Twitter Tuesday: Zion Williamson, Illinois targets, Darius Bazley, more
The first edition of #TwitterTuesday for 2018 takes another look at the recruitment of Zion Williamson, how Illinois might add to its 2018 class, and complete breakdowns on Syracuse signee Darius Bazley and Indiana signee Jerome Hunter.
There remain questions surrounding Zion Williamson and where he might land. He and his family have kept things under wraps for the past few months. Seeing that he is playing for a local high school program that is not playing a national schedule, and the fact that he remains sidelined due to an injury, information has not been easy to come by.
Clemson has gained the most talk of late. Brad Brownell has his team off to its best start since he took over the ACC program, which definitely bodes well regarding their chances. Williamson and his family have also been big proponents in representing the state of South Carolina, hence playing for a travel program named the South Carolina Supreme, and have been loyal to his Spartanburg Day School bunch. Williamson’s stepfather also played for Clemson from 1981-1983, giving the Tigers another inside track for him.
While Clemson might have gained the most momentum in finishing out the 2017 calendar year, Duke, South Carolina, Kentucky, UNC and Kansas remain heavily in the picture. No one quite knows when Williamson might commit as he could make a surprise decision tomorrow, or hold off until the spring to see who stays and who leaves for the NBA Draft. Regardless, it is one of the top recruiting stories to watch as 2018 begins.
Illinois hasn’t made a ton of noise on the recruiting trail this winter outside of the signing of five-star guard Ayo Dosunmu, though the commitment of the top-flight guard has done more than enough in making the Illinois faithful happy. Where it goes next is up in the air, though it is involved with a few top available seniors.
Tracey brings up the chances of former USC commit and top-35 forward Taeshon Cherry committing to the Illini. I do not see this happening. There is a void in the frontcourt in Champaign, but Arizona State and Texas A&M, two programs that will host Cherry in the coming weeks for an official visit, have a better chance of securing.
Last month, the Illini hosted Florent Thamba for an official visit; Baylor, Virginia Tech and Nebraska are also involved with the mobile rim protector as he has already visited each and a commitment could come at any time.
Illinois has also gotten involved with another center from the East Coast, that being 2018 Patrick School big man Valdir Manuel. We broke down his recruitment last month as Manuel is considering the Illini, Rutgers and Seton Hall; a commitment isn’t expected until he can take visits, of which likely won’t occur until after his high school season finishes up.
Despite having a pretty full cupboard of talent in the backcourt, Illinois has kicked the tires with East Chicago native and Montverde CBD guard Jermaine Couisnard. A breakout performer this winter with the talented prep bunch, Couisnard will take an official visit to South Carolina on Thursday as the Illini continue to keep tabs.
Where things stand now, I do not see Darius Bazley as a top-five prospect in the 2018 class, but Bazley is among the small group of elite prospects that sit directly behind the prestigious five.
One of the top stock-boosters from the travel circuit, Bazley is the ideal small ball power forward in today’s game. Originally committed to Ohio State during the Thad Matta regime, Bazley quickly sifted through the recruiting process the second time around before pledging to Syracuse in July.
What makes Bazley so unique and valuable for the higher levels is just how polished a scorer he is. The 6-foot-8 lefty doesn’t boast the ideal length or strength of other elite prospects, but he is much more ahead with his skillset.
On the Nike EYBL circuit, Bazley averaged more than 15 points and 10 rebounds, while also finishing with a number of assists and steals in any given contest. His shot selection does have to improve, but Bazley has the chance to make major noise as a freshman. Next to current Orange standout Oshae Brissett, the duo should be able to slide between the three and the four on any given possession on the offensive end; defensively, Bazley is the perfect forward in Syracuse’s vaunted zone thanks to his size and lateral abilities.
Bazley isn’t quite to the level of RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish or Nassir Little yet but he sure is close to it; we will get a better look at him next week at the Flyin’ to the Hoop event in seeing better how much he has improved and may have closed the gap on the top-five senior crop.
The top recruit of the Archie Miller era in Bloomington thus far, Jerome Hunter brings tremendous value and upside to the Indiana basketball program.
A 6-foot-7 forward that can slide between the three or the four, Hunter improved his national standing this past summer playing with the Ohio NOVA travel program. Where the Rivals150 four-star forward shines brightest is with his scoring abilities. Hunter has vastly improved his ability to score from each level on the floor, along with his playmaking skills, as he can be relied upon to create for others within the half-court. Seeing the immediate need for secondary ball-handlers at IU next season, Hunter could be able to help in spurts.
Where he does have to get better is at is on the defensive end. He does not move great laterally and needs some work containing quicker wings in the Big Ten. He does not lack for toughness or size, but his true value may come as a small ball power forward for the Hoosiers.
The comparison with Andre Iguodala is not a bad one, but Hunter is not the explosive wing that the former Arizona standout was and still is. Furthermore, I see more of Washington Wizards’ forward Otto Porter in Hunter, someone that can play a variety of spots, make shots from 15-feet and out consistently, and also sports good length in the frontcourt in defending the passing lanes.