8. Josh Green
Prediction: Arizona
Green is an Australian who moved to Phoenix in 2014 and is now playing his high school ball in Florida at IMG Academy. He has great size for a wing player at 6-6 and 190 pounds to go along with an excellent shooting stroke. Green is a good enough defender but he’s going to make his money on the offensive end, as he averaged nearly 28 points per game last season.
Green released a final six of Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, UNLV, USC, and Villanova last month. There are certainly plenty of bluebloods in that group, and it definitely has a West Coast flavor, which plays into Arizona’s hands. The Wildcats are able to pitch Green on being the focal point of the team and being able to play in an area he’s familiar with. I expect that pitch to ultimately win out and bring Green back “home.”
7. Precious Achiuwa
Prediction: Kansas
Another transplant who is playing his final year of high school ball in Florida (Montverde Academy), Achiuwa is a Bronx native and one of the most versatile prospects in this class at 6-9 and 190 pounds. He’s more athlete than skilled player at this point and does not have a consistent motor, but his combination of size, quickness, and leaping ability make him a highly sought-after prospect.
There’s a great chance that Achiuwa ends up going back north – both UConn and Syracuse are heavily involved in his recruitment – but I think Bill Self and Kansas will be the guys who land this talented kid. The Jayhawks have a recent history of producing quality one-and-done wings like Andrew Wiggins and Josh Jackson, and Achiuwa is the kind of versatile athlete who should start right away for KU.