NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Where will 2019 prospect Armando Bacot land?

Georgia and Oklahoma State (The longshots)

It’s true that many of the five-star players go to blue blood programs but not all of them do. There are plenty of guys who want to guarantee themselves 25-30 minutes as a freshman and showcase their skills to the NBA scouts.

That’s why it’s always important for coaches – especially ones at new schools to make a concerted effort. Look at Bryce Drew and Vanderbilt landing two five-star players for this upcoming season seemingly out of nowhere. Depending on what happens with the perceived favorites concerning other decisions, either Georgia or Oklahoma State could shock the world in grabbing Bacot.

Former Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean has always been a good recruiter and will have to prove it with a rebuilding Bulldogs program. They’re lacking a star with the graduation of Yante Maten and don’t return another double-digit scorer. Along with a solid 2018 recruiting class, Bacot could lead what could be a tournament team while receiving all the credit and accolades. The Trae Young route could be persuasive for future stars who don’t want to share minutes with others.

That also goes with Michael Boynton and the Cowboys. They’re projected to finish at the bottom of the Big 12 after losing their top players. However, they’ve been recruiting Bacot harder than any other program and might be able to sway him over if they can get an official visit.

For Oklahoma State to have a real shot, not only would Bacot have to extend the process until the Spring but the coaching staff would have to prove that they can put a competitive team around him to choose them over Duke and UNC (same goes for Georgia in this case). What allowed Nevada to land Jordan Brown was the that Wolf Pack showed him what kind of talent they could put around him. This would involve a couple of other dominoes falling in their favor to truly have a puncher’s chance.