Twitter Tuesday: Memphis, Will Jeffress, 2021 preseason top 10
There will be no more games until November and the recruiting world, as far as on and off campus recruiting goes, has been put on hold. But roster building must still be completed. The offseason is here and there is no better time to get to some of your questions in this week’s #TwitterTuesday including who Memphis signs this spring, Will Jeffress’ dilemma, the Josh Primo waiting game, blue bloods tracking grad-transfer and much more.
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Precious Achiuwa is going to be gone, as you brought up, so that should come as no surprise. From there, Isaiah Maurice will graduate but Isaiah Stokes will step in after sitting out last season due to transfer restrictions. Could a surprise transfer departure take place? I would not be shocked, but it seems the chemistry remained high despite the ups and downs the program faced last season.
Much has been said about Memphis’ ineptitude on the recruiting trail of late, but if everyone does return, the Tigers could be even better next year, that is as long as they nab one of their top targets this spring. I believe they will bring in at least one transfer of some type, but their biggest need is a mega-talent in the form of Jalen Green and/or Greg Brown.
I know that I am in the minority but I do not see Green going anywhere but Memphis. Most see him Auburn-bound and maybe he proves me wrong, but everything that I have been able to uncover says that he will decline Auburn, Fresno State, Oregon and USC, along with the professional realm, and choose Penny Hardaway’s bunch.
Brown is a Texas lean, but with four weeks until he commits, don’t count out Memphis just yet. Will Jeffress and Karim Mane are two others they continue to recruit, as is Moussa Cisse, who is the top local talent that could reclassify into the 2020 class later on this year.
It is still too early to tell. Will Jeffress may be forced to make his college decision sight unseen. As we discussed last week, he has not taken an official visit but was expected to schedule a handful once his state’s playoffs concluded.
Before they could, the coronavirus pandemic ended his high school career and squashed any chance of visits being made before April 15. Chances are, the ban on off and on campus recruiting will be extended past the date. Jeffress is attempting to gather all of the information possible and is having the proper conversations with the schools on his final lists in the meantime.
He did tell Rivals.com last week that the process has not been the easiest and that a few schools have fallen off in recruiting him. Pitt remains my selection in the FutureCast, primarily because it is the school that he has developed the best relationship with and he has visited the most often, though the confidence I have is not great thanks to the pandemic’s impact on his recruiting process.
The waiting game. The only thing Josh Primo has to do, for the most part, is commit. It could come at any moment. We had expected for the four-star to end his recruitment in March, so a decision within the coming days would not be a surprise.
Primo has not detailed a final school list of any kind but he will decide between Alabama or Creighton. Both have major needs in the backcourt and could use Primo immediately next season. However, the latest intel that I have been able to gather has surrounded the Canadian selecting the Tide whenever it is the time to do so.
Duke’s name has been thrown around of late with the top grad-transfers but I take that as more of a proactive approach on it's part. Unless it loses another to the transfer portal (junior Alex O'Connell announced his departure Saturday), I think they will stand pat for now.
Unless North Carolina loses a transfer of their own, their top-three incoming class will do.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Kansas attempted to throw some attention towards a grad-transfer or two, but its name has not been out there in the transfer market.
That brings us to Kentucky. Unless they enroll Moussa Cisse, UK might be the likeliest of the bluebloods to work the transfer portal in replacing Nick Richards, who is slated to enter the NBA Draft in the coming weeks.
There is only so much Texas Tech can do right now. The scholarship count is one of Red Raiders' primary hold-ups currently. Chris Clarke and TJ Holyfield will leave the program this offseason, though more are expected to follow. Jahmius Ramsey is all but gone for the NBA and a transfer departure could be on the docket. Until the following two moves take place, the Red Raiders cannot do a whole lot.
Whenever it does, it is safe to assume that they will again be active within the transfer portal. They have been among the biggest winners for the top grad-transfers each offseason and a similar route could be taken in the coming weeks.
Thanks to its early work in the 2020 class, Texas Tech has had the chance to get a leg up within the 2021 class. For the first time in Chris Beard’s tenure in Lubbock, Texas Tech has gotten ahead of things, which should pay dividends with another nationally recognized 2021 class.
1. Gonzaga: if Jalen Suggs does enroll and no surprise NBA departures hit the program, the Zags are the top dog.
2. Villanova: This is only if Saddiq Bey returns; if not, they drop out of the top-15.
3. Creighton: As long as Ty-Shon Alexander comes back; the X-Factor will be Ryan Kalkbrenner.
4. Baylor: Bears need a healthy Tristan Clark and for Jared Butler to remain in Waco.
5. Duke: all eyes will be on Jeremy Roach as he replaces Tre Jones.
6. Tennessee: Vols are loaded and better role allocation will be a given next season.
7. Kentucky: If they can find a capable 5-man, UK leaps into the top-five.
8. Virginia: Don’t’ forget about Sam Hauser ... he is the real deal.
9. Ohio State: If they can find a serviceable grad-transfer guard, the Buckeyes will have two of everything.
10. LSU: Much rides on who returns and if they can add someone in the mold of Moussa Cisse this offseason.