Wednesday's Leftovers: OK State, Tennessee, Texas Tech
The month of October is here, which means that we are just weeks away from the start of the college basketball season and the Early Signing Period. More questions must be answered in this week’s Wednesday’s Leftovers, including where Devin Askew might land, Tennessee’s five-star pursuit, how Oklahoma State and Texas Tech might add to 2020 classes and if Pitt can snag a highly coveted target this fall.
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I have been fairly persistent with my feelings that Devin Askew will land at Kentucky despite Louisville’s long-term pursuit of him. I may be alone in such a sentiment and could also be entirely wrong, because really, who is to say that he doesn’t leave Memphis entirely wowed by what Penny Hardaway has to offer? Or perhaps he decides Arizona has more going for it.
However, I see this more of this a race between Louisville and Kentucky, with much riding on how his visit to UK goes this weekend. Currently a member of the 2021 class, I could see Askew opting into the 2020 class later on, since both programs desperately need a premier playmaking agent next year.
Does he get enamored by the blueblood stage at UK, or does the long-term relationship that he built with Chris Mack and his staff win out? Stay tuned, as a decision is expected before November, but I am going to side with Cal and his Wildcats for now.
Tennessee is definitely the leader for Jaden Springer heading into his visit to Knoxville this weekend. However, I do not believe Springer is a done deal for the Vols just yet. He has a great relationship with the staff at Michigan and really enjoyed his time there, but I also would not sleep on Memphis. The Tigers are expected to see him this week at IMG Academy and are much more in the hunt than people realize. For now, though, I am going to stick with Tennessee as his eventual landing spot.
Onto the 2021 class, as Kennedy Chandler and Paolo Banchero are two of the Vols' top priorities. While the Vols will receive an official visit from Banchero this month, I would be shocked if he ends up in Knoxville. If he does leave the West Coast for college, it will be for Duke or Kentucky.
On the other hand, Chandler is wide open with his recruiting process. Selecting a favorite at this point in time remains difficult, but the Vols should have a shot. Their likely point guard need in the 2021 class and close proximity to the blue chip recruit only enhances their standing with Chandler.
Bryce Thompson has been difficult to read. For some time I believed he was set for Kansas, but now, in light of the recent allegations levied against KU, Oklahoma State has an even greater chance to land him. Mike Boynton has developed a great rapport with Thompson and his family.
At one point in time, I believed that the Cowboys would only land him if they were also to get Cade Cunningham, but now I might be siding with the idea that they have a better chance if Cunningham were not to enroll at the Big 12 program. Regardless, Oklahoma and OSU are now the two to watch for Thompson. who will likely sign this fall. However, I am not entirely knocking the Jayhawks out of contention.
OSU may have recruited Jaylin Williams the hardest up until this point, as the four-star has been to the Stillwater campus a handful of times in the past 12 months. However, a signing is not expected until the spring, which may give addition time for OSU’s competitors to catch up. Then again, landing someone like Cunningham could definitely change some things in the eyes of the talented big man.
Texas Tech will land at least one of the three, with Gethro Muscadin the likeliest. Kansas State, Louisville, Memphis and Minnesota are involved, as is Kansas which has really picked up ground with him. Muscadin could visit one other program this month but, for now, has his final official visit scheduled to Texas Tech this weekend. The Red Raiders are in a great spot and should definitely have a chance when he makes a decision in the coming weeks.
Nimari Burnett just visited Alabama over the weekend, and I do believe that he ends up playing for the Tide. That said, no one has picked up more momentum of late than the Red Raiders. His visit to Lubbock in three weeks could change some things, but overcoming Alabama and Oregon might prove to be too difficult.
Lastly, Micah Peavy has been Texas Tech’s top target in the 2020 class for over a year now. Not much has changed, but Peavy - who was thought to be a heavy Tech lean earlier this summer - has been adamant about waiting the recruiting process out and seeing who else might jump into his recruitment. He has already visited Florida and TCU, while Texas and UCLA could also receive a visit later this year. Right now, this is more of a battle between TCU and Texas Tech, with the Horned Frogs maybe having the slight lead.
Of the three, only Earl Timberlake is expected to sign early, and I believe that he is the likeliest to commit to Pitt. He just visited Seton Hall over the weekend, and while the Panthers definitely have a shot, recent talk has circulated around the Pirates and Providence. However, gaining any sort of credible information pertaining to Timberlake has been difficult and it would not be right to slight Miami, North Carolina or South Carolina’s chances, either.
Josh Hall and Cliff Omoruyi, on the other hand, are far from deciding. Jeff Capel just saw Hall last week and could potentially pin down an official visit date with him. Hall did just cut his list to a group of 12 and has only taken two official visits thus far. A decision is some time away.
The same can be said for Omoruyi, who has taken an official visit to Auburn but will not take any others for the foreseeable future, which will definitely lead to a signing in April. The Panthers have a solid in and have already hosted him on an unofficial visit. But keep an eye on Arizona State, Rutgers and UConn. Meanwhile, Kentucky and Memphis have come on recently with the top 60 center.