A pair of top NCAA Basketball 2019 prospects has made decisions about their recruitment, with one shortening their list of teams while another reopens the process altogether.
The NCAA basketball recruiting notebook will examine the decisions by 2019 four-star prospect Markese Jacobs and five-star recruit Isaiah Stewart. Plus, other recruiting news in the past week (Aug. 20-26).
Jacobs, a ranked No. 86 in class rankings by ESPN, decommitted from Kansas and re-open his recruitment on Aug. 24. The 5-foot-11 point guard told 247 Sports Evan Daniels that the Jayhawks are definitely still in the mix for his services though he has not made an official list.
"“My next step is pretty much to open up my recruitment and I’m still considering Kansas.I’m open to see what I get and pretty much go from there. I just want to really make sure I’m in the best situation for myself. I want to find my best situations.”"
Jacobs originally committed to Kansas in October 2016.
The Chicago native followed an outstanding junior high school campaign with a strong showing for Mac Irvin Fire in the Nike EYBL tour. Jacobs, an all-state selection, produced 18.4 points along with 3.1 assists and 2.4 steals for Uplift Community high school. Uplift reached the class 2A regional final. He then contributed 13.4 points and 2.3 dimes in 16 spring and summer contests.
Kansas has two projected scholarships to give out in 2019. The Jayhawks reportedly have 22 open offers out for next year.
DePaul, Florida State, Illinois, Loyola (Chi) and Nebraska are schools that have offered Jacobs.
In other Aug. 24 news, consensus top-10 2019 recruit Isaiah Stewart trimmed his school “wish list” down to six. Washington, Syracuse, Indiana, Villanova, Duke and Michigan State made the Rochester (NY) native’s final cut.
The 6-foot-9 power forward/center has had a heck of a summer. Stewart averaged 11.1 points, a team-high 8.4 caroms and shot 65.0% from the field while helping Team USA to win gold at U17 2018 U17 World Cup. Then he produced 17.6 points and 10.6 rebounds for the Albany City Rocks during the Nike EYBL circuit. He also received the USA Today Sports Player Choice Best Back to the Basket Award earlier this month.
Duke was previously thought to be the favorites for Stewart’s services.
More recruiting news
- 2019 4-star prospect Jaykwon Walton committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday, becoming the fifth highest rated recruit ever to pledge to the Bulldogs, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports. Walton is ranked 59th by 247Composite and 67th by 247 overall.
- Wichita State offered 3-star point guard Noah Fernandez a scholarship on Tuesday. Fernandez now holds 13 scholarship offers with eight of the offers coming from schools in the AAC, Big East and A10.
- 2019 JUCO prospect Javen Hedgeman received his first scholarship offer when Texas Southern made the overture on Aug. 21. The 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged 11.4 points along with 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists for McLennan CC last season.
- Top 2020 prospect Scottie Barnes was in Coral Gables for a visit with the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 20.
- 2019 prospect Jalen Lecque will take an official visit to North Carolina State on Sept. 8-9 according to Adam Zagoria. Lecque recently trimmed his choices down to NC State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, TCU, Oregon, UCLA and Louisville.
- 247Sports’ Brian Snow reported that 2020 combo guard Donovan Williams verbally committed to Nebraska.
- UCLA has offered 2020 big man Walker Kessler per Pat Lawless of Prep Circuit.
- 2020 point guard Jaime Bergens has received an offer from Loyola-Maryland.
- 2019 shooting guard Gibson Jimerson picked up an offer from UW-Milwaukee.
- LaSalle has offered 2020 guard Ishmael Leggett. Leggett also holds offers from Stony Brook, Mount St. Mary’s, Loyola, Towson and George Washington.
- 2020 prospect Jason Perry picked up his second scholarship offer on Aug. 21 from Texas Tech. He also has an offer from TCU.
- 2020 point guard Corey Smooth received an offer from Southern Miss on Aug. 21. He also holds an offer from Lamar.
- 6-foot-7 2019 forward Shiloh Robinson picked up an offer from Lehigh on Aug. 22. Robinson now holds six offers. San Francisco, Fairfield, Rice, South Dakota and Radford are the other schools that made overtures to him.
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- 2020 forward Jamel King received his sixth scholarship when Tennessee State offered him on Aug. 22. Samford, Troy, South Alabama and UAB previously offed the 6-foot-6 Tuscaloosa (Ala) native.
- Four-star guard Noah Taitz received an offer from San Diego State on Aug. 22. The 56th ranked player by ESPN in the class of 2020 now holds 14 scholarship offers. Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Stanford and UNLV are among the other schools that have made overtures to the Las Vegas native.
- St. Louis offered 2021 prospect Trinity Bell a scholarship on Aug. 22. Bell also holds offers from Jacksonville State, UAB and Samford.
- San Diego State extended coach Brian Dutcher’s contract through 2022-23.
- Vermont Academy’s 2019 prospect Tyler Bertram will visit St. Joseph’s on Aug. 26. Bertram trimmed his choices down to seven recently with St. Joes, Rice, Loyola (Chicago), Brown, Hofstra, Charlotte, Hofstra and George Washington making the cut.
- 2020 4-star prospect Richard Springs is slated to take an unofficial visit to Rutgers on Aug. 24.
- 2019 Indian Hills CC shooting guard Tyler Chisom committed to Stephen F. Austin on Aug. 23.
- 2021 big man Jai Smith picked up an offer from Rutgers on Aug. 22.
- 2022 guard Ramel Lloyd Jr. received an offer from Dayton on Aug. 22.
- 2020 center Christian Oliver picked up a pair of offers on Aug. 25, from Texas Tech and San Francisco. Those two offers are currently the only ones that the 6-foot-10 center from Oxnard (CA) has received thus far.
- USC offered 2021 point guard Drew Askew on Aug. 25.
- ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported that 2019 wing Jalen Hill will make official visits to Oklahoma, TCU, Florida State, DePaul and St. John’s. Borzello added that Hill also could take an unofficial to UNLV.
- Four-star 2019 recruit Anthony Walker visited Pittsburgh on Aug. 24. The 6-foot-8 power forward, from Wolfeboro (NH), holds 17 scholarship offers. Illinois, Wake Forest, TCU and Kansas State are other Power-5 conference programs who have offered him.
- 2019 shooting guard Tory San Antonio received an offer from Loyola Marymount.
- Texas Tech offered 2020 Greensboro Day (NC) product Joshua Taylor.
- 2019 big man Josh Cohen picked up an offer from St. Francis (PA).
- CBS Sports Jon Rothstein stated that 2019 prospect Ikcaven “KK” Curry has committed to South Alabama.
- 2020 guard Deivon Smith has picked up an offer from UAB.
- Top-150 2019 prospect Kyle Sturdivant decommitted from Georgia on Aug. 20.