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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Evaluating Jay Scrubb’s top three schools

By Brian Rauf

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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LOUISVILLE, KY – MARCH 19: The Cincinnati Bearcats mascot performs 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 Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY – MARCH 19: The Cincinnati Bearcats mascot performs 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 Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Cincinnati Bearcats

There are more question marks surrounding Cincinnati than the other three schools on this list.

From a pure roster standpoint, the Bearcats provide perhaps the best opportunity for him to step in and be the go-to guy. Reigning American Player of the Year Jarron Cumberland will be gone and there’s no clear next guy in line currently in the rotation. As Scrubb looks to get to the NBA, showcasing his skills as the focal point of Cincinnati’s attack would be appealing.

Of course, we still don’t know what to expect from the program under new head coach John Brannen.

He built Northern Kentucky into a winner with a perimeter-oriented style that, on paper, looks like it would fit well with Scrubb’s game. We just haven’t seen it on the court for the Bearcats, and there’s no guarantee he’ll have the same level of success in the American.

There’s also the program transition Cincinnati is undergoing. Former head coach Mick Cronin had a team based on defense and athleticism, and was one of the worst shooting teams in the country. Brannen puts an emphasis on shooting, so it may take a couple of recruiting cycles for Brannen to really implement his system.

Scrubb would certainly be a major part of that transition, but how competitive will the Bearcats be during Brannen’s early years? The first part of the 2019-20 season will be huge in Scrubb’s recruiting in this regard.

He’s currently set to make an official visit to Cincinnati on August 6th.

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