Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: Analyzing early 2019 recruiting classes

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: A Villanova Wildcats basketball goes through the net during warmups prior to the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: A Villanova Wildcats basketball goes through the net during warmups prior to the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OHIO – FEBRUARY 24: Coach Steele of Xavier gives instructions. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – FEBRUARY 24: Coach Steele of Xavier gives instructions. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

2. Xavier Musketeers

National Ranking: No. 19

Travis Steele has been getting it done early as the leader of the Xavier basketball program. Although it seems unlikely that the Musketeers will make the NCAA Tournament in his first season as the head coach, it is clear that they have already taken the next step on the recruiting front. Coach Steele and Co. have already landed five commitments in this class from varied positions. Only one of them is a top-100 recruit but the future is potentially bright with these players leading the way.

At the forefront of this class is highly-touted combo guard KyKy Tandy. An early frontrunner for one of the best names in the entire 2019 class, Tandy is a 6-foot-1 speedster from Kentucky. An electric athlete with outstanding top-end speed and creativity around the basket, he could be a high-level scorer for the Musketeers in the near future even if he is a bit undersized as an off-guard. He has all of the tools needed to be a strong defender as well. While playing for Team Thad on the UAA, Tandy averaged 12.5 points (.420/.281/.815) and 4.0 rebounds per game in 10 contests.

You can expect that Tandy will be a featured member of the Musketeers’ backcourt in the future and so will Dahmir Bishop. Another well-regarded combo guard in the Xavier class, Bishop brings a little more size at 6-foot-4 and is ranked at No. 113 in the country. Many sources have indicated that Bishop has a silky-smooth touch from beyond the arc and he has high potential on the defensive end of the floor as well. For K-Low Elite (adidas Gauntlet), he averaged 12.0 points (.486/.328/.605) per game this past summer. In my opinion, Tandy+Bishop have the potential to terrorize Big East opponents in the future.

Coach Steele and Co., though, were also quite active in seeking out frontcourt pieces. Most notably, top-100 recruits Zach Freemantle (No. 137) and Daniel Ramsey (No. 149) look poised to be key pieces down the road. Freemantle, who stands at 6-foot-9, is a strong rebounder who has shown a versatile offensive game as well. He averaged 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for Playaz Club on the EYBL circuit. Ramsey, conversely, relies on his athleticism and motor to succeed. He runs the floor extremely well and can play above the rim on both ends of the floor. Ramsey averaged 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in UAA play.

To round out the class, Dieonte Miles (No. 238) is another big man with the potential for big minutes down the road. At 6-foot-10, he is the tallest player in the class and boasts an extremely impressive wingspan. As Brian Snow of 247Sports puts it, his “physical tools are undeniable….if he can pick up his motor, has the change to develop into a big-time player…he is the classic high ceiling/low floor type of prospect.” He should certainly be a fun player to follow in the future.

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