NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 9 teams in play for top-40 guard Wesley Yates

LSU Tigers

The SEC program is rebuilding under head coach Matt McMahon with a bunch of new guards. Illinois transfer Adam Miller is back and healthy and NC State transfer Cam Hayes adds to the backcourt depth. Yet on paper, Yates could easily start as a freshman and be a potential focal point of the offense.

The question here is that with a former mid-major coach and transfers that may or may not fit in the SEC, the Tigers may be further from postseason contention than expected. LSU may not be a bad spot but compared to other options that have nothing but stability, it’s early to tell and that may impact 2023 prospects before the start of the season.

Stanford Cardinal

If education is a sincere priority for Yates, the Cardinal may have a real shot at landing him. But solely focusing on the team, they’ll likely not have star wing Harrison Ingram, who likely will go pro. And with a supporting cast that’s so-so at best, Yates wouldn’t have a great shot at making the NCAA Tournament out west.

There’s also the issue with head coach Jarod Haase, who is a hot-seat candidate. If Stanford doesn’t have a good enough year, they’ll likely have to make a coaching change, which could affect Yates and force another decision. This is also an option that has its merits but isn’t guaranteed to be stable months from now.