Advertisement
basketball Edit

I've Got Five On It: Questions for the Iverson Classic

Ty Ty Washington
Ty Ty Washington (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

The final event of the 2021 rankings cycle is this weekend, as many of the top prospects in the class will gather in Memphis to partake in the Iverson Classic All-Star Game. Rivals.com will be in attendance all weekend and keeping a close eye on the action, as we head toward the final class of 2021 Rivals150 next week.

This week in I Got Five On It, Rivals’ national recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy outlines the main questions that will be answered at the Iverson Classic.


*****

More: Storylines that will impact rankings week

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

*****

Advertisement

WHAT’S ON TY TY WASHINGTON’S MIND?

The most buzzed about uncommitted prospect in the class, point guard Ty Ty Washington will arrive in Memphis with a May 15 commitment date and plenty of questions to answer.

Technically, the four-star guard’s narrowed focus includes six programs, but Kansas, Arizona, LSU and Kentucky seem to be the four with any real chance of landing his commitment. He certainly won’t tell anyone which way he’s leaning, but a lot can be gleaned by in-person conversations and the gossip that tends to float around these sorts of events.

The other Washington-related story line, obviously, is his ranking. The four-star point guard was the breakout player of the year this season and rose 54 spots in the last Rivals150 refresh. He stands to elevate again this time around and will almost certainly flirt with five-star status. What he does at the Iverson Classic could push him over the edge.

*****

WHO WILL TOP THE FINAL RIVALS150?

The headline on the Iverson Classic is obvious. The event has managed to attract and match up five-star prospects Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, who sit at No. 1 and No. 3 respectively. Banchero has put on an absolute clinic as a senior and seems like a good bet to slide into the No. 2 spot. The question that remains, however, is: “Can he topple Holmgren and take the top spot?”

A Duke signee, Banchero is the prospect with the highest floor, as he appears ready for the NBA both from a size and skill perspective. Holmgren, who has signed with Gonzaga, is a bet on unrivaled upside and the rarest prospect in the class. Seeing them square off in Memphis will provide some much-needed context as Rivals looks to finalize the 2021 rankings late next week.

*****

WHAT NOW FOR NOLAN HICKMAN?

Nolan Hickman is no longer tied to Kentucky, as the four-star point guard backed off his pledge to the Wildcats last week. He’ll be one of the more sought-after interviews in Memphis over the weekend, as everyone seeks to figure out what’s next for the No. 39 player in the country. Gonzaga seems to be the leader, despite already having five-star point guard Hunter Sallis in the fold. It’ll be interesting to see what Hickman has to say about the situation when he arrives at the all-star game with pitches from college coaches running through his head.

*****

WHICH PROGRAMS ARE IN THE MIX FOR TREY ALEXANDER?

The third and final uncommitted prospect set to play in the Iverson classic, Trey Alexander backed off his pledge to Auburn in late April and hasn’t tipped his recruiting hand much since.

Arkansas, Georgia, Grambling State, Kansas, Oklahoma and Ole Miss were among Alexander’s finalists when he committed to Auburn in November of last year, but plenty on that front has changed since. The Sooners remain involved, while programs such as Oregon, Western Kentucky and Iowa State have recently reached out to the four-star guard.

The picture of Alexander’s recruitment may clear significantly after the upcoming weekend in Memphis.

*****

HOW DOES BRANDON HUNTLEY-HATFIELD FIGURE INTO HIS NEW CLASS?

A five-star in the class of 2022, Tennessee commit Brandon Huntley-Hatfield reclassified to 2021 a few weeks back and will arrive in Knoxville for the upcoming season. He’ll be placed in the 2021 rankings following the Iverson classic, so how he projects as a college player needs re-evaluated. The good news is, there's no better opportunity to see how he fits in with his new peers than the upcoming weekend in Memphis, which will see him challenged by fellow five-stars in the class of 2021.

Huntley-Hatfield sat at No. 14 in the 2022 class. And while he’ll likely slide a bit based on losing a year of pre-college development, a strong showing in Memphis could help him retain his five-star status and linger around the top 25.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT VOLQUEST.COM

Advertisement