Cincinnati Basketball: Breaking down the 2019 recruiting class

LOUISVILLE, KY - MARCH 19: Cincinnati Bearcats cheerleaders perform against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the KFC YUM! Center on March 19, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 22: Cincinnati Bearcats cheerleaders perform. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Zach Harvey – Napa, CA

SG | 6-foot-4 | 170 lbs | No. 45 overall

Zach Harvey was a recent addition to the Cincinnati recruiting class and he should be a major impact player. Originally a member of the 2020 class, he reclassified to join Coach Brannen’s roster a year early. He is, though, more than ready to be an immediate contributor as the No. 45 overall prospect (slightly skewed by his recent reclassification decision). At 6-foot-4, he brings plenty of size to the table on the wing and could take up a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman. He is uniquely talented with his athleticism and scoring ability. He can fill it up at all three levels and has plenty of defensive potential as well.

Harvey is clearly one of the highest-rated players to ever commit to the Cincinnati program but reportedly brings a fair amount of risk as well. Coach Brannen, as already mentioned, is bringing in a ton of newcomers this season but Harvey might be the most talented. He spent the last year playing with Prolific Prep and it seems as though he will be completely prepared to take on a high-scoring role for the Bearcats. Harvey plays with excellent pace and deliberation on the offensive end and he is very difficult to slow down when he gets it going.

Heading into this coming season, seniors Tre Scott, Keith Williams, and the Cumberland Cousins are likely to lead the team in scoring while newcomers will fill out much of the rotation. It is reasonable to project that Harvey will be among the key contributions and his immediate impact could be vital in determining how successful the Bearcats will be. How much trust will Coach Brannen put in his highly-rated freshman?

Next. Top early 2020 recruiting classes. dark

Cincinnati’s incoming recruiting class is clearly interesting. Coach Brannen needed an influx of talent for his first year on campus and he was able to do just that. How will all of the newcomers interact with one another and is this team capable of reaching yet another NCAA Tournament? Cincinnati is currently on a dancing streak of nine consecutive seasons.

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