By NICK MEDLINE
Special to ZAGSBLOG
CHICAGO — On September 1, Carlton Bragg plans to cut his list to five schools, he told SNY.tv.
In this unique recruitment, three spots are guaranteed, and the remaining two are wide open.
Bragg confirmed that he plans to keep Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky on his final list. As for the other two? With so many schools in pursuit, that might get tricky.
The Rivals.com No. 9 prospect in the class of 2015 opened his July evaluation period in Chicago. At the Adidas Unrivaled Camp, he proved his top-ten status — but still strives for better.
“I think I did pretty well,” Bragg told SNY.tv. “I didn’t finish like I wanted to finish, but it is what it is. I’m still right in the process of recruiting.”
Once John Calipari enters any recruiting process, players are forced to take notice. Bragg said he and Calipari are in close contact — with Kentucky an obvious inclusion in that top group.
“Coach Cal at this point is talking about relationships, about me trying to do better as a player and as a person,” Bragg said. “He just told me to keep working hard. They’re going to recruit me hard because they need me and want me.”
Lexington, Ky., will be the site for one of Bragg’s official visits, and he said that he plans to take the available five to inform his decision.
Still, Calipari can take advantage of past seasons. Bragg said he’s interested in his ability to turn players into pros.
“The way they develop guys — like they did with Julius Randle — I see myself as one of those players,” he said.
He also mentioned Kansas and Bill Self, who produced Joel Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Bragg has built equally strong bonds with the Kansas staff, which keeps them in the running.
Bragg also said that Illinois assistant Dustin Ford continues to be a motivating factor in his recruitment.
“Coach Ford is a funny guy,” he said. “He’s developed a good relationship with me, my mom and my inner circle.”
But Chicago provided another opportunity for the other schools to make a play. Dozens of college coaches watched Bragg — every bit of the versatile top-10 player as advertised.
It’s still complicated. Bragg holds a reported 22 offers, and he’s still taking the last of the five spots seriously.
“Needless to say, I’ll still take my time,” Bragg said. “It’s still exciting to get recruited by all these colleges.”
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