Busting Brackets
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Vanderbilt Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

By Lukas Harkins

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 30: Head coach Drew of the Vanderbilt Commodores. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 30: Head coach Drew of the Vanderbilt Commodores. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 13: Mr. Commodore mascot of the Vanderbilt Commodores high fives. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 13: Mr. Commodore mascot of the Vanderbilt Commodores high fives. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Simisola Shittu – Saxtons River, VT

Forward | 6-foot-9 | 220 lbs | No. 11 overall

The top-rated recruit in the class for Vanderbilt, Simisola Shittu is going to be an absolute stud at the college level. A possible one-and-done candidate, Shittu might only spend one year in Nashville but he could make it a special one. Even though he is coming off of an ACL injury suffered in January, Shittu should be back to 100% for this next season, although it always difficult to recover from such a serious injury.

When healthy, Shittu projects as one of the best frontcourt players in the entire country this next season. He is an outstanding athlete who runs the floor extremely well and can easily finish above the rim in the halfcourt and in transition. Shittu can score either on drives from the perimeter or in post-up situations. With an elite first step for his size, it can be very difficult for defenders to keep up with Shittu when he drives. However, he has a lot of work to do before he becomes a dangerous shooter.

Possibly the most underrated part about Shittu’s game, though, is his passing ability. He sees the floor remarkable well for his size and can create for others much better than most forwards. Shittu rarely turns the ball over and understands where to make the right pass when double-teamed. However, he needs to take a few more steps defensively to be an elite two-way talent.

Shittu had this to say about his commitment to Vanderbilt (247Sports):

"“When I first went to practice and the coaches were talking to me and showing me where I was going to be in their offense next year and just their vision for me on and off the court and how I’m going to grow as a person as well. It wasn’t just about basketball.”"

Next: Updated preseason Bracketology

With these three players coming in, Vanderbilt has plenty of talent on its roster for 2018-19. Nonetheless, it will not be easy for the Commodores to finish near the top of the SEC. With a strong campaign, the team should compete for an NCAA Tournament bid.

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