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Making the case: Top 40 big man Cliff Omoruyi

By the end of this weekend, highly coveted big man Clifford Omoruyi will have made his college decision.

A 6-foot-10 bruiser with athleticism and extreme toughness, Omoruyi is down to a final three of Arizona State, Auburn and Rutgers and he's taken visits to the campuses of each of them during the recruiting process.

So, who will he choose? Experts from around the Rivals.com network are making the case for why Omoruyi may pick the school they cover.

MORE: Three-Point Play | Ten who could have boosted stock in NCAA tourney

2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position

2022 Rankings: Top 75


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THE CASE FOR ARIZONA STATE

"Arizona State's newest assistant coach, Rasheen Davis, has had a very tight relationship with Cliff Omoruyi and his circle for a while now. And just because Davis is coaching three time zones over hardly means that this relationship has weakened, and it is that relationship that has kept the Sun Devils as a favorite for the Top 40 prospect.

"Omoruyi knows Arizona State is stacked quite well at guard and on the wings, but having a dynamic paint presence may be the last piece of the puzzle to truly make the Sun Devils not only a legitimate contender in the Pac-12 but a team that can go further than it has in recent years when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Those close to his recruitment have already said that distance will not be a factor. So, that element - along with the strong relationship with Davis - is the reason I believe Omoruyi is Tempe-bound." -- Hod Rabino, ASUDevils.com

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THE CASE FOR AUBURN

"The No. 1 thing Auburn has working in its favor for Omoruyi is early playing time. The big man wants it. Auburn has it to offer. Auburn not only is losing its starting center, Austin Wiley, to graduation, but its backup (Anfernee McLemore) as well. Omoruyi immediately would be in Auburn’s two-deep at the 5-spot, and he’d be there with a sophomore who played sparingly as a freshmen, Babatunde “Stretch” Akingbola.

"Auburn’s system and style of play also is an asset. Omoruyi would be the “one” in Auburn’s four-out one-in system, a system that would give Omoruyi flexibility. He’d have the opportunity to post up, play down low like Wiley, something Omoruyi wasn’t able to do much in high school, as well as move out and play on the perimeter like McLemore.

"Omoruyi also has strong bonds with Bruce Pearl and lead recruiter Ira Bowman. Bowman has been recruiting Omoruyi since 2018, his first year at Auburn, and has good relationships with Omoruyi and his guardian. Bowman is a big reason Auburn has been and continues to be a legit option for Omoruyi. So is Pearl. And so is the potential of Auburn’s 2020 class.

"Auburn already has signed five-star point guard Sharife Cooper, four-star forward Chris Moore and sharpshooter Justin Powell, and could be the team to beat for five-star shooting guard Jalen Green. Auburn also is in the thick of it for five-star forward Greg Brown. The potential for a top-five class is there, maybe even the top class, and Omoruyi knows it. Being a part of it is something that could help sway Omoruyi to Auburn.

"The one thing working against Auburn is the one thing it can’t help – distance from home. Omoruyi is from New Jersey. Auburn, of course, is in Alabama. It’s a long way from home. But not as bad as it seems. Auburn is a short drive from the Atlanta airport, which is a short flight from New Jersey.

"Will Omoruyi leave home for college? If not, Rutgers is the easy choice. But if he decides to leave New Jersey, if Omoruyi decides to leave the Northeast, Auburn has several things working in its favor to be his choice." -- Jeffrey Lee, AuburnSports.com

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THE CASE FOR RUTGERS

"The one thing that this Rutgers basketball team was missing this past season was another big man to complement Myles Johnson. Anytime Johnson got into foul trouble, the Scarlet Knights were forced to play with an undersized player, as their backup big man was 6-foot-8 Shaq Carter, who has now graduated. This was not ideal, because the Big Ten is filled with quality big men left and right. Omoruyi would slide into that role right away and likely play 20-plus minutes a game almost immediately.

"The staff can also point to the development of Johnson. He was a complete unknown out of high school. He came in overweight, redshirted and is now known as one of the better bigs in the conference. Johnson is also an engineering major and Omoruyi plans on doing the same in college, so having a guy like Johnson on the team could only help.

"This Rutgers coaching staff pulled out all the stops for Omoruyi, and he visited Piscataway multiple times this winter despite telling people he was done with visits. I like the Scarlet Knights' chances here so much so that I recently placed a Futurecast for Omoruyi to Rutgers." -- Richie Schnyderite, The Knight Report

THE VERDICT

Clifford Omoruyi
Clifford Omoruyi (https://rivals.com)

"As much as any prospect in the class of 2020, Omoruyi has run a tight ship with few leaks coming from either him or anybody around him regarding which school he will ultimately pick.

"As pointed out above, there is a strong connection between Omoruyi, those close to him and Arizona State assistant Davis. The Sun Devils also have available minutes in the low post and play a style that suits him well. They currently have my Futurecast pick for Omoruyi, and I'm not quite ready to change that.

"Auburn has been all over him and Omoruyi feels a bond with the staff, but at least based on what I've heard they would be the surprise pick this weekend.

"Then there's Rutgers. Coming off of one of its most successful seasons in quite some time, it is a serious contender for Omoruyi. In fact, many locally feel that he will ultimately choose them. He's been on campus several times, is extremely comfortable there and those closest to him would be able to see him play on a regular basis. I'm not quite sold that it is enough to overtake Bobby Hurley and ASU, but with just a few days remaining until his decision, it wouldn't be a shock for Omoruyi to pick Steve Pikiell and the Scarlet Knights." -- Eric Bossi, Rivals.com national analyst

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