The Top College Basketball Recruiting Storylines to Follow
With college football celebrating national signing day, it's not a bad time to look into some storylines to watch in college basketball recruiting over the next few weeks.
There are still plenty of talented players left on the market for schools to grab, including a healthy amount of 5-star prospects who can come in and make impacts right away.
Some of these storylines have to do with direct schools and how some of the top programs in the country will finish out the 2017 recruiting cycle, while other storylines are more focused on certain players.
Things are going to be changing quite a bit in regard to college basketball recruiting over the next several weeks as seasons begin to end. Here are the storylines to track.
How Will the Duke vs. Kentucky Slugfest End?
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As we've seen over the last five years, Duke vs. Kentucky will once again be a storyline to follow for the 2017 recruiting cycle.
Both programs sit in the top five of Scout.com's recruiting rankings, with the Wildcats sitting at No. 1 and the Blue Devils at No. 4. This is playing out just like we've seen every year in recent history.
Since Duke is still involved with a number of 5-star prospects, including Mohamed Bamba, Kevin Knox and Trevon Duval, it can still make a major move up the rankings.
But Kentucky isn't done yet, either. Even though head coach John Calipari has already landed six top-50 commitments, the Wildcats are also in the mix for Bamba and Knox.
We'll have to see how Bamba and Knox lean in the end. Other schools are also involved for both 5-star prospects, but we might end up seeing another Duke vs. Kentucky recruiting battle.
Can Arizona Add to Its Class?
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Duke and Kentucky have drawn most of the recruiting attention over the last five years, but head coach Sean Miller has also built Arizona into a consistent recruiting juggernaut.
2017 is no different, as 5-star center DeAndre Ayton is in contention for the No. 1 spot, and Brandon Randolph, Ira Lee and Alex Barcello are all top-100 players.
The Wildcats are still hunting other 5-star options, however, as they might not be done in this class. Point guard Trevon Duval has been a major priority for Arizona, and center Brandon McCoy and wing Brian Bowen have also been heavily recruited.
Duval would give the Wildcats a potential starting point guard from the time he steps on campus, and McCoy would be intriguing to play alongside Ayton since the two did so together with California Supreme in the Nike EYBL.
If Arizona can scoop up one of those players or land another piece elsewhere, it'll be in contention for a top-three class once again.
Will UCLA Make a Late Push for Another Commitment?
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Before this season started, UCLA had a lot of positive momentum on the recruiting trail, as it inked the No. 2 overall class with five commitments. This was all before freshman Lonzo Ball became a national sensation and the Bruins became one of the most talked-about teams in America.
Now that UCLA is playing a fun, uptempo style of ball while winning games, it is attractive to recruits, and the Bruins are still working their 2017 class. UCLA has traveled to watch 5-star guard M.J. Walker play multiple times this season, and 5-star center Brandon McCoy visited campus in August.
Head coach Steve Alford already has plenty of playmakers entering in 2017, but being able to pull in a 5-star commitment in the spring would be a nice coup.
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Where Will the 5-Stars End Up?
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Seven of the top 25 players in the Scout.com national rankings remain uncommitted, including four players in the top 10.
That means that team recruiting rankings could shift between now and the end of the season, as some of these prospects could pair up with other prospects to shake things up.
While 5-star prospects like Trevon Duval, Kevin Knox, Mohamed Bamba, M.J. Walker, Brian Bowen and Brandon McCoy have already been mentioned in previous storylines in this list, guard Trae Young is another potential high-impact perimeter player in a class that is starving for available point guards.
Also making matters intriguing is how many blue-blood programs have big classes already signed. Kentucky (six) and UCLA (five) already have huge classes, and Arizona (four) and Duke (three) have respectable amounts of talent signed. Adding 5-star guys to those classes could mean championship aspirations if the right pieces return.
Will Reclassifications Come into Play?
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One of the things to keep an eye on during this time of year is how many players reclassify.
Some players have the option of either graduating now and doing a postgraduate year of high school in 2018 or going to college next season as a member of the 2017 class.
Guard Eric Ayala, a 4-star prospect, is perhaps the best example of a prospect with good options in both. Ayala could be an impact guard in either class, and he still has to decide which one is best for him.
Washington commit Jontay Porter, the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., is also considering reclassifying into the 2017 class, meaning he would get to play with his brother in what could be Michael's only season of college hoops. With Jontay also being a 4-star prospect, he could come in and help a Washington team that is trying to break an NCAA tournament drought.
Ayala and Porter are just two examples of something that will come up a lot more as we reach the spring. As some players start to earn qualifying test scores, more options will become available, and some players could even sign after playing on the grassroots circuit this spring.
Will Any Coaching Changes Affect Recruiting?
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One of the unfortunate byproducts of major college sports is that head coaches get fired rather suddenly, and it can change the entire recruiting landscape.
If a head coach is excused from a position, it opens up the possibility of that team's recruiting class seeking new possibilities. We already saw that at the mid-major level this season when Drake fired head coach Ray Giacoletti, resulting in Bulldogs commits Teyvion Kirk and Tai Bibbs opening up their recruitments.
That can also happen at the highest levels of college basketball if coaching changes happen this offseason. Illinois is a situation to keep an eye on because the Illini are one of the few programs with a top-25 recruiting class and a coach on the hot seat. Head coach John Groce is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season, and his job could be on the line.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.
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