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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Biggest winners and losers from 2019 classes

By Tristan Freeman

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers, watches the action during the game against the Charleston Cougars at HP Field House on November 25, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Penny Hardaway, head coach of the Memphis Tigers, watches the action during the game against the Charleston Cougars at HP Field House on November 25, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs looks on during their game against the Baylor Bears in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 23: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs looks on during their game against the Baylor Bears in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 23, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

No. 3 Winner – Gonzaga Bulldogs

The 2016 recruiting class for Gonzaga Basketball could be the most influential in program history. It included their first “one and done” in Zach Collins and also had another NBA Draft lottery pick Rui Hachimura along with sharpshooter Zach Norvell. Killian Tillie, projected as a future draft pick himself, will be back for his senior season.

As good as that group was, this incoming batch of freshmen could be even better. Ranked No. 12 overall (highest ever in program history), the Bulldogs have four players ranked in the top-75 individually. Their best is Drew Timme, a 6’10 versatile big men with high offensive promise. Anton Watson is a local product on the eastern side of Washington, while international center product Oumar Ballo is considered to have the highest overall ceiling, at just 16 years old. Martynas Arlauskas hopes to be the next Lithuanian great in the program (Domantas Sabonis) while Brock Ravet provides good depth in the backcourt. That doesn’t even include Pavel Zakharov, another skilled forward ranked in the top-60.

Gonzaga’s frontcourt is set for the next few years with this class, who are miles ahead of anything else the WCC has to offer. With the Bulldogs making the Sweet 16 or better in the last five seasons, it’s not surprising that the recruiting rankings have gone up as well. And it’s even better that the team was able to secure this group of bigs with the early departures of both Hachimura and Brandon Clarke.

The Bulldogs had a great 2019 class but next year could be even better. They already have a pair of top-50 players committed in the 2020 class and are the favorites to land their first-ever five-star recruit out of high school in Jalen Suggs. That’s why they went after only grad transfer guards in Ryan Wooldrige and Admon Gilder, who should keep them in national contention this upcoming season. It’s a good chance that Gonzaga will be a “winner” on this list a year from now as well.

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