Seven Sweet Scoops is a weekly column by Sean Moran, the RTC recruiting guru. Once a week he will bring you seven notes from the high-stakes world of college basketball recruiting. 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.
1. Tyler Dorsey – Getting His Groove Back
It wasn’t that long ago when senior guard Tyler Dorsey was a top 10 player in his class and among the players considered as the top shooting guard in the Class of 2015. In a quick fall from grace last spring, however, Dorsey tumbled, losing his five-star status and subsequently de-committing from Arizona. The Southern California native kept working on his game, though, and now he is putting together a dominant stretch of play at Marantha (CA) High as the No. 40 ranked player in the country. He recently contributed a 36-point, 16-rebound performance after posting consecutive 40-point games, and in one of those contests, representatives from Cal in attendance included head coach Cuonzo Martin and two of his assistants. In Martin’s first year in Berkeley he is not playing second fiddle to anyone in the Pac-12, going after two of the top players in the state in Dorsey and local five-star prospect Ivan Rabb. In addition to Cal, Dorsey took fall visits to Colorado, Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona State.
2. Big Weekend In Chapel Hill
After dropping a home game last weekend to Notre Dame, the Tar Heels have another big game coming up on Saturday against Louisville. UNC upset the heavily-favored Cardinals last year, but this year a loss would drop them to 1-2 in the ACC standings. The stakes are a even higher with the Tar Heels hosting the No. 1 player in the country, small forward Jaylen Brown, on an official visit in addition to a plethora of other talented players. Brown took official visits to Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA in the fall, and the Georgia native has taken unofficial visits to Georgia and Georgia Tech as well. In addition to Brown, UNC brings four-star small forward Brandon Ingram, five-star juniors Harry Giles and Dennis Smith and sophomore point guard Matt Coleman and Luke Maye (2015 commitment) to campus. The Heels would do well to create a raucous environment in the Dean Dome this weekend.
3. Marvin Bagley III Drawing Rave Reviews
Marvin Bagley III hasn’t even played a full high school season, but the Arizona Central is already touting him as the best prep player in the Phoenix area. The freshman phenom plays for Arizona powerhouse Corona del Sol, but despite his young age, Bagley III already stands 6’10” and is creating buzz in the Valley of the Sun. In the fall he showcased his skills at the USA Developmental Camp in Colorado Springs and recently notched 20 points and five rebounds in a game against Sierra Canyon (CA), one of the top teams in the Golden State. He still has three-plus years to go before college, but schools such as UConn, Arizona, and Arizona State are already lining up to recruit the Dermarr Johnson clone.
4. Malik Newman’s Visits
Recently, Malik Newman (No. 11 – 2015) noted that he would take an official visit to Ohio State in late January. In addition to visiting Columbus, the five-star shooting guard plans to check out N.C. State, Kentucky, and Kansas. Newman starred for the USA U-17 team last summer, averaging a team high 14.9 points per game and setting in motion the rumor mill involving a package deal with five-star center Diamond Stone. While the package deal talks have slowed in the intervening months, recruiting rumors about Newman’s destination will certainly continue throughout the spring. The top scoring guard has his pick of suitors, but it doesn’t look like he will make a decision anytime soon.
5. This Week’s Hotspot? Paducah, Kentucky
Seemingly every week features another high school tournament with a ridiculous amount of top-ranked talent. Paducah is this week’s event of choice, as the western Kentucky town plays host to the second annual Mustang Madness, featuring two Kentucky recruits in five-star forward Skal Labissiere and four-star wing Charles Matthews. Other players involved include five-star juniors Thon Maker, Terrance Ferguson, and Josh Jackson. This is quite the draw considering that next week acts as essentially the high school version of the Super Bowl with Massachusetts’ annual HoopHall tournament.
6. The Sideshow: Renathan Ona Embo
When Balboa City (CA) steps on the court this season, the main attraction is always DeAndre Ayton. And why not? Ayton is the top-ranked sophomore in the country and the 6’9” forward might just have the most potential in all of high school basketball right now. While Ayton is the team’s star, sophomore guard Renathan Ona Embo is one heck of a supporting actor. The 6’4” guard has the build of Russell Westbrook and, like the Thunder’s star, loves to attack the basket. He raised some eyebrows with his performance at the City of Palms tournament in December and then exploded right after Christmas. The Pac-12 has taken notice of the French native and schools such as UCLA, USC, Arizona and California are showing strong interest in the team’s second banana.
7. Is Aaron Holiday the Most Important Recruit in 2015?
With his brothers Jrue and Justin both already in the NBA, Aaron Holiday has great pedigree. He is currently ranked as the No. 36 player in the senior class, but the third in line just might be one of the most important recruits in his class. Despite UCLA’s double-overtime win against Stanford on Thursday night, it has not been an ideal second season for head coach Steve Alford in Westwood. Without a true point guard to run the show, the Bruins have struggled with embarrassing losses to Kentucky and Utah while ranking 123rd in offensive efficiency. Enter the point guard Holiday, who will be expected to take the reins for the uptempo Bruins to attack the basket but also create easy opportunities for his talented but enigmatic teammates. UCLA needs a point guard in the worst kind of way, and Aaron Holiday will arrive in Westwood at just the right time.