NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 12 uncommitted class of 2023 prospects

1. Mackenzie Mgbako – No. 7

There’s no question as to who the best available prospect is in the 2023 class. It’s Mgbako, a 6’8 combo forward out of New Jersey that has elite athleticism and can shoot the ball at a high level. He’s a projected first-round NBA Draft pick and was originally the best player on a top-2 incoming recruiting class for Duke.

However, the combination of freshman forwards Mark Mitchell and Kyle Filipowski both opting to return for another season created an unexpected frontcourt logjam and Mgbako decided to take himself out of the equation.

Instantly, many programs decided to get involved for the five-star forward, including St. John’s, Rutgers, Louisville, and most recently, Alabama. Mgbako can pretty much go anywhere but he’s likely looking for a destination that can offer him 30 mpg at the power forward position.

Considering that there’s a feeling of inevitability as to where Bronny ends up, Mgbako’s recruitment could be the biggest storyline of the 2023 class. He’s one of the best players available overall, regardless of who’s in the transfer portal and his recruitment seems wide open. It’ll be interesting to see which program benefits from Duke bringing back some key forwards for next season.