McDonald's Nuggets: Cade Cunningham leads flurry of big commitments
This week’s edition of McDonald's Nuggets includes thoughts on Cade Cunningham's commitment, a Dylan Cardwell update and more.
WHAT'S ON MY MIND: Cade Cunningham makes his move
When Mike Boynton hired Cannen Cunningham earlier this year, most expected it meant that his younger brother Cade Cunningham, who happens to be the No. 2 player in the 2020 class, would follow him to Stillwater. That didn’t stop schools like Kentucky and North Carolina from shooting their shot in Cunningham’s recruitment, but in the end, he decided playing for Oklahoma State with his brother as an assistant coach is the right move.
Whether it was a surprise to anybody or not, this is huge news in the hoops recruiting world. Oklahoma State will now have the best player in college basketball on its roster next year. That doesn’t always guarantee success will follow on the court, but Boynton has recruited enough talent around him to where the Cowboys should be a real contender in the Big 12 and beyond.
The key now for the Cowboys is figuring out a way to team up five-star shooting guard Bryce Thompson with Cunningham and four-star guard Rondel Walker. Thompson visited Oklahoma State earlier this week right as Cunningham was making his commitment, so this could be a situation where the Cowboys come from behind and get it done. Kansas is still getting 100% of the FutureCast picks right now, but this is a situation worth watching.
RECRUITING NOTE: Dylan Cardwell update
It appears to be getting down to crunch time in the recruitment of four-star big man Dylan Cardwell out of Georgia. The 6-foot-10 center has taken official visits to Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in recent months. Miami has also been in the mix and makes up the final four for Cardwell.
I’m told that it’s not a done deal that he will sign early, but that it is definitely possible. The school getting the most buzz as the signing period approaches is Georgia, but it certainly wouldn’t be wise to rule out any of the other schools. I’m also told he really enjoyed his visit to Tennessee last month and the Vols could be a real player. His recruitment is one I’ll be tracking closely over the next couple weeks.
VISITOR TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND: Kenny Chandler to Syracuse
While the opening night result wasn’t ideal for Syracuse, it’s always good to get one of the top point guards in the country on campus, and that’s exactly what happened for the Orange with Kennedy Chandler in town. The visit to Syracuse comes after he made his first official visit to Tennessee last weekend with trips to Ole Miss, Florida State and Michigan scheduled throughout the season. The Orange don’t typically stray too far away from northeast or Midwest, so for Jim Boeheim’s staff to target the five-star floor general from Tennessee says a lot about Chandler and how they feel about their chances.
COMMITMENT OF THE WEEK: Take your pick
It’s been a long time since there have so many really meaningful commitments take place in a one-week stretch. We already touched on Cunningham ending the suspense and choosing Oklahoma State, but there were several others. Illinois landed a big one last Friday right after last week’s column went up with a four-star floor general, Andre Curbelo. He’ll be a key piece for Brad Underwood as he rebuilds the Illini. Later last Friday, four-star big man Mark Williams did what many expected and chose Duke. Coach K needs talent and depth up front next year and that’s exactly what Williams will give him.
Monday was a really busy news day. Four-star wing Micah Peavy started things off with a commitment to Texas Tech. This was another decision that was expected, but it doesn’t change the fact it’s huge news for Chris Beard. The 6-foot-7 small forward bring great size, versatility and toughness to the Red Raiders.
Shortly after his commitment, Miami won a big battle and added Earl Timberlake. He’s a strong, powerful athlete that will be an instant impact scorer on South Beach. If that wasn’t enough for Monday, five-star small forward A.J. Griffin gave Duke more good news and a terrific start to the 2021 class.
Finally, Donovan “Puff” Johnson was long thought to be an Arizona lean given that he now attends school in the state and his brother Cam Johnson plays for the Suns. But a late trip to his brother’s alma mater, North Carolina, was enough for Roy Williams to land his fifth commitment to a historic class for the Tar Heels.