NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 5 teams for 4-star wing Zion Sensley

Zion Sensley is a consensus four-star wing in the 2024 NCAA Basketball recruiting class. Which teams are in the running to land him?

One of the top NCAA Basketball prospects from out west is Zion Sensley, a four-star and top-100 small forward in the 2024 class He has plenty of size for a perimeter player at 6’8 and has plenty of versatility both ways on the court. He’s also a good shooter and someone who projects as a multi-year starter at the college level.

On Monday, Sensley put out a list of five teams in the mix to land him, including two mid-majors. Does any of them make sense? Here’s what the projected rosters look like if Sensley were to commit to them.

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide is looking for its next Brandon Miller, an elite small forward that can score. Sensley would be competing with current freshman Mouhamed Diabate, who is currently injured. There’s also Rylan Griffen and four-star freshman Kris Parker, who’ll be looking for minutes as well. For a prospect like Sensley that’s likely to be around for a few years, there’s always a risk that he can be over-recruited.

Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils already have a steady flow of talent of wings on the roster. Jamiya Neal is getting some hype when it comes to a breakout campaign, while Kamari Lands is a former top-100 prospect and transfer from Louisville. Plus, the team also has four-star freshman forward, Akil Watson. It’s hard to see a pathway for Sensley unless players leave after next season.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

There’s nothing bad to say about the location if you’re a prospect and there certainly would be plenty of playing time for Sensley, who’d probably be the best overall prospect to join the program out of high school. And Bernardo da Silva and UNC transfer Justin McCoy leaving after next year, it wouldn’t be long for this recruit to be a prominent part of the gameplan if he wanted to pick the Big West option.

LSU Tigers

There’s a good chance that Vanderbilt transfer Jordan Wright will be the starting wing next season, which is fine since he has one more year left. The other wings on the roster are Mwani Wilkerson and Tyrell Ward, both of whom have to prove that they can be part of the rotation. This is a situation where Sensley could compete for early minutes while LSU focuses on the frontcourt for the rest of the 2024 class.

Saint Mary’s Gaels

The Gaels are the lone option in the state of California and next to Alabama is the program on this list that wins the most. They also have plenty of playing time to offer after starting wing Alex Ducas leaves after next season. He’d be a nice fit with Aidan Mahaney in the backcourt and could become the next offensive star at Saint Mary’s.