NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Burning Questions for the 2016 Early Signing Period
Signing week for college basketball isn't nearly as exciting as the flipped commitments of its college football counterpart, but there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to stay aware of over the next week.
Since there is still an abundance of 5-star talent that remains uncommitted, we could see a ton of changes to the recruiting landscape in just a short amount of time as some players will be deciding their futures very shortly.
While some of these questions have to do with specific programs and conferences, others have to do with some interesting trends in the recruiting world. Entering what should be a fun week for the recruiting world, here are eight burning questions to keep an eye on.
Recruiting ratings via Scout.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.
How Many 5-Star Prospects Will Stay Uncommitted into Spring?
1 of 8
The 5-star prospects in the Class of 2017 are certainly keen on taking their time this fall as we've only seen 10 of 29 commit to this point. Others are expected to make decisions during signing week that will take the number of uncommitted prospects down a notch, but this is still a large number of talented players to still be on the board.
Since many 5-star prospects are getting smarter with watching for coaching changes, other commitments and NBA draft defections, they're in no rush to make a commitment now when all of the schools recruiting them would still take them in the spring.
Waiting until the spring also offers prospects the opportunity to closely watch how teams play out this season. How are coaches running their offense or utilizing guys at their position? How does the personnel on the current roster fit with certain recruits? These are the things players can get more information on if they wait until the spring.
Will Any Committed Prospects Not Sign the LOI?
2 of 8
Signing week in the basketball world doesn't offer nearly as much drama as its football counterpart. Things like "soft verbals" and swapping commitments at the 11th hour don't really happen. Keep an eye out, however, for prospects who remain committed but refuse to sign the letter of intent—effectively leaving them an out if they want it.
This became true last fall when 5-star wing Terrance Ferguson, who was committed to Alabama, didn't sign his letter of intent but remained committed to the Crimson Tide. Later having a change of heart, Ferguson didn't have to ask for a release or do anything other than tell Alabama, "no" and it was a clean breakup for Ferguson.
Since he was free to go wherever he wanted without signing the letter of intent, Ferguson eventually settled on Arizona, only to spurn the Wildcats to sign a pro contract to play this season in Australia. Many elite prospects could look to do the same this fall, as they might not want to be bound to a specific school (through paperwork) at least until the spring.
Will Duke and Kentucky Make a Run at Another Top-5 Class?
3 of 8
Based strictly on past results, it would be pretty much crazy to count out Duke and Kentucky in the race for the top spot in the Class of 2017 team recruiting rankings. That being said, both programs are off to somewhat slow starts on the recruiting trail this year.
Some of this is because of the limited amount of 5-star prospects who have committed so far as Duke and Kentucky are involved with a healthy number of those uncommitted prospects.
But entering November, Duke and Kentucky only have one commitment combined between the two programs, and that's bizarre to think about given how much of recruiting juggernauts those two have been the last five years. This spring could end up being a busy one for Duke and Kentucky, and both programs are hoping to ease some of their recruiting burdens with some commitments during signing week.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
Can Arizona Hold on to the Top Spot?
4 of 8
Every year since the Class of 2011, Arizona has had a top-10 recruiting class. But Sean Miller has never had the No. 1 overall class. That might change with the Class of 2017.
The Wildcats currently sit at No. 1 in the Scout.com national team rankings with four very important commitments, including a verbal from the No. 1 player in the class, center DeAndre Ayton. The 7'0" Ayton is a potential game-changer for Arizona, the type of post presence on both ends that could finally lead Arizona to another national championship.
Joining Ayton in the Class of 2017 for the Wildcats includes three 4-star prospects: shooting guard Brandon Randolph, forward Ira Lee and guard Alex Barcello. Other schools like Duke, Kansas and Kentucky still have plenty of time to load up on 4- and 5-star prospects to try to compete with Arizona, but the Wildcats are off to a tremendous start and could add even more before next season.
Can Western Kentucky Hold a Spot in the Top 10?
5 of 8
The rise of Western Kentucky as a recruiting heavyweight has been a fascinating story this offseason as head coach Rick Stansbury has done a great job of stocking his roster with talent.
While the current roster is filled with graduate transfers who needed a chance to play, Stansbury has also recruited for the future with a great Class of 2017 haul.
The center of that is 5-star center Mitchell Robinson, a shot-blocking machine who is a tremendous athlete. A shutdown defender who is also developing his offense, Robinson is a top-10 national prospect and potential one-and-done talent. He could be a dynamic fit in Conference USA.
Joining Robinson in the class is 4-star guard Josh Anderson, a top-50 talent who can really get to the rim. The 6'4" guard is slippery getting to the basket, and he'll have plenty of talent around him.
When you also consider Buffalo transfer guard Lamonte Bearden is eligible next year after sitting out a transfer year and Western Kentucky also recruited junior college forward Moustapha Diagne, a former Syracuse signee, the Hilltoppers have a ton of talent entering next season.
Will the 5-Star Prospects Start to Commit to Programs Together?
6 of 8
One of the unique things about the Class of 2017 is how the class doesn't seem to be rushing into packs of 5-star prospects. In past years we've seen a number of programs pull off mega classes filled with multiple 5-star commitments, but so far in this class, none of the Scout.com 5-star prospects have committed to the same school.
This is undoubtedly going to change. Arizona, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky are just a few of the blueblood programs in the mix for multiple 5-star prospects, and we could even see two or more 5-star prospects signed to one program by the end of the fall signing period.
But the fact that many elite guys are starting to wait on their recruiting decisions shows that some prospects are happy to be patient rather than rush into a situation that could rapidly change. With the way the new NBA draft rules are built—with college players having the option to return to school after the combine and individual workouts—we could even see some prospects wait until next May or June before reaching a decision.
Can the Pac-12 Keep the Recruiting Momentum Going?
7 of 8
It's been well-documented across college basketball that the West Coast hasn't produced a national champion in nearly 20 years, but the Pac-12 is continuing to recruit at a high level this year with the hopes of changing that.
Entering signing week, three of the top four teams in the Scout.com team recruiting rankings come from the Pac-12 as Arizona, Washington and UCLA are all off to strong starts with multiple high-level commitments. The interesting thing about those three programs is that they will have 5-star prospects entering their programs for the second consecutive season.
The Wildcats brought in plenty of talent in the Class of 2016 and have followed that up strong with the potential No. 1 class in the Class of 2017. Washington could have three consecutive years of having a top-10 NBA draft pick if Markelle Fultz and Michael Porter Jr. follow in the footsteps of Marquese Chriss. Not to be outdone, UCLA is the only program with two commitments in the national top 30 after bringing in three 5-star prospects in the Class of 2016.
If some of these programs are able to keep talent over multiple seasons, they could have the makings of the team that ends the West Coast national title drought.
Will the ACC Rally After a Sluggish Start?
8 of 8
The depth of the ACC is going to be staggering entering the 2016-17 college basketball season, as the league attempts to put double-digit teams into the NCAA tournament next March.
But that absurd postseason potential hasn't necessarily translated to successful recruiting—at least in the Class of 2017. So far, only Louisville has a top-10 class among ACC teams in the Scout.com team recruiting rankings, and North Carolina—a team usually known for strong recruiting—has four commitments but didn't crack the top 10.
Duke will likely play a factor in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings once it's all said and done, and Syracuse is also involved with a lot of high-end prospects. Even if those two programs put together strong classes, the league certainly isn't running away with many of the elite recruits despite the amount hype the league has generated.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
