NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 2021 5-star C Chet Holmgren’s top 7 schools
By Ian Mumm
The #2 overall prospect in the 2021 NCAA Basketball class, center Chet Holmgren, has updated his recruitment with his top-7 schools.
The 7-footer’s list consists of Gonzaga, Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgetown, and Memphis. Chet Holmgren is likely to become the NCAA Basketball class of 2021’s top recruit, pending the highly expected decision of current #1 Jonathan Kuminga to reclassify and sign with the NBA G-League.
A rapid rise in the center’s value followed a stellar sophomore season where his average ranking went from 50th to just outside the top-10. Continued development in his game and play against national competition has firmly planted him in the top-3 of the class.
Holmgren isn’t your typical center, a byproduct of modern basketball’s metamorphosis of big men from post-players to jump shooters and perimeter threats. A late growth-spurt transformed him from a guard with ball-handling skills into a tall and skilled unicorn, like NBA stars Nikola Jokic and Kristaps Porzingis who have donned the same moniker. He can bring the ball up the floor or knife through the lane for a dunk. He can run the fast break, covers a lot of ground defensively, and is very adept at tracking and blocking shots.
https://twitter.com/ChetHolmgren/status/1276637574665207808
However, his most impressive skill is his touch. Regardless if he’s on the block, coming off a screen, or spotting up on the perimeter, Holmgren has an incredible feel for hitting shots and impacting the game in multiple ways. It’s this versatility and efficiency that makes him such a mismatch for guards and bigs alike. On last summer’s Under Armour Circuit for Grassroots Sizzle, Holmgren averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks per game while shooting nearly 49% from the perimeter.
The national interest in him has been enormous. With 31 offers, per Rivals.com, Holmgren has the most of any prospect in the class and can go anywhere he wants. Whichever school he decides to play at, if he doesn’t leave early for the NBA G-League, he will have to be comfortable with a free-roaming center in their offense.
Looking at his list of top schools, which are most likely to fit his style of play and offer the best chance for early minutes?