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 recruitment 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.
Five-star power forward Ivan Rabb has narrowed his five remaining college suitors. The versatile 6’10″ big man from the Bay Area announced last Friday that California, UCLA, Arizona, Kansas and Kentucky were the quintet of schools that would receive official visits. Two East Coast schools in Georgetown and North Carolina, both of which received unofficial visits last spring, were cut from consideration.
Who Is Ivan Rabb?
Ivan Rabb is a power forward with a 7’1.5” wing span that has been on the national radar from the time he began his high school career at Bishop O’ Dowd High School in Oakland, California. He spent his junior season as the No. 1 rated prospect in the Class of 2015 and now sits at the No. 5 spot overall. Rabb has won gold medals while playing with the USA U-16 and U-17 teams the past two summers and in the spring he led his prep team to the California state championship game where it lost to perennial California powerhouse Mater Dei and current Arizona freshman Stanley Johnson. With Johnson now in Tucson, Rabb’s top priority is bringing a state title back to Oakland.
Skill Set
A younger Chris Bosh. Rabb is a versatile and ambidextrous player who excels both inside and outside the paint. He can get up and down the floor and already has a reliable 12- to 15-foot jump shot. Rabb can also finish with both hands around the basket and is comfortable shooting over either shoulder.This past season on the AAU circuit, Rabb averaged a near double-double with 15.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Due to his still-skinny frame, Rabb can get pushed around down low at times by stronger defenders and can also go for stretches where he appears to lack a killer instinct.
Schools
- California – The Bears can play the local school card with Rabb. As soon as Cuonzo Martin was hired, he went to Bishop O’ Dowd almost immediately to meet with him. The Bears already have Jabari Bird, another five-star Bay Area recruit, on their roster, but getting Rabb to come to Berkeley would be a dream scenario for the new head coach. While the other four schools on Rabb’s list are national powers, expect Cal to stay in this race until the end.
- UCLA – Steve Alford has been on the job for just one year in Westwood, but he is trying very hard to reclaim the top California players that have dispersed elsewhere over the past few years. Alford spent a large chunk of time watching Rabb during the live recruiting periods over the spring and summer, and he also spent some time in Northern California watching Rabb’s high school games. The Bruins are thin down low this season, but they have two McDonald’s All-American big men in Kevon Looney and Thomas Welsh already on board. How Alford sells Rabb on his playing time will be key.
- Arizona – The presumed leader for Rabb’s services due to Sean Miller’s well-documented pipeline from the Oakland Soldiers AAU program. Players such as Nick Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Brandon Ashley, and now Stanley Johnson have all left California to play for the Wildcats. Miller has re-established Arizona as the premier basketball school on the West Coast and was the first to offer Rabb a scholarship. Right now Arizona has well-established big men in juniors Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski, both of whom were five-star recruits in 2012. If either has a stellar junior season, there is a strong chance that one or both could leave school next spring, but if they both stick around for their senior season will Rabb buck the trend?
- Kansas – Bill Self believes that he is the best coach in America when it comes to developing big men, and that is his likely pitch to the California native. Freshman power forward Cliff Alexander is a likely one-and-done candidate in Lawrence, meaning that the Jayhawks will be in need of another strong big man in the Class of 2015.
- Kentucky – It’s no secret that Lexington is the premier destination for five-star recruits. Two weeks ago John Calipari had his scouting combine on campus and followed that up with Big Blue Madness. Rabb took his official visit to Kentucky last weekend, where Calipari most likely assured him that there would be plenty of room for him also, given the team’s current surplus of big men talent. While Rabb didn’t see the bright lights and showmanship of Big Blue Madness, he got to experience the school as the primary recruiting target of the weekend.