Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early takeaways from 2021 recruiting classes

By Tristan Freeman

ANN ARBOR, MI - FEBRUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on in the first half of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on February 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - FEBRUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on in the first half of the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on February 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 11
Next
Gonzaga Basketball
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 20: A basketball sets on the court next to the Bulldogs (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga hoping to land the biggest of fish

Future Hall of Fame head coach and noted fisherman Mark Few has had a relatively small pond to work with on the recruiting trail. Top-100, let alone five-star recruits have been just too much to reasonably target, even dating back as long as seven years ago.

Now today, Gonzaga seems to only be bringing top-100 talent, unless they’re quality international recruits or transfers that would be viewed as quality pickups anyways. In the last few years, the Bulldogs have been bringing in top-15 overall classes, including the incoming freshman class led by five-star point guard Jalen Suggs. He’s the first five-star recruit join the program out of high school, and they clearly aren’t done yet.

The coaching staff is targeting multiple top-10 overall prospects in the 2021 class. That includes forward Paolo Banchero (Duke), Hunter Sallis, Caleb Houstan, Nathan Bittle (Oregon), and Chet Holmgren. Of this group, Gonzaga reportedly has a great chance to land Holmgren, who was a teammate of Suggs at Minnehaha High School.

Has has been ranked No. 1 overall in the 2021 class for a while, before Patrick Baldwin Jr. took over this offseason, due to Holmgren not playing due to Covid-19 family concerns. There’s a great chance he’ll get back that top spot this winter, while also set to make a decision as well. Among the final seven, the Bulldogs are viewed as a clear-cut favorite at the moment. If that happens, that would send shockwaves throughout NCAA Basketball.

Gonzaga already has top-60 bigs Kaden Perry and Ben Gregg committed and Florida transfer guard Andrew Nembhard sitting out. They’re a consensus top-3 overall preseason team for 2020-21 and if they can land Holmgren, could be in the same position for the year after.

Home/NCAA Basketball News