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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 2019 C Jonathan Aku’s final five teams

By Tristan Freeman

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Frank Haith of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane looks on during his team’s game against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada defeated Tulsa 96-86. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Frank Haith of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane looks on during his team’s game against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada defeated Tulsa 96-86. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

TCU Horned Frogs

After a ton of transfers midway through the season, TCU’s roster looks completely different up and down. But they’re actually in good shape at the center position, with sophomore Kevin Samuel coming back after a good first year. Former top-100 big man Russell Barlow also is coming back to provide depth. If Aku comes in, he’ll almost certainly be a redshirt candidate for the team next season as he continues developing.

If he picks the Horned Frogs, Aku would be the 10th newcomer to the program, joining five other prospects and four transfers. But all of them are perimeter players, with none of them bigger than 6’7. He would give them the future frontcourt piece that they’re looking for. And between his days at Pittsburgh and now at TCU, head coach Jamie Dixon has done very well with developing four-year center prospects. It would be a nice long-term investment for a program looking to find the right pieces.

Tulsa Hurricanes

Sort of the outlier of the list, Aku brings head coach Frank Haith and the Hurricanes as another Texas-based program he could join. Of all of them, Tulsa would give Aku the most immediate and long-term availability of playing time. Outside of forward Martins Igbanu, there isn’t much size to speak of on next season’s team as well. They did bring in JUCO big man Emmanuel Ugboh into the fold, so Aku wouldn’t have to play out the gate on day one.

Tulsa isn’t the sexiest option when it comes to playing for an NCAA Tournament contender. And while Coach Haith isn’t on the hot seat, he also isn’t guaranteed to be around for years after either. The other four coaches on this list are all but assured to stick around during the duration of Aku’s time at college. Based on this list, it’s hard to imagine the Hurricanes being anything other than the 5th option.

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