Who’s Got Next? HoopHall Preview, Kobi Simmons & Rechon Black Make Decisions
Posted by Sean Moran on January 18th, 2016
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.
The final day of the famed HoopHall Classic takes place today with ESPNU giving college basketball fans a chance to get a head start on watching some of the top freshmen in the 2016-17 season. Here is a primer on 5 players to watch:
Jayson Tatum (11am) – Tatum is a 6’7” wing headed to Duke and has been one of the top players in his class (#3 overall) from the time he entered high school at Chaminade (MO). The future Blue Devil has the most advanced offensive game in the class of 2016 and likes to show off his Kobe Bryant fade-away.
Markelle Fultz (11am) – As a sophomore, the 6’4” Fultz was playing junior varsity for DeMatha. Now, he is the #7 prospect in the country and will head across the country to play at Washington next season. Fultz is a combo guard that can score in unorthodox ways. He excels at getting to the basket off the pick and roll and is a strong 3-point shooter.
Lonzo Ball (5pm) – The oldest of the Ball brothers is the best passer in high school and is the quarterback of Chino Hills, the top team in the country. The future UCLA Bruin is a 6’5” point guard that can hit pin-point three-quarter court passes and also knock down a three from the NBA three point line. Chino Hills is one of the most entertaining teams to watch as well.
Edrice (Bam) Adebayo (5pm) – Adebayo is a man amongst boys at the high school level. The 6’9” mini Dwight Howard will take his powerful game to Kentucky next season. He will rip the rim down on one end and patrol the paint on the other. With fast-twitch muscle fibers all over, Adebayo is extremely explosive and is improving his offensive game outside of the paint.
Malik Monk (9am) – Another future Kentucky Wildcat is Malik Monk who plays in the first game of the morning. Monk is a 6’4” explosive guard who is ranked #6 in the country. He is capable of putting 30 points up in a hurry and is one of the top high flyers in his class.
Arizona Lands Five-Star Point Guard
Arizona stands 3-2 in PAC-12 play and a big reason for their two losses is the lack of a true point guard to lead the way after two years of TJ McConnell at the helm. The Wildcats won’t have to worry about this issue next year with the arrival of 6’5” point guard Kobi Simmons who announced his college destination this past Saturday night while at the HoopHall Classic (a game in which he went for 34 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists). The #18 prospect in the country committed to Arizona despite never taking a visit there. “It’s not like a school like North Dakota or something, where you have to go see if you’ll like it,” Simmons said. “It’s out there. I will be going out there right after I commit. That’s not really a big factor, I just know that’s where I need to be.” Simmons originally had a final three of Ohio State, Kentucky, and UNLV, but he recently removed UNLV from consideration after Dave Rice was fired and added Arizona to the mix. Simmons hails from Georgia and fills an immediate need. While the Wildcats are a fairly slow team (#186 in KenPom’s adjusted tempo rankings), their tempo will increase with Simmons pushing the ball up the court. At 6’5”, Simmons is the tallest of the 2016 point guards (along with Lonzo Ball) and is a deft ball-handler with the ability to finish at the rim and knock in a deep three. Simmons is the second member of the 2016 Arizona recruiting class and will be paired with Lauri Markkanen, a 6’11” forward from Finland who is projected as the #21 draft pick in 2017 by DraftExpress. The Wildcats are also in the mix for five-star Josh Jackson and recently were added to five-star Rawle Alkins’ list of schools.
Rechon Black: Future Tar Heel
Rechon “Leaky” Black is only half-way through his sophomore season of high school, but the 6’6” guard already knew where he wanted to attend college. After his game on Friday night, the Concord (NC) star announced that he was committing to the in-state Tar Heels. This marks the first commitment in the class of 2018 for UNC and also shows how invested Roy Williams is in keeping the in-state pipeline open. The top North Carolina product in the 2015 class was Brandon Ingram and he chose Duke over the Tar Heels despite a four-year UNC recruitment and in the 2016 class, Dennis Smith and Edrice Adebayo signed with N.C. State and Kentucky, respectively. Black burst on the scene this past summer as a growth spurt propelled him three inches from his 6’3” freshman frame and he picked up his first scholarship offer from UNC Charlotte after a team camp. UNC started to show strong interest in Black starting in the fall and a scholarship offer was extended in early December. There is a plethora of young talent in the state of North Carolina with UNC winning the first battle.
