NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Elite 2019 guard Nico Mannion cuts list to two

Elite class of 2019 recruit Nico Mannion is down to just two schools. Who would be better suited for the addition of Mannion: Arizona or Marquette?

The NCAA basketball recruitment of high school players from the 2019 class is heating up and in a hurry. While of course many of the top recruits are still uncommitted, several have started to trim their lists. In regards to Nico Mannion, only Arizona and Marquette remain in the running for the talented five-star guard out west. Originally from Tuscon (AZ), Mannion is highly regarded as one of the best players in the entire 2019 class and he will clearly make either one of these teams much better next season.

As a player, there are very few young guards in the country as poised as Mannion. He has tremendous flow when on the court in terms of running an offense and he often picks his spots when it comes to aggression. At 6-foot-3, he brings plenty of size to the guard position and is an all-around polished talent. Per 247Sports Composite ranking, Mannion is the 15th-best recruit in the 2019 class.

While playing in 11 games for West Coast Elite this spring/summer, Mannion posted solid numbers: 16.8 points (.496/.439/.818), 3.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.

Fit with Arizona

At this point (Sept. 8), Arizona seems to be the heavy favorite in the Mannion recruitment. Of the 12 crystal ball predictions on 247Sports, Arizona holds 11 while Villanova, who has been cut from Mannion’s list, holds the other. Considering this, it seems very likely that Mannion elects to stay near his hometown while joining one of the best overall programs in the nation.

Of course, Arizona has dealt with plenty of recruiting turmoil due to the FBI investigation over the past year but that did not stop head coach Sean Miller from putting together an excellent 2018 recruiting class. Brandon Williams, the top recruit from that class, projects as one of the starting guards of the future for the Wildcats but this should not stop Mannion from receiving a starting role should he elect to join the program.

If Mannion wants to stay out west, then Arizona is clearly his best choice. As it stands now, this seems like the most likely outcome when it comes to Mannion’s decision but this is far from a done deal. Even though a commitment may come relatively soon, there will still be plenty of speculation regarding his eventual decision.

https://twitter.com/niccolomannion/status/1038219426766573568

Fit with Marquette

Although many experts believe that Mannion will stay close to home and commit to the Wildcats, the fact that Marquette made his final two has to mean something. Quite simply, whenever a program makes a final cut over the likes of Villanova and Kansas, that program has to be doing something right. And, of course, it helps that the Golden Eagles already have some nice connections out on the west coast.

Specifically, current star guard Markus Howard was originally from Gilbert (AZ) prior to joining the Marquette program. If the Golden Eagles’ coaching staff is once again able to tap into that pipeline to add Mannion, then it would be a major recruiting win that can affect the future of the program.

In terms of what advantage Marquette might have in this recruitment, it is reasonable to expect that the team will be better prepared for a title run compared to Arizona in 2019-20. Barring the possibility of a player leaving early for a professional opportunity, the Golden Eagles should be one of the favorites to win the Big East in what would be Mannion’s freshman campaign.

This is due to the fact that Marquette will more than likely bring back Howard and both Hauser brothers to go with incoming Utah State transfer Koby McEwen. Quite simply, the roster would be absolutely stacked with the addition of Mannion.

In short, both of these schools would be extremely excited to land Mannion. For Arizona, he would continue a long line of elite recruits joining the program. In regards to Marquette, Mannion could be the missing piece for a potentially great roster in 2019-20. Regardless, the end result of this recruitment will be incredibly interesting to see.