The
WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of hoops recruiting scoop! With the July evaluation periods over and UVa having locked up a transfer big man, the board is a lot clearer today than it has been in recent weeks and a potential upcoming decision could make it even more clear. We'll break down where things stand, where they are headed, and give you a feel for how the two spots Virginia has left might be filled. We'll get into a host of potential visitors and break down where the Wahoos are with each of them. It could be a crazy busy couple of months ahead and it's still full steam ahead.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Diakite watch begins in earnest
Now that UVa has gotten the commitment from Memphis transfer and former five-star forward
Austin Nichols, the recruiting picture becomes a lot clearer heading into the fall. At this point, the Cavaliers have two scholarships they can use and, with the July evaluation periods now wrapped up, the thinking remains that they'll go after one more big and one wing in this class.
In talking to sources this week, it's clear that UVa is prepared to go into the spring if need be but the staff would rather not. In fact, we got the sense that they'd be more likely to go after a 2017 recruit on the wing than to follow a kid into the spring or take a transfer. In the latter situation, it would have to be the right situation, like a kid who signed but a coaching change pushed him back on the market.
There doesn't seem to be any worry right now about UVa getting a big man for the early signing period and that's likely due to the overwhelming lead the Wahoos still have for four-star Rivals150 standout
Mamadi Diakite. With the final adidas event of the summer taking place this weekend in Long Beach, and with "the month" wrapping up, we've now entered the realistic timeframe for a decision. We've heard drips and drabs about a possible announcement during the event but nothing firm and nothing to worry about at this point. If and when we hear anything on that front, we'll post it.
Now, with Diakite's decision feeling more and more imminent, there's also the matter of when he could join the program and 2015 remains a possibility, according to sources. If the academic side of things gets straight in enough time, he could join the program soon. At this point, we still think the chances of that happening are slim but it's something both sides are still exploring (And before you ask, we already did: Our sources didn't have a firm answer on if Diakite would redshirt if he was able to join the program earlier).
The bottom line here is that Virginia is the runaway favorite right now to land Diakite, same as the Cavaliers were for Nichols. Our advice once again is to just let the process play out in its own time.
Traction with Gabriel
Not all news on the hoops recruiting front is good news and that's sort of where things are with four-star Rivals150 forward
Wenyen Gabriel. The 6-foot-9 Gabriel has had an incredible month, picking up offers from Kentucky, Duke, and a host of others over the course of the past few weeks. Suffice to say, his head is in the clouds. Previously, UVa had carved out a nice niche for the Wilbraham and Monson Academy standout. But that appears to no longer be the case, as sources say the Cavaliers are having a tough time getting his attention right now.
This is sort of the way it works when a player is bombarded with new and exciting interest. That's just the reality of recruiting. So the fact that Virginia doesn't have as much traction right now as it once did is concerning but it doesn't mean the door is completely shut. Whereas before it seemed like a lock that Gabriel would visit if the spot was available, we can't say that would necessarily be the case at this point. In talking to sources, we got the sense that UVa will continue to recruit him hard until Diakite's decision is made and then go from there.
Not done in the post?
Speaking of post players, we told you several weeks ago when talking about the potential for a commitment from Nichols that UVa would probably focus on the "more athletic, less traditional" bigs if and when that happened. And that's still the way we understand it...except for in the case of four-star Rivals150 big man
Tyler Cook. If you'll recall, he trimmed his list to six a couple of months ago (Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri, and UVa) and word we heard this week is that the Cavaliers aren't quite ready to stop recruiting him just yet.
Simply put, he's too good and the staff feels like they've put in too much work to not see it through. He's still looking to take an official visit, likely in September, and UVa is going to keep that set until there's a reason to cancel it, i.e. Diakite commits.
Wings are down to three
Just as has been the case for much of the summer, things on the wing are much less settled than they are in the post. At that spot, UVa is essentially down to three guys that the staff is really focused on. Word we've heard is that the Cavaliers have been in talks with all three about visiting. Needless to say, it's going to be a busy September.
Let's start with the one "new" name on the radar and that's four-star Pennsylvania small forward
DeAndre Hunter. We say "new" because he's the most recent offer but the reality is that he's a guy
Tony Bennett has kept his eye on all month. Assistant coach
Jason Williford first saw the 6-foot-7 Hunter in Atlanta earlier in July before Bennett saw him in Vegas last weekend and decided to make a push. And despite UVa's love for the other two wings, we got the sense that Hunter may be the top choice. Why? Because he can shoot it better than four-star Rivals150 small forward
Braxton Blackwell and is longer than Texas native
Andrew Jones. Hunter is a big wing who can score. He's not an elite athlete but he's a very good athlete and he just finds way to make plays. Right now, sources say the Cavaliers feel good about where things are with him and expect him to take an official visit.
Blackwell, meanwhile, is down to six schools (Alabama, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt, and UVa) and is also working on an official visit date. UVa's view of these wings is crazy close and truth be told the preferences might change day to day if not hour to hour. They love Blackwell's overall game. He does everything well except for shooting, which is where Hunter's skillset sort of pushes him to the top in our estimation. Regardless, the Cavaliers aren't easing up in their pursuit of Blackwell and he too is looking to visit.
As for Jones, word we've heard is that the original plan to take things into the spring isn't the plan any longer. With Texas and Arizona primed for an unofficial visit sometime early next month, there's a thought that he might not even make it to the fall to the official to UVa. Bennett has talked to the family about September and if the two sides last that long, we see that happening.
Outside of Bennett and Co. deciding to throw an offer down and really get into the mix with
Xavier Sneed (sources firmly believe an offer from Virginia would be a game changer there), it looks like the Cavaliers are set with the three wings listed above. And as we said if they strike out, they'll take the scholarship into the spring, see what they see, and likely keep it for 2017.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
