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Recruiting: Four Prospects Update Their School Lists

By Chris Godfrey

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With summer tournaments dying down around the country, players in both the Class of 2015 and 2016 are offering a flurry of news regarding their recruitment. It’s even further proof that college basketball never stops. In the past week, several prospects updated their school lists, providing increased understanding of which programs they are most seriously considering. Here’s a quick rundown of the names that have made news recently by cutting down their lists or updating the status of their recruitment by scheduling visits or adding schools to consideration. 

Maverick Rowan

After reclassifying into the Class of 2015 (#30 in the ESPN 100), Rowan has been one of the most coveted players on the board this summer. Rowan’s list has actually grown from three schools to four. His original top three of St. John’s, North Carolina State, and Wisconsin has now been altered to include West Virginia and Louisville. Wisconsin is apparently no longer being considered by Rowan (likely due to the announced retirement of Bo Ryan after next season).

Sources close to the St. John’s program (yup, I actually have sources) have told me that Rowan is likely headed to Queens to be the centerpiece of Chris Mullin‘s inaugural class, but the presence of Louisville and North Carolina State in his latest school list should be cause for concern among Red Storm fans. Both programs are much further ahead of St. John’s in terms of success and stability, and can also offer Rowan an immediate role on next year’s team.

Rowan is a shooting guard with great height for his position (6’6) and a prodigious shooting stroke. He would be a marquee player at St. John’s, the same school where his father (Ron Rowan) once played his college ball. The addition of Rowan would make up for Mullin’s failure to retain his predecessor’s top recruit, Brandon Sampson, who bolted for LSU after Steve Lavin parted ways with the program after the NCAA Tournament.

Miles Bridges

This beefy (6’7, 225lbs.) Class of 2016 five-star forward prospect is already drawing comparisons to Draymond Green, so it’s understandable that there’s heavy interest attached to his decision to narrow his list down to five schools so early in the process.

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    • Bridges, a Michigan native playing his high school ball in West Virginia at Huntington Prep, stayed true to his home state by including both Michigan and Michigan State in his top five. Blue bloods North Carolina and Kentucky are also still in the mix along with Indiana.

    Bridges is part of a super talented class of Michigan prospects that is considering staying local (Josh Jackson and Cassisus Winston being the other top 30 prospects from the state). Michigan State is already poised to have a very strong recruiting class, and John Beilein is surely looking for a five-star recruit to ease the pain of losing Tyus Battle to Syracuse.

    The advantages of attending Kentucky or North Carolina don’t need to be written, but the inclusion of Indiana is a surprise. Tom Crean has somehow recruited fairly consistently despite calls for his removal as head coach ringing louder every year. Still, this would be an unusually large rabbit for Crean to pull out of his hat.

    Brodricks Jones

    Brodricks Jones is by no means a highly touted recruit, but after being released from his national letter of intent by San Diego State, he’s an intriguing late addition to the pool of available talent. Jones (6’9, 200lbs.) was seen as a player that could develop into being a key contributor for the Aztecs, which will pique the interest of programs that will want in on a player who comes with the cosign of a great basketball mind like Steve Fisher.

    Jones’ list of potential landing spots are all suffering from unexpected roster turmoil of some sort. UTEP shockingly lost their best player, Vince Hunter, to the NBA Draft (he wasn’t selected). The departure gives Jones an opportunity to play meaningful minutes out the gate, an option that likely won’t be available at the other three schools that he’s considering.

    Memphis finds themselves in the running for Jones after losing Austin Nichols to an abrupt transfer. The Tigers will be very small up front after Shaq Goodwin, and Jones would provide a bit of developmental depth for the young roster.

    Syracuse is on Jones’ list, but the Orange’s scholarship situation is flimsy at best. There’s no guarantee that there’s even room for him. Also, Jones seems likely to find himself recruited over if he chooses Syracuse. The Orange already have a verbal commitment from Class of 2016 prospect Matthew Moyer, a four-star forward who would likely immediately jump ahead of Jones on the depth chart.

    Providence rounds out Jones’ list of four, and may be Jones’ best option available. The Friars have a need after losing two froncourt players to transfer, and the Big East translates to being a formidable but not overwhelming challenge for a raw and underdeveloped big man.

    Kobi Simmons

    One of the top point guards in the Class of 2016, Kobi Simmons is a sure-fire impact recruit, but he could land in an unexpected location. Simmons’ name has been associated with several blue blood programs. Kentucky, Arizona, and North Carolina are in the mix for Simmons, as you might expect. After all, Simmons is rated #6 in his class by ESPN. Georgia is still hanging around as a hometown option for the Alpharetta, GA native. However, Simmons has a connection to the state of Ohio that can’t be understated.

    His father is from Cincinnati, and clearly there’s a relationship with the area has impacted him. Not only is Simmons considering Xavier, but he also already has  a visit scheduled at the school, putting the Muskies ahead of the pack along with Kentucky, who also has a date with Simmons. Ohio State, which is about a two-hour drive from Cincy, is also being considered in relation to Simmons’ Ohio ties.

    Simmons is supposedly John Calipari’s top target for 2016, which means it’s hard to imagine him going elsewhere, but a surprise landing at Xavier or Georgia could dramatically change the fortunes of those programs.

    Next: Tyus Battle Commits to Syracuse

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