Seven Sweet Scoops: Udoka Selects Kansas, Match-Up in SoCal, Stock Risers, & More
Posted by Sean Moran on January 29th, 2016
Seven Sweet Scoops is a weekly column by Sean Moran, the RTC recruiting guru. Once a week throughout the season 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. Monster Center Goes With Kansas
It’s par for the course when four-star center and future McDonald’s All-American Udoka Azubuike throws down a rim-rattling dunk. While his game can be loud, his recruitment was certainly quiet. On Thursday evening, the 6’10”, 270-pound center chose Kansas over UNC and Florida State on ESPNU. In a recruitment that was kept extremely close to the vest, neither college coaches nor recruiting experts knew where the Florida standout was headed. With the commitment, Azubuike becomes the second Jayhawk commit in the class of 2016 in addition to three-star forward Mitch Lightfoot and provides immediate depth in the front-court. Given his size, Azubuike is a load to handle down low and is a beast on the low blocks. He’s capable of ripping the rim down with two-hand dunks but is limited offensively outside of the paint. While playing for the top Nike AAU team this past season in the Georgia Stars, Udoka averaged 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
2. Big Time Match-Up In Southern California
A lot has been written this year about the Ball brothers and Chino Hills, the current No. 1 team in the country. On Saturday they will face a tough test against Bishop Montgomery (CA) who is currently the No. 2 ranked team in the state. The Chino Hills machine is a run-and-gun, offensive juggernaut that is led by Lonzo Ball, the No. 14 ranked player in the country and future UCLA Bruin. Along with Lonzo, his younger brother Li’Angelo is also headed to UCLA. Much different than his brother in body frame and playing style, Li’Angelo isn’t afraid to let it fly from deep and can also punish defenders down low with his tight end body. Bishop Montgomery is led by junior four-star guard Ethan Thompson, who is the brother of Oregon State guard Stephen Thompson Jr. Also, 6’4” sophomore shooting guard David Singleton is receiving a bevy or PAC-12 interest so far in his young career. While the gym will be packed for this match-up, fans will also be treated to a nice appetizer before with two highly touted sophomore. 6’8” Shareef O’Neal (yes, Shaq’s son) and 6’5” Jules Bernard suit up for Windward (CA) and will give fans a glimpse of the future in the state.
3. Josh Jackson Takes Kansas Official
Kansas recently played host to Josh Jackson, the No. 2 ranked recruit in the class of 2016. The Jayhakws have become accustomed to nabbing five-star players in the spring recruiting period including their two current freshmen in Cheick Diallo and Carlton Bragg in addition to former No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins. Jackson is a 6’7” wing that could wind up the darling of the 2016 class when it comes to NBA performance. His outside shooting is improving and he is also one of the most versatile and athletic wings in the country. Jackson currently plays at Prolfic Prep (CA), but is originally from Michigan. So far he’s taken one official visit to Arizona and is also strongly considering Michigan State and could also visit Maryland in the future.
4. Power wing Rawle Alkins Visiting Arizona
Five-star wing Rawle Alkins previously cut his recruiting list down to eight schools, but added Arizona to the mix at the end of December. Now, the New York native is checking out Tucson in addition to the Arizona-Oregon game as part of an unofficial visit. Alkins is a 6’4” guard with a powerful physique that allows him to overpower defenders on the offensive end. He’s currently playing his final year of high school at Word of God Academy (NC) after previously being in the New York spotlight at Christ the King. Alkins is currently ranked No. 20 in the country and is one of a handful of unsigned five-star recruits. He’s previously taken unofficial visits to local schools such as UNC and N.C. State along with St. John’s.
5. The Greak Freak’s Younger Brother
Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka the Greek Freak has made a name in the NBA for his monstrous wing span and versatile game. Well, the Greek star has a younger brother whose game is starting to expand. Kostas Antetokounmpo, a 6’11” wing is still improving, but college coaches have been paying attention and they are also showing strong interest in the Domincan (WI) four-star prospect. Iowa State has already offered after tracking Kostas during the Nike EYBL AAU circuit and Memphis, St. John’s, and Florida have shown strong interest as well. While the younger Greek Freak is not at the level of his older brother, coaches should certainly take potential into account in this evaluation and in that regard this is one underrated prospect.
6. 2017 Stock Riser: Brandon Randolph
The big name schools have usually come to check out Mohammed Bomba, the No. 5 ranked junior, or Cameron Reddish, the No. 7 ranked sophomore, but now junior guard Brandon Randolph is starting to get his due. All three players for Westtown School (PA) and the 6’6” Randolph has been upping his game throughout the high school season. He started the year off strong and showed an ability to knock down a three with ease and finish at the rim while at the City of Palms. The offers started to come in for Randolph with offers from schools such as Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. Now, Louisville has joined the mix with an offer this past Sunday. With the spring AAU season just around the corner it would be safe to say that the scholarship offers will continue to pour in for Randolph.
7. SMU Lands Aussie
6’10” forward Harry Froling verbally committed to SMU this past week. The promising prospect visited the United States from his native Australia along with Illinois, Arizona, and Colorado. Despite playing overseas, Froling is fairly well known in the U.S. after having played at the Adidas Nations camp this past summer as well as an AAU tournament in Vegas. Froling also participated in the U17 FIBA World Championships and will provide Larry Brown with a solid piece to the puzzle in order to stay at the top of the AAC.
