Recruiting Roundup: Weekend Visits and Tidbits
Here’s a look towards this weekend’s recruiting
St. John’s is expecting a loaded group of recruits for Sunday’s game with Xavier at Madison Square Garden.
Here are the players expected:
Class of 2017
Derrick Walker
Class of 2018
Boubacar Diakite
Luther Muhammad
Naz Reid
Moses Brown
Khalid Moore
Christian Hinckson
Jared Rhoden
Following his brilliant performance at the Hoophall Classic, Washington-bound forward Michael Porter Jr. has replaced Arizona signee DeAndre Ayton atop the 2017 ESPN 100.
The 7-foot Ayton is now ranked No. 2, with Duke-bound forward Wendell Carter at No. 3, uncommitted point guard Trevon Duval at No. 4 and uncommitted big man Mohamed Bamba at No. 5.
The 6-foot-10, 220-pound Porter Jr. has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant and Paul George, and his virtuoso 36-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist performance for unbeaten Nathan Hale (14-0) against famed Oak Hill Academy at the Hoophall Classic did nothing to dissuade those perceptions.
Porter Jr. is currently projected as the No. 5 pick in 2018 by DraftExpress.com, but he figures to be in the mix for the possible No. 1 spot along Ayton.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. —Sid Wilson, the 6-foot-8, 180-pound Class of 2018 wing from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, says five schools are working the hardest for him at the moment.
The New York City native listed UConn, Maryland, Texas, Indiana and Miami as the “top five right now.”
He hasn’t set any visits, but said he’ll “probably visit UConn again when I get a break from school because they’re close.” He has also visited Texas unofficially and plans to visit again this summer.
He broke down his five schools:
Texas: “Just [Shaka Smart’s] message, he’s a great guy. Me and him got a good bond, [also] me and Coach [Jai] Lucas. They are in contact with my family, so they just really care about me as a person.”
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Pittsburgh and Virginia are
Mohamed Bamba took his official visit to Kentucky this weekend and was at Rupp Arena for No. 5 Kentucky’s 85-69 win over No. 24 South Carolina on Saturday evening.
Freshman guard Malik Monk went for 27 points in the win, and freshman big man Bam Adebayo added 18. Freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox left the game with an ankle injury and returned in a walking boot and sporting crutches, but head coach John Calipari said after the game he didn’t think it was serious.
Mark Carter, one of Bamba’s coaches with the Nike-sponsored PSA Cardinals, thinks Bamba is a special player who could follow in the footsteps of recent Kentucky bigs Anthony Davis, Boogie Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“Mohamed has one of the most unique skillsets in the country,” Carter told ZAGSBLOG. “His ridiculous length allows him to be one of the premier defensive players our time has seen. He has made strides continuously on the offensive end. Once he puts it all together, it’s lights out.
