Bol Bol is one of the most highly-touted recruits in the class of 2018 and he is down to two schools. Where will he play college basketball: Oregon or Kentucky?
The top frontcourt player for 2018, Bol Bol has limited the number of pursuers down to two teams: Oregon and Kentucky. Over the past few weeks, he eliminated several West Coast teams in UCLA, USC, and Arizona.
The son of the second tallest player in the world Manute, Bol and his family decided to stay away from USC and Arizona, a couple of schools who had assistant coaches arrested for bribery and corruption as part of an ongoing FBI probe into the dark dealings of college basketball. Now, it’s down to two.
Oregon Ducks
Dana Altman and the Ducks stand to benefit greatly from this investigation as their two recruiting rivals are reeling right now. While 2017’s class is already stellar in its own way, 2018’s class already looks special. They have a major commitment in Louis King as well as one from Miles Norris to kickstart the class.
Oregon would love to get a big that could help produce the same results that Jordan Bell and Chris Boucher did. Keep in mind that R.J. Barrett, the top player for 2018, also has Oregon in his final three.
Kentucky Wildcats
John Calipari is at work again, looking for a replacement for likely first-round picks Nick Richards and P.J. Washington, both of whom are ranked top-20 by 247sports. As of right now, five-star guard and top-10 recruit Immanuel Quickley is the only 2018 commit.
Of course, it’s surprising that Kentucky is still even in the running, as Calipari cut Bol from the USA U19 squad, a move that surprised him and others. But there do not seem to be any hard feelings lingering, and for Wildcat fans, that is great news.
This is a big recruiting battle for Bol, as the class of 2018 is much more backcourt friendly than up front. As of right now, there are only six true frontcourt players uncommitted in the top 50, and they already have their respective teams recruiting them. The loser of this battle could have a thinner frontcourt than expected, dampening their title hopes.
Next: 2018 top player RJ Barrett down to three
Of course, if the other one gets Barrett, then things will even out. Last weekend, it was Oregon who had the official visit, and next week it will be Kentucky’s turn. In terms of recruiting, Bol and Barrett make up the national championship, and the winner will set off a chain reaction that will set the stage for next season. Both fanbases, as well as college basketball fans, will be tuning in to see what happens.