9. Jazz Gardner
Recruiting battle: San Francisco vs Ole Miss vs FSU vs Nevada vs Oregon
Before the developments of both Wilcher and Jackson, the 2023 NCAA Basketball recruiting class had just one 4/5-star prospect left without a home. It was two until top-3 forward Ron Holland decided to play for the NBA G League, despite being heavily linked to Arkansas after de-committing from Texas.
Gardner now has the record for the longest recruitment without making a decision this cycle among the notable targets. He’s a consensus four-star prospect ranked around the top 100 and is a 7’0 center out of the state of California.
Considering how much value big men have had in the transfer portal for the last two years, it makes sense that Gardner would still get plenty of interest, despite being just a true freshman. He had a list of four teams come out a month ago, though Ole Miss had since landed both Moussa Cisse and Jamarion Sharp, while FSU was reportedly after Grant Nelson from North Dakota State.
But while the two mid-major programs may have thought their odds were good at landing Gardner but recently, the big man went on a visit to Oregon, who has suddenly entered the sweepstakes. Starting center N’Faly Dante is entering his final season and outside of backup forward Nate Bittle, there’s no real frontcourt depth for the Ducks.
For a team already with a top-10 incoming recruiting class, Oregon could add even more if that visit eventually turns into a commitment.