Who’s Got Next? Emmanuel Mudiay Check-In, St. Peter’s Picks Up Good Commitment…

Posted by Sean Moran on January 21st, 2014

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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.

Emmanuel Mudiay – The Point Guard of the Future

Larry Brown has SMU off to a strong 3-2 start in its inaugural season in the American Athletic Conference, but in all honesty the Mustangs are really looking forward to next season. That’s when five-star point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, arguably SMU’s best-ever recruit sets foot on the Dallas campus. The 6’4” point guard is currently ranked as the top point guard in the country and No. 3 player overall.

A native of Dallas, Mudiay surpassed Tyus Jones (#4 overall, #2 PG – 2014) as the top point guard in the country last summer due to his unique combination of size and speed. At 6’4” and 190 pounds, Mudiay possesses the physical attributes that NBA scouts love. He is extremely difficult to contain off the dribble and can finish above the rim or dish to teammates for easy baskets. Mudiay is not known for his outside shooting at this point, but so far during his senior season at Prime Prep (TX) he has shown some range in numerous high scoring outbursts. Mudiay’s size and athletic ability make for an easy comparison to John Wall. Given the comparison it was widely assumed that Mudiay would be next in line as a one-and-done point guard for John Calipari at Kentucky. Instead, he chose SMU over Kentucky, Baylor, Kansas, and Oklahoma State on August 24. Why the Mustangs? “He’s a Hall of Fame coach,” Mudiay said, referring to Brown. “He coaches Hall of Fame players. One day I want to play in the NBA. He’s coached at the highest level. I can learn a lot from him.” After six seasons of subpar play under former head coach Matt Doherty, the Mustangs have a newfound confidence which is showing up in the recruiting world. In the 2013 recruiting class, Brown landed five-star shooting guard Keith Frazier (#33 – 2013), another Dallas native. While Frazier is only averaging 5.9 points per game as a freshman, a backcourt of Mudiay and Frazier could develop into one of the top duos in the country next year. With only two seniors on the roster, the Mustangs are a relatively young team that should return its top scorers in Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy next season. SMU last made the NCAA Tournament way back in 1993, but that drought could be over very soon with its recent five-star recruits.

For now, Mudiay still has to finish his senior season. After transferring from Grace Prep (TX) as a sophomore, he has been playing all over the country in the top high school tournaments, having just finished the HoopHall Classic where he scored 20 points on four-star point guard and Gonzaga commitment Josh Perkins. In April, Mudiay will get to display his talents in front of assorted NBA scouts and general managers at the McDonald’s All-American game where DraftExpress currently ranks him as the #5 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. While his end goal is to play for pay, Mudiay will help put SMU on the map next year in college basketball.

Big Commitment for the MAAC

On Wednesday, St. Peter’s of the MAAC received a commitment from three-star point guard Elisha Boone of Brooklyn’s Lincoln High (NY). The 6’4” point guard is over-shadowed by two of his more infamous teammates in Isaiah Whitehead (#12 – 2014) and Desi Rodriguez, but make no mistake that the Peacocks gained a player who will contribute from Day 1. Over the summer Boone competed at the NBPA Top 100 camp and held his own against some of the top guards in the country. As a sophomore, Boone was one of New York’s top players at Bishop Laughlin playing with Rutgers commitment Mike Williams and three-star Seton Hall commitment Khadeen Carrington, but since transferred to the West Coast to play at Quest Prep in Las Vegas as a junior. Now playing on the talented Lincoln team, Boone has impressed at the various national tournaments, including The City of Palms in Florida, and most recently, the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts. Boone likes to push the pace and can finish explosively around the basket. “When I went on the visit to St. Peter’s, I developed a great relationship with all the coaches, and that opened the door and made me realize that their basketball system fits me,” he said. The Peacocks will return their two double-figure scorers next year and should improve significantly with Boone in its backcourt.

Sean Moran (79 Posts)


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