NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Burning Questions for the 2015 Early Signing Period
National signing week for college basketball recruiting doesn't feature nearly as much drama as its college football counterpart, but there are still plenty of reasons to pay attention. You won't hear about soft verbals, flipping commitments or see an endless amount of hat-picking press conferences, but the nation's elite basketball players signing on the dotted line signifies the official end of their recruitment.
It also adds excitement for college basketball fans since their favorite coaches can officially comment on the recruits they landed over the last few months.
Many members in the loaded class of 2016 have already made verbal commitments, but there is still some intrigue surrounding the uncommitted and the programs recruiting them.
Here are some of the biggest questions facing college basketball recruiting as we enter an important week.
Is Duke Finished in the Class of 2016?
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Duke has become the alpha dog of elite college basketball recruiting the last few years as it's finished no worse than No. 3 in team recruiting rankings since the class of 2012.
With the late addition of in-state 5-star forward Harry Giles in the 2016 class, head coach Mike Krzyzewski once again looks like he has the best recruiting class in the country. Giles is joined by 5-star wing Jayson Tatum, 5-star guard Frank Jackson and high-motor and 4-star forward Javin DeLaurier in the Blue Devils' Class of 2016.
That group is likely good enough to secure the No. 1 overall class in 2016—with Giles and Tatum both being consensus top-five prospects—and it gives Duke another instant national title contender.
But is it finished with the class of 2016?
While Giles was a major addition for Duke, he is coming off of a second torn ACL, and there is some uncertainty about his health since he'll miss his senior season of high school basketball to recover. Duke is still in the running for Texas native and 5-star big man Marques Bolden, and he took an official visit to Durham in September. There hasn't been a lot of public chatter about Duke getting involved with any other players to this point, but that could change quickly.
Since Giles' knee injury came rather suddenly in early November, it could mean Duke explores some new options that it hasn't been mentioned with before if it feels like adding another insurance policy. If Duke makes another move in recruiting, it will have a big effect on whomever it targets. The Blue Devils are one of the rare programs who can come in late for a lot of prospects and still be in the running at the end.
Can Kentucky Keep Pace with Duke and Michigan State?
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Over the last few years, Duke and Kentucky have been neck-and-neck in terms of elite recruiting, and Kentucky head coach John Calipari certainly isn't done with the class of 2016 after a solid start.
The Wildcats have finished No. 1 or No. 2 in team recruiting rankings in every class since 2009, so there is no reason to believe they won't rally to once again be in position for the top class. They do face some stiff competition toward the top in the class of 2016, though, as Duke and Michigan State already own four top-100 commitments each.
If anyone can play catch-up in recruiting, it's Calipari. Already with 5-star commitments like Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones in the frontcourt, Kentucky is the favorite to land the nation's top point guard, De'Aaron Fox, during national signing week.
That puts Kentucky in strong position for another top class if it is able to reel in one of its other targets like Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, Marques Bolden, Jarrett Allen, Kobi Simmons or Rawle Alkins.
Some of those players could opt to see which Kentucky players go pro, but it's likely that the Wildcats bring in at least one more 5-star prospect given their recent track record.
Does Kansas Rebound from a Slow Start?
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Kansas has finished in the top five in team recruiting rankings the last three classes, but it's only managed to land 3-star forward Mitch Lightfoot so far in the class of 2016.
Be patient, Jayhawk fans, there are still plenty of talented players that Kansas is involved with.
While it looks like point guard De'Aaron Fox is leaning toward picking Kentucky during signing week, the Jayhawks are still involved with 5-star prospects like Malik Monk, Rawle Alkins, Bam Adebayo, Marques Bolden and Jarrett Allen.
With one of the deepest teams in the country this season, some of those 5-star prospects could be waiting to see if anyone leaves early for the NBA before deciding to make a future home in Lawrence, Kansas.
Having a recent No. 1 overall pick in Andrew Wiggins and one-and-done players from last year like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Cliff Alexander making NBA rosters this season will help the Jayhawks, and they still have plenty of recruiting momentum. Once the dominoes begin to fall at the end of the season, Self should get some talented spring signees like he has the past few years.
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Are North Carolina's Recent Recruiting Woes Behind It?
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The North Carolina class of 2015 was the only class under Roy Williams that didn't feature a signee in the McDonald's All-American Game.
In fact, InsideCarolina.com reported that of the 37 scholarship offers given to class of 2015 and 2016 prospects by the Tar Heels, only nine took official visits—which is very low given the school's rich recruiting history under Williams.
The potential NCAA sanctions from the school's academic scandal certainly has taken a toll on North Carolina's recruiting efforts, but things are starting to get better. The Tar Heels have two 4-star commitments from center Tony Bradley and shooting guard Brandon Robinson in the class of 2016, which is a solid start to build from.
