NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 8 options for 2024 top-30 center John Bol

Seeing the success of guys like National Player of the Year Zach Edey has made giant centers even more popular in NCAA Basketball. And the 2024 recruiting class has a top-tier big man in its ranks in John Bol, a 7’2 center out of Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas. He’s a consensus top-40 prospect and one of the top frontcourt players overall.

Bol is an elite athlete for someone his height and can run the floor very. He’s both a rim runner and a rim protector but will need to add more bulk to avoid getting pushed around at the NCAA Basketball level. Overall, his potential is extremely high as an effective starter that can impact the floor both ways.

His recruitment now has eight options, with one of them being Overtime Elite. It’s a newer initiative that has helped some big-name prospects develop into future pro prospects and if he wants to avoid the schooling aspect, Bol could very well consider that. But if he wants to go to college, here’s a look at his potential fit with the other seven contenders.

Florida Gators

The Gators have landed several frontcourt players in the transfer portal this offseason, including freshman Micah Handlogten from Marshall and senior Tyrese Samuel from Seton Hall. The big piece of this is Handlogten, a 7’1 true center that averaged 10 rpg and was a true defensive anchor in the Sun Belt.

We have no clue how good he’ll be at the SEC level next season, Plus, Florida also has incoming freshman, Alex Condon. Bol may ultimately need a year to develop off the bench no matter what but if the Marshall transfer is an impact player and stays for the next three years, that would create a logjam for Bol.