando Bacot, Kofi Cockburn and Omar Payne, but the timing of Capel being hired in Oakland has put him behind the eight ball, playing catch-up compared to others who have invested years into recruiting these prospects. However, the one name that could ultimately end up at Pitt is Qudus Wahab. The Rivals150 prospect has been connected with Louisville and Syracuse in recent months but Pitt could be gaining some traction with the hard-playing, rim-running center.
I am not a big fan of the Las Vegas setup that will be featured in the final live period as there are more than half a dozen events spread throughout the city. The temperatures are in the 100s, everyone is exhausted and the play on the floor is not the most appealing.
What I do enjoy in quality tournaments is easy access to the event, a central location or gym with multiple courts under one roof, a number of flights in and out of the local airport and decent hotels and restaurants nearby. Atlanta has become a hub thanks to the recent creation of the gigantic LakePoint Sports Complex which, along with the Suwanee Sports Center, gives the area two of the best facilities in America. Hampton, Va., is a good one thanks to the Boo Williams Sportsplex, though getting in and out of the area is not easy, and Indianapolis has some potential due to the Pacers Athletic Facility. Other spots such as Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and New York are not far behind, either.