Top-55 NCAA Basketball class of 2020 recruit Lance Ware had a strong showing at Philly Live II this weekend.
Four-star power forward Lance Ware showed his new coach at Camden (NJ) High School, former NBA point guard Rick Brunson what to exactly expect from him this upcoming season as he produced a double-double (16 points and 17 caroms) in a loss to Archbishop Wood at Philly Live II hosted by Jefferson University on June 28. Several NCAA Basketball coaches including DePaul’s Dave Leitao, Miami’s Jim Larranaga, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, and Villanova’s Jay Wright were in attendance to watch Ware perform.
The consensus top-55 2020 prospect was a dominant presence last year for Camden, averaging 11.1 points along with 10 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.9 steals. But Brunson, who was hired on June 5, expects more from him, the 6-9 Burlington (NJ) native told Rich Flanigan of ZAGSBLOG recently.
"“He expects a lot out of me. I want to give him what he wants and what he expects of me, which is to play hard, rebound and block shots so that’s what I’m trying to do.”"
Ware is ranked as the 43rd best prospect by 247Sports Composite and 41st best prospect in the nation. He is ranked 48th nationally by ESPN and 52nd by Rivals.
“Lance has turned himself into an energized player,” Brunson said. “He’s a rim-runner as well as a shot-blocker and rim protector. The best thing he does is be a high character player and a leader.”
Ware is expected to whittle his list down soon. He currently holds 15 offers with six of them coming from ACC programs — Pitt, Clemson, Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. Rivals’ Eric Bossi reported that he is also a target of UNC and while the Tar Heels have yet to offer him a scholarship, one is expected to come.
Former five-star recruit Quentin Grimes hopes to play in 2019-20 after transferring to Houston
Former Kansas Jayhawk Quentin Grimes has finally found a landing spot as he announced that he verbally committed to the Houston Cougars on Thursday. Grimes entered the NCAA transfer portal after withdrawing from the NBA draft. He is slated to sit out the upcoming campaign but previously said that he will seek a waiver from the NCAA so that he can play.
The Woodlands, Texas, native picked the Cougars over Texas A&M.
Grimes arrived in Lawrence, Kansas, with a lot of hype as he was a member of Team USA national teams and a top-10 recruit. But the 6-5 shooting guard struggled with consistency during his lone season with the Jayhawks, averaging 8.4 points along with 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27 minutes of action. He shot 38.4% from the field and 34.0 % from beyond the arc.
The 19-year-old poured in 21 points in his NCAA debut in KU’s victory over Michigan State in the Champions Classic. It was his highest scoring game of the season and only 20-point effort. He finished the campaign with one double-double and 13 double-figure scoring games.
Houston set a program record with 33 victories and the Cougars reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1983-84, last year. The Cougars also claimed their first AAC regular and conference tournament titles.
So what will Grimes provide the Cougars?
If Grimes is deemed eligible to play in 2019-20, which seems unlikely, he will provide the Cougars a No. 1 scoring option who is a good 3-point shooter. Which is exactly what the Cougars will need after losing their top three players from last season — Corey Davis Jr., Armoni Brooks and Galen Robinson Jr.
Grimes is a solid shot-creator and possesses a nice set of ball skills overall. He is also a versatile defender and really competes on that end of the floor.
Grimes would likely slot in with a small-ball guard-oriented starting lineup along with Dejon Jarrett and Nate Hinton. The Cougars do have three three-star recruits coming in as well, led by 6-7 forward J’Wan Roberts.
Michigan Wolverines have been busy
While Juwan Howard has missed out on several of his top targets, he continues to work the recruiting trail hard. The Wolverines still have three scholarships to give out this upcoming season although it seems unlikely that they will use all three. However, Howard may utilize one of those scholarships on Franz Wagner, who is the younger brother of former Wolverine Moe Wagner. The 17-year-old German is reportedly deciding whether to play for the Wolverines or signing a professional contract with his club team Alba Berlin. Wagner is a 6-7 wing who can really shoot it, particularly off the catch.
Howard could also add a grad transfer or two. Shakur Juiston, DJ Wilson, Tyler Scanlon, and Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey are among the players still available.
Regardless of what happens the rest of this year, in terms of recruiting, Howard has gotten the attention of top future prospects. The Wolverines already have a commitment for 2020 from 6-2 point guard Zeb Jackson (Toledo, Ohio). They are also in the mix for Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Walker Kessler as well as Micah Peavy, Zach Loveday, Carlos Johnson, and Hunter Dickinson, whom they offered a scholarship a few days ago. UM also has reached out to a few 2021 prospects including five-star A.J. Griffin and Michael Foster.
Zach Harvey commits to Cincinnati and will play in 2019-20
Cincinnati head coach John Brannen filled one of his two open slots for the upcoming season with the signing of shooting guard Zach Harvey this past Thursday. The 6-4 four-star prospect reclassified from the class of 2020 and will play this year for the Bearcats. He chose Cincy over Gonzaga, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Xavier.
The Topeka (Kansas) native is long and athletic with the capability of playing multiple positions. He is a quality shooter who can knock down 3-point and mid-range shots while also being a fantastic decision-maker.
Harvey was ranked as a top-100 recruit by 247Sports as Composite has him rated as the No. 45th prospect in the country while the regular site has him ranked 66th. ESPN also has him ranked as a four-star prospect as does Rivals.
Harvey joins three-star prospects Mika Adams-Woods and Jeremiah Davenport in the Bearcats’ 2019 recruiting class.
Other recruiting tidbits
- Cincinnati has offered a pair of power forwards from the class of 2020. The Bearcats offered two-star Jaylon Gibson (Raleigh, NC) a scholarship on June 29 and two-star Nick Farrar (Apex, NC) on July 1. The 6-10 Gibson, who picked up an offer from East Carolina on June 30, now holds 10 offers. Farrar also picked up offers from George Mason and Old Dominion on Monday. The 6-6, 230-pounder holds 19 offers with two of them from Division II offers. He has offers from Houston and Rhode Island.
- Rivals’ three-star 2021 point guard Rahsool Diggins (Wayne, NJ) poured in 37 points against Camden on Friday in the Philly Live II event. As a result of the performance, the 6-3 lead guard picked up offers from Penn State and DePaul. He also has nabbed offers from Virginia Tech, Xavier, and UMass over the past couple of days. Diggins holds 14 offers overall. 247Sports Composite has him as a four-star prospect and ranked 106 in the nation.
- 2021 four-star recruit Quincy Allen (Washington, D.C.) had an up-and-down spring but is still being prioritized by a number of schools including Clemson, Marquette and NC State. He is expected to take his first official visit to Virginia sometime later this year. Allen holds 11 offers overall. The 6-6 wing is ranked as a top 35 recruit in his class and a four-star prospect by all the major recruiting services, except for 247Sports Composite which has given him five stars.
- TCU transfer Jaylen Fisher is reportedly seriously considering Grand Canyon and playing for former Phoenix Sun Dan Majerle. The 6-2 point guard averaged 12.1 points and 2.7 assists while shooting 41.2% from the field and 44.1% from long distance in nine games for the Horned Frogs. Fisher will have two years of eligibility remaining after taking a medical redshirt this past season. Gran Canyon went 20-12 last season and is 123-72 in six seasons under Majerle. The Antelopes have not finished lower than third in the WAC under him.
- 2019 Noah Waterman, a 6-10 center from Finger Lakes Christian (Seneca Falls, NY), picked up offers from Binghamton and Niagra on July 1.
- 2021 guard Amare Marshall (Immaculate Conception, NJ) received an offer from Hofstra on July 1.