NCAA Basketball: A look at teams interested in top-10 F Caleb Houstan

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Jalen Suggs is the first five-star commit out of high school for the Bulldogs but certainly won’t be the last. They’re in the running for No. 1 overall prospect Chet Holmgren and top-3 forward Paolo Banchero, along with Peyton Watson and Hunter Sallis. There’s a need for the team to land a small forward in the 2021 class to replace starting wing sharpshooter Corey Kispert.

While the Bulldogs have offered Houstan, I don’t think they’ll be truly in the running for this one. They’re in much better position for the other top-10 small forward in Watson and probably will spend much more time recruiting him. But it’s amazing that the mid-major program is even in the position to pick and choose which five-star talent to prioritize.

Maryland Terrapins

The Terps already have a pair of top-100 commits for the 2021 class in Ike Cornish and Julian Reese and is looking for another five-star talent, using Jalen Smith’s success as an example of what a player can do at Maryland. There’s a gaping hole at the small forward position both now and in the future, so Houstan will have a chance for a leading role out the gate.

Head coach Mark Turgeon is a very good recruiter and has kept Maryland consistently towards the top of the Big Ten in recent years. But there are two other conference foes in the running for Houstan that could be even more alluring for the five-star prospect, so this team will have to keep building in order to be appealing for top-10 players.