Ramel Lloyd narrows focus to eight, but still open to new suitors
Ramel Lloyd Jr., ranked No. 127 in the recent 2022 Rivals150 update, talked to Rivals about his eight finalists: Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington, Illinois, Rutgers and Oregon.
*****
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
*****
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Arkansas: “I have been in contact with their whole staff for a while now. I have a good relationship with them and I love their style of play.”
Baylor: “They have a great program that’s quickly turning into a national powerhouse every year. I love the direction their program is going in.”
Nebraska: “I have built a strong relationship with coach (Fred) Hoiberg and coach Matt (Abdelmassih) over the many Zoom calls. I love the recruiting pitch for me and my game,”
Arizona: “They are the closest school to home, and I would get to play in the Pac-12, which is what I grew up watching. Coach (Sean) Miller is a great coach that I know would push me to be the best of my ability.”
Washington: “They are another Pac-12 school. I have built a close relationship with coach (Mike) Hopkins, who coached my dad in college, as well as coach (Will) Conroy. The school presents a lot of opportunity for me as I fit the mold of their system.”
Illinois: “Playing in the Big Ten would be great since it’s one of the toughest conferences in America. The way they have developed Ayo (Dosunmu) to where he is now, and a future pro, is enticing to me.”
Rutgers: “This would be close to family out East. They let their guards go and are building a great culture around that program.”
Oregon: “A great program that has been tops in the country every year, for a while now. I have been in constant contact with coach (Dana) Altman and coach (Mike) Mennenga.”
WHAT'S NEXT?
Lloyd, Jr. cut his list so he could let those recruiting him know which programs he is interested in the most. However, this does not mean he is not open for some new suitors to come in if they offer.
“As of right now, after I released the eight, those have been the only schools in contact with me and no new suitors have come in," he said. "I believe once I start playing again when things open back up there will be more so I am open to adding if schools offer.”
Lloyd, Jr. is comfortable, at this moment, developing relationships with these eight programs and focusing on his own game.
"The only school on my list I have been able to visit is Arizona, sophomore year," he said. "So right now, I really have no time frame. I would like to take visits before I commit anywhere, so it will probably be later rather than sooner.”