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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top-10 Ziaire Williams final 7 teams

By Tristan Freeman

DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils greets head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils greets head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 10: UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero introduces Mick Cronin as the new UCLA Mens Head Basketball Coach at Pauley Pavilion on April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 10: UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero introduces Mick Cronin as the new UCLA Mens Head Basketball Coach at Pauley Pavilion on April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

UCLA Bruins

One of the more intriguing teams for next season is UCLA, who despite finishing under .500 overall a year ago returns a ton of talent previously ranked in the top-100 in various recruiting classes. That includes Tyger Campbell and Shareef O’Neal, who each missed last season with injuries. It’ll be fascinating to see how former Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin does with more talent than he ever had to work with.

He’s done well with former Bearcat wings such as Jacob Evans and Jarron Cumberland, so imagine what he can do with a player with the talent and potential of Williams. The opposite could work as well, with Cronin’s grind it out style being a detriment for the five-star prospect to really show his entire skillset and overall potential. That’s why this season is so crucial for him and other west coast prospects to observe.

If things go really well, UCLA will go right back to being a top destination along with Arizona. It could lead them to the commitments of other five-star prospects Daishen Nix and JT Thor. But I have a sneaking suspicion that players will take a “wait and see” approach with the start of the Cronin era with the Bruins, along with observing which underclassmen develop during the season. A decision before the season likely will take UCLA out of the running.

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