Other talented prospects like Rawle Alkins, Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen and Seventh Woods are still considering North Carolina. While the Tar Heels might not reel in a Burger Boy in the class of 2016, they're at least landing classes of top-100 players again.
Are Recent NCAA Sanctions Slowing Down Recruiting at Certain Schools?
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The NCAA has been investigating some of the biggest programs and head coaches in college basketball over the last year, so naturally, it has affected recruiting at those programs.
Syracuse and head coach Jim Boeheim were hit with a reduction of 12 scholarships over four years this past March for a litany of NCAA violations while only two off-campus recruiters are permitted until May 31, 2017. The Orange still have two very talented class of 2016 commitments in 4-star guard Tyus Battle and 4-star wing Matthew Moyer, but they've had to be more selective and they've passed on certain recruits they could have taken if they had the luxury of more scholarships.
SMU and head coach Larry Brown had a reduction of nine scholarships over three years handed to them in September as the NCAA found the program guilty of multiple rules violations, including academic fraud. While Syracuse has sustained recruiting top-100 players, it hasn't been nearly as easy at SMU. The program lost a pair of 2015 recruits—Simeon Carter (Iowa State) and LaGerald Vick (Kansas)—to other programs, and the class of 2016 looks underwhelming compared to past SMU groups. Brown still has commitments from 3-star guard Dashawn McDowell and Australia native Tom Wilson in 2016, but it doesn't have a McDonald's All-American or top-100 prospect like Brown's last three classes.
Boeheim still has USA Basketball connections and his long-tenured career at Syracuse to help him draw good players, but Brown and SMU are clearly struggling to regain past recruiting form.
Who Lands No. 1 Prospect Josh Jackson?
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As the No. 1 player in the class of 2016, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, there will be a lot of eyes on the Detroit native over the next several months as he begins to sort out the recruiting process.
The 6'7" Josh Jackson has already started a busy senior season that will see him play coast-to-coast with Prolific Prep, and he hasn't taken any official visits yet.
Arizona, Maryland and Michigan State have all hosted Jackson on unofficial visits within the last few months, and Kansas has made a strong push as well with head coach Bill Self going to see Jackson in September. Jackson won a gold medal playing for Arizona head coach Sean Miller with the USA Basketball U19 World Championship team this summer, while Maryland has an Under Armour connection to Jackson's grassroots team, and those connections certainly don't hurt.
Michigan State is hoping that its strong four-man class—which features two other Michigan natives in Miles Bridges and Cassius Winston—appeals to Jackson enough to give the Spartans their own version of the "Fab Five."
Although it seems that Arizona, Kansas, Maryland and Michigan State are the current front-runners, the Jackson camp has been tight-lipped throughout the recruiting process, and it wouldn't be surprising to see other schools emerge in the next few months.
Who Are the Other 5-Star Players Still Left?
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Josh Jackson isn't the only talented 5-star prospect still weighing his options. Many of his talented 2016 peers are also months away from a decision.
Signing week will see a few 5-star players make a decision as point guard De'Aaron Fox and power forward T.J. Leaf are scheduled to announce commitments before the close of the period.
Other 5-star prospects like guards Malik Monk, Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons, forwards Bam Adebayo and Dewan Huell and centers Thon Maker, Marques Bolden and Jarrett Allen are also still available.
These top-tier players can afford to wait a little bit during the recruiting process because many of their scholarship offers aren't going anywhere. Players in the 5-star range often seek immediate playing time, so they might wait until the spring to see who declares for the NBA draft and which college head coaches might take a different job.
If some college programs land even one of these talented players, it can change the fortunes of an entire recruiting class or current roster, so the recruitments of these player still means a lot.
Does Thon Maker Play College Basketball or Go Pro?
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The era of high school players entering the NBA draft has been over for more than a decade. But there are still some high school players who are talented enough to weigh the option of playing pro basketball overseas for a year before entering The League. Specifically, Thon Maker.
Chatter has died down a bit for the 5-star Maker turning pro instead of attending college, but there are still some college coaches and scouts who believe he'll never play a minute of college basketball.
Maker has yet to take an official visit during the recruiting process, and the actions of his guardian, Ed Smith, have led some to believe that a professional future is coming next season. Maker has played for multiple high schools and multiple grassroots programs during his high school career, and stability has been difficult to come by.
Since Maker is not American, it would also make it easier for him to play professionally overseas since he wouldn't fall under many leagues' strict limits on the number of American players per roster. Arizona State, Indiana and Notre Dame have been mentioned with Maker the most this fall among college basketball programs while Maker's high school team took in an Iowa State game in November.
Whether Maker opts to play in college or go pro, there is certainly going to be drama surrounding the decision.
Recruiting ratings via 247Sports.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.
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