NCAA Basketball: 10 biggest questions concerning 2019 recruiting classes

2. Which team was the biggest loser in the 2019 recruiting classes?

Not all programs did well in this recent recruiting class. Some missed out on their top targets and others missed out on many prospects all together. A bad class can have major consequences down the road. Which team struggled the most this time around?

Dieckhoff

UCLA – The Bruins’ offseason was not exactly a slam-dunk. Aside from their tumultuous coaching search, UCLA offered 16 different five-star recruits from the class of 2019 and signed exactly zero. To add insult to injury, crosstown rivals USC secured two of those recruits, as well as two each for Arizona and Washington. Jaime Jaquez should be a solid contributor, but Mick Cronin has an uphill battle to bring UCLA back to national relevance.

Rauf

I think Kansas. They landed some quality players and Iowa grad transfer Isaiah Moss will play a big role for them, but they didn’t get the kind of difference makers were used to seeing Bill Self bring in. After striking out on five-stars like RJ Hampton, Precious Achiuwa, and Matthew Hurt, they didn’t bring in a top-50 player.

Weber

Kansas is a popular answer in this regard and they should be. Usually a major player in five-star recruitments and a typical destination for blue-chip prospects, Bill Self’s program absorbed a significant blow on the recruiting front in 2019. Aside from 4-Star Jalen Wilson, the class is essentially bare. Compared to most years, this was an abysmal haul.

Howard

The biggest loser in the 2019 recruiting class has to be Kentucky. While Kentucky is stacked once again with the 2nd best recruiting class, they lost out on a potentially historically deep roster. They came in second in many recruiting battles and lost the likes of James Wiseman, Scottie Lewis, Jaden McDaniels, and top graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr.