NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 2020 G Bryce Thompson’s final 7 teams

Arkansas Razorbacks

The Razorbacks might seem like the outlier of all the finalists but they have been after Thompson for over a year. And even though there has been a coaching change, assistant coach Chris Crutchfield is still around. He’s been the lead recruiter for the five-star prospect and has a true relationship with the Thompson family.

But will the relationship be good enough for him to pick Arkansas of all teams? New head coach Eric Musselman has completely retooled the roster with his preferred route of using transfers. On the perimeter, the team landed SMU grad transfer Jimmy Whitt. He along with rising senior Jalen Harris (5.6 apg) will be gone after this upcoming season, while sophomore guard and returning leading scorer Isaiah Joe is a strong candidate to enter the 2020 NBA Draft if he has a big season.

That leaves Mason Jones, who averaged 13.8 ppg last year and would be a senior by the time Thompson would potentially arrive. With several scholarships open in the 2020 class, the Razorbacks are hoping to have Thompson be the centerpiece of what could be a strong class. Four-star guards KK Robinson and Moses Moody have this program on their shortlists, while Coach Musselman has a great history of landing quality transfers.

Although I’m not concerned with Thompson’s playing time being affected by whoever the Razorbacks would bring in, it also has to be noted that the final roster for the 2020-21 season will likely look much different than projected. For a possible “one and done” candidate, not knowing which players you’ll be around could be an issue when it comes to chemistry on the court. And of all seven contenders, the Razorbacks might be the worst overall team when it comes to tournament chances. I doubt they have a great shot at landing Thompson.