NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Kansas signee Quentin Grimes leads USA Basketball in FIBA Americas
Looking at the college options for USA U18 players.
Cole Anthony: The 6-foot-2 point guard is the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony. Anthony is the top-rated point guard in the class of 2019. He is an explosive athlete and dynamic playmaker.
Besides leading the squad in scoring, he has doled out 11 assists compared to turning the ball over seven times and has blocked three shots. Anthony is also shooting 56% from the field, 46% (6 of 13) from the 3-point line and 75% from the charity stripe ( 6 of 8).
Anthony holds a plethora of scholarship offers. Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon and North Carolina appear to be the favorites per 247 Sports.
Armando Bacot: The 6-foot-9 five-star recruit hails from Richmond, Virginia. Bacot possesses excellent footwork and some nice low post movers. His best attribute may be on the defensive end where he is a solid shot-blocker and rebounder.
Bacot is contributing 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for Team USA. His 14 defensive boards is second on the squad. The 2019 recruit, a consensus top-20 player, is shooting 52% from the field and 85% (6 of 7) from the charity stripe.
Bacot cut his college list down to 10 recently. And it appears that Duke, UNC, VCU, Oklahoma and Georgia has the upper hand in his recruitment.
Ayo Dosunmu: The Illinois signee is a consensus 2018 top-35 player in the nation. Dosunmu, a 6-foot-4 point guard, is long and is a excellent playmaker.
Dosunmu is producing 9.3 points and a team-high 4.6 assists for the U18 squad. He has made 12 of 18 shots (66%) from the floor.
Kameka Hepa: The four-star 2018 recruit has signed with Texas. Hepa, a 6-foot-9 power forward, possesses good length and athleticism. He is a very good rebounder, particularly on the offensive end, and has the ability to spread the floor with his shooting.
Hepa has shot poorly during the first three game so the tournament, making 5 of 14 shots (35%). However, he leads the team with 10 offensive rebounds and is second on the team with 6.3 boards a game.
Matthew Hurt: The five-star Minnesota product is a consensus top-5 2019 recruit. Hurt is versatile and possesses a high basketball IQ. He has good low-post moves, is a good rebounder and the ability to spread the floor.
Hurt is averaging 10.7 points and 6.0 rebounds (2.0 offensive) along with a team-high 1.1 blocks a game during the FIBA Americas. The 6-foot-9 forward is shooting 52% (12 of 21) and 55% (5 of 9) from beyond the arc.
Hurt has a number of scholarship offers. Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota and North Carolina appear to pursuing him the hardest.
Trayce Jackson-Davis: The six-foot-10 center is a consensus 2019 recruit. Jackson-Davis is a long, athletic southpaw who loves to play above the rim. He is also a excellent rim protector.
Jackson-Davis has been extremely efficient in limited time for the U18 squad. The Greenwood (Ind.) native is averaging 6.3 points, on 8 of 9 shooting (88%), and 2.7 rebounds in less than 10 minutes a contest.
Jackson-Davis has 15 offers. It appears that he is headed to the Big Ten as he top suitors all play in the conference. 247 Sports has Indiana as the clear favorite with Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue also in contention.
Josiah James: The 6-foot-5 point guard is a consensus top-25 2019 recruit. James is a good athlete who can impact the game at both ends of the floor due to his size.
James has struggled with his shot during the FIBA Americas making just 6 of 18 shots from the field. However, he has made up for his poor shooting overall by hitting the boards hard and defending. The Charleston (SC) native, who is 3 of 6 from beyond the arc,is producing 5.0 points along with 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.1 steals a game.
Tyrese Maxey: The 6-foot-2 combo guard committed to Kentucky on May 9, 2018. Maxey, a five-star recruit, is an elite scorer who also can shoot the ball with range. Possessing good athleticism, he can get to the basket off the bounce and create havoc on the defensive end.
Maxey was having a very good tournament before getting hurt. He averaged 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 dimes along with 2.3 steals. Maxey shot 57.0% from the field (12 of 21) and 35% (5 of 14) from beyond the arc.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl: The 6-foot-9 forward is the son of former Kansas Jayhawk Lester Earl. He is very active, particularly on the backboards, and has great rebounds. Robinson-Earl, a four-star 2019 recruit, is also a solid shot-blocker, passer and athlete.
Robinson-Earl has done everything for Team USA besides knockdown a 3-pointer. He has tallied 29 points, grabbed 29 rebounds (eight offensive), doled out eight assists, came up with three steals and swatted away a shot.
Kansas, Michigan and North Carolina have showed the most interest in the Mission (KS) product. Kansas is projected to have the recruiting edge.
Mark Watts Jr.: The four-star 2019 recruit is a consensus top-50 player in the class. The Rocket, as he is known as, is very quick and has the ability to score. He is also a good scorer though he needs to tighten up his ball-handling.
Watts is averaging 8.0 points, on 52% shooting, along with 2.2 assists for the U18 squad. He also has recorded three steals and a block though he has turned the ball over seven times.
Michigan, Michigan State and Florida State appear to the leaders for the 6-foot-2 combo guards services.
Coby White: The UNC signee is a consensus top-25 2018 signee. White is super quick and likes to get to the hoop. He has the ability to create his own shot and is solid defensively.
White is second on the team in scoring (12.3), assists (4.0) and steals (2.0). He has not shot the ball extremely well (41.0%) though he has drained a team-high seven triples at a 53.0% clip.