Wednesday's Leftovers: Auburn, UNC, Oregon, Seth Towns, more
No basketball puts even greater attention on the recruiting world. There are still a few major players in the 2020 class who have yet to commit, and analyst Corey Evans highlights a few of those recruitments in this week’s Wednesday’s Leftovers.
Other topics up for discussion: How might Auburn answer its frontcourt needs this spring? Is North Carolina done in the 2020 class? Will the adjusted recruiting calendar work in the favor of Ohio State in regards to Seth Towns?
More: Twitter Tuesday on Ziaire Williams, Josh Christopher, more | Coaches readjust recruiting strategy during dead period
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position
2022 Rankings: Top 75
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Cliff Omoruyi will make his college decision on March 29, and Auburn is among his finalists. Arizona State and Rutgers, though, are in a much better position, however, so it doesn’t look great for Bruce Pearl’s squad.
The Tigers should find success this spring, though. They are involved in much of the talk surrounding Jalen Green, though I am not going to buy into it entirely just yet.
But your question was geared toward the frontcourt, and Greg Brown is definitely a possibility for Auburn.
I would still say Memphis and Texas are the favorites in the sweepstakes for the high-flying athlete, but no one has gained more ground in his recruitment lately than Auburn.
Also, don’t discount the Tigers' chances with Jon Kuminga, who could reclassify later in the year. They are also a suitor for Kai Sotto, though there is a chance that he decides on training year-round prior to the 2021 NBA Draft rather than attending college. Keep an eye on JT Thor, too, though Oklahoma State has picked up some steam. Rivals150 center Dylan Cardwell is another to watch.
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No, that's not going to happen. Maybe North Carolina does see another scholarship open up in the spring, but the chances of landing both Ziaire Williams and Kerwin Walton are very, very minimal.
While UNC continues to sit as a possible landing spot for Williams, which I wrote about in this week's #TwitterTuesday column, I would be very surprised if he were to leave the West Coast for college.
As for Walton, he has remained unwilling to show his hand regarding who is even under strong consideration for his commitment. He took a handful of unofficial and official visits in the fall and during the lead-up to the season. He also told Rivals.com last month that he would wait until rosters settle in the spring before deciding.
In the end, I don’t see him choosing UNC, and I am not sure enrolling six freshmen is the smartest idea for a program that is not accustomed to doing so. Rather, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Tar Heels hit the grad-transfer market again, which would infuse some experience into a roster that will be on the younger side next year.
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We don’t know when or if Harvard grad transfer Seth Towns will actually take visits before making his transfer decision, but we do know that he is focused on a select group consisting of Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse and Virginia. We reported that news earlier this month, but no further developments have come about since, primarily because to the coronavirus has brought the recruiting world to a virtual standstill. However, there is a strong sense that he will make his decision in the coming days.
If he makes such a quick decision, it would likely only be one program: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the local program and is a school that was heavily involved within his recruitment during his high school days.
However, all of this is speculation. Maybe Towns will want to visit his finalists before committing, or perhaps phone conversations could sell him on a program, even without a visit. In the end, though, Ohio State is the pick for where Towns decides. He would have the chance to play immediately and might also have two years to play.
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That is a good question. It seems that we are still waiting for Oregon to really make its move in the 2020 class and it wasn’t until earlier this winter that the Ducks landed their first commitment, that being top-50 guard Jalen Terry. However, don’t forget just last year when the Ducks were the biggest winners of the offseason, thanks to the commitments of N’Faly Dante, Addison Patterson, Eugene Omoruyi, Anthony Mathis, Shakur Juiston and Eric Williams.
I would be surprised if the Ducks remained as silent this spring as they have in the fall and winter months. They are in the final group for Ziaire Williams and Jalen Green, but I don’t see things working out in the Ducks' favor. However, Oregon could hit the transfer realm again, which has become a consistent avenue for the Ducks.
They will lose Payton Pritchard, Juiston and Mathis to graduation, but they have Omoruyi and Williams sitting out this winter because of transfer restrictions. A healthy Dante will also help. Furthermore, the Ducks didn’t exactly miss on their top targets. They just didn't have many needs in the 2020 recruiting cycle, which is why they placed a greater emphasis on their 2021 efforts.
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Jon Kuminga: I would say that prior to the coronavirus pandemic and with a full slate of games to be played on the travel circuit, he was likely to reclassify into the 2020 class following the summer months. I will stick with that, but remaining in the 2021 class is not out of the question, either. Suitors include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Texas Tech.
Moussa Cisse: It seems that his move to the 2020 class becomes closer to reality by the week. He has already taken an official visit to Florida State, and while the Seminoles are in a great spot, LSU would be my pick. Others - including Georgetown, Kentucky and Memphis - are also heavily in the mix.
Moussa Diabate: I don’t see Diabate moving into the 2020 class. A few schools have broached the subject with him, but there is a strong chance that he remains in his original 2021 class. Creating a school list for Diabate is difficult, but programs to watch include Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland and Memphis.
Franck Kepnang: As with Diabate, I don’t see a reclassification happening. Sure, a few programs would love to take him in the fall, but there is a much better chance that he finishes things out with his original class. Local programs Seton Hall, St. John’s, Syracuse and UConn are involved, as are Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio State, Pitt and UCLA. There is still much to play out with his recruitment.