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NCAA Basketball: Five-star Harrison Ingram snubs UNC and Purdue for Stanford

By Tristan Freeman

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 27: Stanford Cardinal fans pose for a photo during a regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Dayton Flyers at the FedExForum on March 27, 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 27: Stanford Cardinal fans pose for a photo during a regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Dayton Flyers at the FedExForum on March 27, 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Matt Painter talks with Isaac Haas #44 of the Purdue Boilermakers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Matt Painter talks with Isaac Haas #44 of the Purdue Boilermakers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Impact for teams that missed out on Harrison Ingram

Howard Bison

Their odds of landing Ingram weren’t great to begin with, but the publicity of being in the running for a five-star prospect is never a bad thing. The Bison can’t be greedy now, after landing five-star big man Makur Maker and Purdue transfer guard Nojel Eastern this offseason. The HBCU momentum has been going strong and who knows, another five-star recruit could be coming soon to the MEAC or SWAC.

Harvard Crimson

Every 1-2 years, a five-star prospect who prioritizes academics always has Harvard as a finalist. But head coach Tommy Amaker can’t land a top-25 player, although he has had success with landing top-100 talent. Like Howard, no harm, no foul in this one for the program and they’ll remain one of the top teams in the Ivy League going forward.

Michigan Wolverines

This program kind of was in the middle of Ingram’s recruitment. They should’ve been taken seriously as a contender but it never felt that they were ahead of either Purdue or Stanford. That means that this doesn’t hurt the Wolverines, especially since they have a top-100 wing committed in the class already in Isaiah Barnes. The good news for them is that they can now focus on five-star center Efton Reid, a major target for Michigan.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Considering who the other top contenders were, some Tar Heel fans (and even staff) may have thought that they could’ve pulled this one out, especially if an official visit could’ve occurred. Getting this out of the way allows them to focus on guards Hunter Sallis or Skyy Clark in the backcourt. UNC also still has top-50 wing Puff Johnson and has 2021 top-60 combo forward  Dontrez Styles coming as well.

Purdue Boilermakers

The biggest “loser” in this recruitment, the Boilermakers don’t have any other five-star recruits in play for the rest of this class. They can focus on landing top-100 in-state prospect Blake Wesley, although he’s more likely to go to Indiana. After losing Nojel Eastern and Matt Haarms to the transfer portal, Purdue has taken some losses this offseason.

The good news for them is that they have no seniors on the roster and already have top-100 power forward Caleb Furst as a commit. Still, Ingram seriously considered Purdue and for a team that doesn’t land five-stars, this one will hurt.

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