Three-Point Play: August is now most critical month for hoops
Never has there been greater uncertainty surrounding the sport this late in the offseason than this year. Rivals analyst Corey Evans explains why August will clarify all, along with examining Louisville’s quick work in the 2021 class.
*****
MORE THREE-POINT PLAY: How Oklahoma State kept Cade Cunningham
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
*****
1. AUGUST BRINGS CLARIFICATION
If there is one month on the college basketball calendar that brings a down time, it is August. Well, not this year. Never in recent memory has the future of the sport hung in the balance so late into the offseason thanks to the pandemic.
The NCAA and NABC remain in discussion whether to implement evaluation periods throughout the month of August. Are they willing to give the go-ahead to coaches, media, scouts, parents and prospective student-athletes to hit the road for a number of days?
For programs such as Baylor, Michigan State and Stanford, among others, they are still waiting to hear if their top stars will return to campus for another season. On Aug. 3, or 10 days after the NBA Combine, whichever comes first, student-athletes that have entered the draft can withdraw and retain college eligibility. Another loophole just for this year happens Aug. 17 – those that have not entered the NBA Draft can toss their name into the mix. But if they do it after Aug. 3, they will not be able to return to campus either way.
*****
2. LOUISVILLE DOING WORK EARLY
Chris Mack and his staff are on an absolute tear right now. While losing Jayden Scrubb to the NBA earlier in the spring hurt, it didn’t ruin the offseason. The Cards went on to land one of the best graduate-transfers this offseason, Carlik Jones, and also former San Francisco standout Charles Minlend.
From there, already sitting with the commitment of top-40 junior Bryce Hopkins, Louisville took another step toward its future. First, it was three-star guard Bobby Pettiford and then Gabe Wiznitzer, who will reclassify into the 2020 class but will redshirt. Finally, on Wednesday, El Ellis, one of the better junior-college standouts, settled on the Cardinals.
This 2021 class has the depth, so now it's about the home run hit, which is why the Cards continue to track Jalen Warley, Hunter Sallis, Malaki Branham and Harrison Ingram, just to name a few.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LOUISVILLE FANS AT CARDINALSPORTS.COM
*****
3. A NEW TREND THANKS TO COVID-19
Is regionalized recruitment here to stay? That was not a question that I was only asking myself, but also one that a number of college coaches have broached over the past few weeks.
Before the megawatt television contracts with each of the power conferences, quick and easy travel accommodations and the development of various forms of social media, regionalized recruitment was practically all we knew. Kids in Ohio and Michigan were likely going to stay in the Midwest, the best out of Southern California would attend a Pac-12 program and those down in Texas would stay in the South for college.
Then, times changed and it was customary to see prospects decide to venture across the nation for college. That could all be changing now and reverting back to how things were 30 years ago because of COVID-19.
Look for more to stick to what they know, which could also turn into a positive side effect when it comes to the large, outrageous transfer numbers that have continued to escalate each offseason.