The college hoops recruiting world continues to play out during a time that the Final Four was set to take place. Wednesday’s Leftovers has brought us some of your more pressing questions including where Rutgers’ next recruiting win will be found, the outlook for Duke and Florida next season, Alan Griffin’s landing spots and much more.
How about that win for Rutgers? Not only is Cliff Omoruyi the tailor-made center for Steve Pikiell’s system but it also a statement recruiting win that reflects they can beat the very best for the top talent near its local base.
Could there be another in the mold within the 2021 class? Possibly, but as of right now, it doesn’t look like it. Rutgers does hold the commitment of four-star wing Jaden Jones who is a fine talent but let’s backtrack some.
Omoruyi’s commitment saw everything align: located close to campus, a loyal kid that valued Pikiell’s early investment in him, Rutgers’ unwavering belief in him and Omoruyi’s own ascent within the sport. Maybe someone like Trey Patterson decides to stay home, which is a possibility but, either way, Rutgers remains on the uptick and that has never been as evident than it was on Sunday thanks to Omoruyi’s pledge.
Loads and loads of frontcourt help. Duke really made a point of supplying its frontline with ample amounts of versatility, toughness, size and athleticism. Of course, the central figure to that is Jalen Johnson, someone that is the personification of all that Coach K has come to look for in his 3-man: a talented forward that he can run his offense through, score out of isolation sets and presents a major mismatch.
Whether it was Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Justice Winslow or Jabari Parker, and go back further to Shane Battier and Grant Hill, Johnson falls in line in the primary scoring weapon that Duke has become reliant upon. Coach K will ask for Johnson to take the baton thanks to another exodus of talent this spring with Vernon Carey, Tre Jones, Alex O’Connell and Javin DeLaurier all gone.
Beyond Johnson, Jeremy Roach will be the day-one maestro of the offense. He is a winner among winners. DJ Steward isn’t far off in that regard and is the ideal shot-maker and complement to Roach out top. Henry Coleman is going to hoard boards, Jaemyn Brakefield is a tremendous glue piece that will mature nicely in Durham, and Mark Williams has gotten so good of late that he should be perceived as a one-and-done type.
Throw in Columbia grad-transfer Patrick Tape and Duke should be among the few that could win the national title next year. It is a strong group that doesn’t possesses a ton of elite talent like it has in recent years but it is a collection of individuals that should uphold the culture in Durham.
There really isn’t a need right now because, one, Florida doesn’t have a scholarship to fill unless one or both of Scottie Lewis and Andrew Nembhard head to the NBA. Furthermore, they had two transfers already sitting out in Anthony Duruji and Tyree Applebee; both could see starting minutes next year.
If one or both of Lewis and Nembhard leave for the NBA, maybe the Gators take a look at the transfer portal. For the most part though, Florida’s cupboard is already fairly full and should have the personnel in place to receive inclusion within the national polls next winter.
For now, unless NBA deferrals hit the program in the coming weeks, the Gators will be gearing most of their attention towards its 2021 class.
The Flyers are definitely in the hunt. Last week, Alan Griffin surprised many with his decision to leave Illinois after two productive seasons. He is the perfect versatile, multi-positional wing that any program would love to have.
Dayton will not have it easy whenever it comes to landing his commitment, though. Arizona, Iowa State, Miami, Syracuse and Texas make up the remainder of his list, though there is a chance that he could add to it before he makes his decision. The Flyers are one of the few that have a strong chance but also keep an eye on Miami, who could be the dark horse among the pack.
If I was them, I would return. For Isaiah Livers, I get that he would be returning for his senior year and might be looked down up because of his age, but he is also going to be coming back to a more talented roster, one that he would remain a central figure.
I get that Livers is a valuable commodity in today’s game: a versatile forward that can make shots, but he is also someone that, despite the uptick in production last season, spent a third of it sidelined due to injury. If he returns, answers questions regarding his health and improves his ball skills, his draft stock could soar.
Franz Wagner is an intriguing wing that would be one of the youngest prospects in June’s draft where he will not turn 19 until August. The German forward has great upside thanks to the size and versatility that he presents on the perimeter, but he also needs to touch on his efficiency, especially from 3-point range; he shot just over 31-percent. Adding weight and also sprucing his ball skills could really enhance his draft stock and catapult him from a fringe selection in June to a first-round pick in 2021.
By the end of April, college destinations for Jalen Green, Ziaire Williams, Greg Brown and Josh Christopher will be known. Brown will make his decision on April 24. I am expecting for Green to decide around April 15, and don’t think that Williams or Christopher are too far behind, either.
The coronavirus impacted the all-star calendar that was to set begin this week at the McDonald’s All-American Game which may have been the site of at least one of the current four five-star prospects’ commitments like it has been in recent years.
As far as things go with Sotto, the four-star senior doesn’t seem to be in a rush to make a decision. The last time I reported on him, it was under my belief that he might sit out next season so that he could train in the lead up to the 2021 NBA Draft; since then, not much has changed. Among the schools involved include Auburn, DePaul and Georgia Tech.
