Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Kansas targeting Jalen Wilson and Cade Cunningham

By Daniel Benjamin

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on during practice before the 2018 Men's NCAA Final Four at the Alamodome on March 30, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks looks on during practice before the 2018 Men's NCAA Final Four at the Alamodome on March 30, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
LEXINGTON, KY – JANUARY 30: Nick Richards #4, Jarred Vanderbilt #2, Sacha Killeya-Jones #1 and Brad Calipari #12 of the Kentucky Wildcats look on against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Rupp Arena on January 30, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – JANUARY 30: Nick Richards #4, Jarred Vanderbilt #2, Sacha Killeya-Jones #1 and Brad Calipari #12 of the Kentucky Wildcats look on against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Rupp Arena on January 30, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Other recruiting tidbits

Brad Calipari, the son of Kentucky’s head coach John Calipari, has reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal and could leave the Wildcats. The 6-foot-4 redshirt junior presumably wants more playing time than the three minutes of action that he averaged in the 27 games he has appeared in for his father. Since Calipari is on track to graduate in three years, he would be eligible immediately upon transfer and have two years of eligibility left.

The Wildcats have already had two guards transfer since the end of the season in Jemerl Baker Jr. (Arizona) and Quade Green (Washington). Kentucky did receive good news this week as Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery will return for the 2019-20 campaign after withdrawing from the NBA draft.

Florida recently offered 2021 prospect John Camden (Downingtown, PA) a scholarship. The 6-foot-7 wing, who plays at Archbishop Carroll, is a four-star prospect that is among the top-60 players in the class by 247Sports. He currently holds six offers with Miami, Penn State, Syracuse, Xavier, and Temple being the others.

247 Sports top-100 2020 recruit Hassan Diara (Putnam, CT) picked up a scholarship offer from Penn State on May 30. It was his third offer — Indiana and St. John’s — that the 6’2″ point guard has nabbed this month. He currently holds 18 overtures which include three other Power-7 conference programs Texas Tech, Georgia, and South Florida. Five A-10 teams have also offered him a scholarship.

Texas Tech received a commitment from UNLV transfer Joel Ntambwe on May 26. Ntambwe, who will have three years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the upcoming season,  is the fourth transfer for coach Chris Beard this year.  The 6’9″ forward averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 boards for the Runnin Rebels last season. Chris Clarke (Virginia Tech), Tariq Owens (St. John’s) and TJ Holyfield (Stephen F. Austin) had previously committed to the Red Raiders. Clarke, Owens, and Holyfield are eligible immediately.

Kerry Blackshear Jr. is still weighing his options after withdrawing from the NBA draft. Blackshear, who will be eligible immediately, is considering Kentucky, Florida, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech — where he spent the previous three years. Kentucky could be the leader for his services, although the Wildcats have a loaded frontcourt. Florida is located in his home state and former Hokie head coach Buzz Williams now leads Texas A&M.  Blackshear Jr., averaged15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this past season.

2019 wing Julian Champaignie, who is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals, became St. John’s coach Mike Anderson’s first NYC recruit when he committed on May 29. The 6’6″ wing averaged 17.2 points while topping the 20-point mark 17 times last year for Bishop Laughlin (Brooklyn) last season. He was originally slated to be part of the 2020 class as the plan was for him to attend a prep school this year. St. John’s has two scholarships still available for Anderson, whose first recruiting class currently consists of three members.

Where will Quintin Grimes end up? That is the big question after the 6-foot-5 combo guard decided not to return to Kansas after withdrawing from the NBA draft recently. He must sit out the upcoming season and will have three years of eligibility left. The former five-star recruit averaged 8.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. He selected KU over Kentucky, Marquette, and Texas. Will have to have to wait and see if any of those schools are possibilities — obviously, Kentucky will likely be in the mix and could be the favorite.

There had been talk of a trio of 2020 Kentucky targets– Makur Maker, Cliff Omoruyi, and Isaiah Todd –reclassifying to the class of 2019 but that does not seem likely.  All three are highly touted big men.

2022 five-star point guard Dior Johnson (Kingston, NY) will take an unofficial visit to Arizona State on June 1. Johnson holds 16 scholarship offers with 10 from power-7 conference programs.

Next. Standouts from EYBL Dallas AAU Circuit. dark

Tennessee Tech grad transfer Chris McNeal will play at Cincinnati this year after choosing the Bearcats on May 31. UC will be the point guard’s fifth school — he also previously attended Western Kentucky, New Mexico, and Indian Hills CC.   McNeal, who never played at Tennessee Tech due to transfer rules, is expected to play a major role along with Mika Adams-Woods in the Bearcats’ backcourt.

Home/NCAA Basketball News