Who’s Got Next? is a weekly column by Sean Moran, the RTC recruiting guru. Once a week he will bring you an overview of what’s going on in the complex world of recruiting, from who is signing where among the seniors to discussing the recruitments of the top uncommitted players in the country. We also encourage you to check out his contributions at The Intentional Foul dedicated to recruiting coverage and analysis. You can also follow Sean at his Twitter account @Seanmohoops for up-to-date news from the high school and college hoops scene. If you have any suggestions as to areas we are missing or different things you would like to see, please let us know at rushthecourt@yahoo.com.
Note: Scout.com used for all player rankings.
Oklahoma State Lands a Scorer
Come next season, Oklahoma State will be in dire need of scoring. The Cowboys’ coaching staff started to address their needs with the commitment of four-star small forward Joe Burton last Monday. Burton is a powerful, 6’6” wing player currently ranked as the No. 18 small forward in the country and No. 79 prospect overall. Hailing from just outside of the Houston area, Travis Ford has snatched another top prospect out of Texas. Next year, the Cowboys will lose shooting guard Markel Brown to graduation and most likely point guard Marcus Smart and small forward Le’Bryan Nash to the NBA Draft. These three players combined for 62% of the Cowboys’ points this past season.
With the addition of Burton, Oklahoma State now has the 13th-ranked recruiting class in 2014 which also features four-star shooting guard Jared Terrell, four-star center Mitch Solomon, and JuCo point guard Jeff Newberry. Burton should be able to step in immediately for the Cowboys and average double figures in his first year. As a small forward, Burton already has a multi-dimensional game and is comfortable scoring from all areas of the court. He can bury threes with the best of them from his preferred spot on the left wing, and can also put the ball on the floor for a mid-range jumper or a drive to the basket. While Burton is not an overly explosive athlete, he runs the floor well and finishes above the rim. Come next season, Burton shouldn’t have any problem filling some of the scoring void in Stillwater.
San Diego State Adds Zylan Cheatham
UCLA and USC grabbed all of the headlines this past year with the hirings of Steve Alford and Andy Enfield; however, it is San Diego State that has the top 2014 recruiting class in California. The Aztecs added to their already impressive recruiting class Saturday night with the addition of four-star power forward Zylan Cheatham, who chose the Aztecs over Washington and New Mexico. The 6’7” Cheatham is the No. 16 ranked power forward and No. 68 overall. A native of Phoenix, Cheatham had a stellar spring and summer on the Nike EYBL AAU Circuit where he averaged almost eight rebounds per game. Cheatham is a wiry and explosive forward with a 7’1” wing span. On the offensive end he attacks the glass hard and is a strong finisher around the rim. Defensively, he uses his wing span and quick jumping ability to block shots and rebound anything that comes in his area. He is athletic enough to cover defenders outside of the paint and strong enough to bang in the post.
The Aztecs previously focused on recruiting wings from the class of 2014, which paid off with commitments from four-star forward Malik Pope, four-star shooting guard Trey Kell, and three-star shooting guard Kevin Zabo. Now with the addition of power forward in Cheatham, the Aztecs are set to continue their strong play in the tough Mountain West Conference.
Other Notable Commitments:
- Georgetown picked up its first recruit in the class of 2015 and did so with a player right from their own backyard. Four-star forward Marcus Derrickson from Paul VI high school in Fairfax, Virginia, selected the Hoyas on Saturday. The commitment came in despite Derrickson having scholarship offers from other ACC and Big East schools such as Villanova, Miami, N.C. State, and Pittsburgh. The 6’7”, 225-pound Derrickson is currently ranked No. 54 in the class of 2015 and the No. 10 power forward in the country. As a sophomore, Derrickson averaged 12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while establishing himself as one of the top players in the entire Washington, D.C., area. In two years Derrickson will bring a diverse skill set to the Hoyas’ Princeton offense. He is a power forward in name only. His size and strength allows him to bang down low and post up smaller defenders, but he spends the majority of his time on the wing. Derrickson can handle the ball as well as stretch the floor with shooting skills that extend out to the three-point line. The Hoyas currently have a commitment from combo forward Paul White (#48 overall) in the class of 2014, but there should be ample playing time available for Derrickson when he joins the Hoyas in the 2015-16 season.
- Three-star shooting guard Miles Reynolds made a commitment to the Saint Louis Billikens last Wednesday night. The 6’3” Reynolds is currently not ranked, but the Chicago native has plenty of experience holding his own against the nation’s best. During the high school season, Reynolds plays for Whitney Young in the Chicago Public League, one of the top high school teams in the country and also the home of Jahlil Okafor, the top player in the class of 2014. Reynolds’ greatest strength is his shooting ability and he shot 37% from behind the arc in AAU play. The Billikens will lose their top three-point shooter after this season in senior Mike McCall, Jr, another Chicago native. Look for Reynolds to step in and fill his void.