The
WAR ROOM is back and this edition is full of hoops recruiting scoop! After hosting an important transfer big man last weekend for an official visit, we'll break down how things look now coming out of his trip to UVa as well as another he's taken since then. We'll also tell you what to expect from his recruitment as things move forward, including a somewhat surprising visit he'll take this weekend. Speaking of visits, the Wahoos have to reschedule one they had planned for the next few days and we'll give you the information on that as well as tough on guard recruiting, both in this class and the one that follows. The Cavaliers have a lot of options but it's clear that one class will help inform what they look for in the next.
As always, what's said in the War Room, stays in the War Room. Let's go!
Latest on Chukwu
We'll start this week with where things stand with Providence transfer
Paschal Chukwu coming off his official visits to both Charlottesville and East Lansing.
According to our sources, Chukwu's visit to UVa was a very, very good one and the Wahoos, who felt pretty good about their chances before he arrived, felt even better about things once the visit concluded. And after his trip to Michigan State this week (UVa was really sweating that one, especially given the success MSU has had on the trail lately), word around the campfire is that the Cavaliers and Sparty will likely battle it out as they are seen as the top choices. That's not to say anyone should discount Nebraska or Syracuse, though. The Cornhuskers have some connections to those Chukwu trusts and that could play a factor in his ultimate decision. And late Thursday, word began to spread that he would take a visit to check out the Orange, which was a bit of surprise given where things seemed to be headed.
There's still plenty of buzz here about Virginia, though, and the Hoos appear to be well positioned. How well? We get the feeling they are likely a (very) slight favorite but the Cuse visit is obviously a big hurdle. The key will be in terms of the timeframe and given what we've heard from our sources this week, a decision from the talented 7-foot-2, 220-pound big man could come very soon, perhaps even in the next couple of days. We're not entirely sure how the Syracuse trip could impact that but our UVa sources were thinking it would get done sooner than later. It's pretty clear where things go once he makes his decision as Chukwu remains the first domino to fall this summer.
Rescheduling Cook's visit
Unrelated to Chulwu's visit and his pending decision is word that
Tony Bennett and his staff won't be able to bring in four-star power forward
Tyler Cook for his official visit this weekend as originally planned. Since the St. Louis (MO) Chaminade standout was invited to attend the Nike Skills Academy this weekend, he'll no longer be available to come out east, meaning the trip will obviously need to be rescheduled.
Now, we admit that sometimes when visits get moved like this there's a "real" reason, either on the part of the player or the school or sometimes even both. It's certainly happened in the past with UVa both in terms of prospects changing their priorities and the school changing its priorities. This time, though, we don't get any of those vibes. UVa has every intention of bringing him in. There has not been a weekend picked out for that, though, since July is such a big month both for players and for coaches. The dead period that begins on July 6 runs through the rest of the month. Clearly, it seems that by the time they're able to set up something with Cook they will know Chukwu's decision...and probably that of another four-star forward we've talked about a great deal over the last year or so.
Guarding recruiting taking shape
We thought we'd take a few minutes to talk about guard recruiting to wrap up this week's edition. We mentioned last week that UVa wants to add a wing in this class and that remains the case, according to our sources.
In 2016, we still get the vibe that the Cavaliers don't think they're too far out for
Markelle Fultz, who had a pretty strong performance at Top 100 Camp last week. We continue to hear that the staff has gotten good traction with him and that the feeling remains that he might not be looking for the "big" offers or bright lights some expected. That remains the one to watch as UVa moves forward next month during the evaluation periods. The staff will be watching a number of wings but he's the guy we feel like they want the most. And that might make a difference in his recruitment.
But guard recruiting extends beyond just which wing the Cavaliers are able to get in this class. And the play at Top 100 Camp of commits
Kyle Guy and
Ty Jerome gives the staff a lot of options; both showed they can play on and off the ball. If they get a wing in this class, they could be shored up for a while.
Now, anyone who has been around here for a while knows about
Matt Coleman and UVa definitely remains high on him. The Wahoos made that clear when Bennett was the first coach to reach out to him on June 15 when the unlimited contact period opened for 2017 recruits. In talking to sources, we still think Coleman is the top guy at the position on UVa's board in his class.
That's not to say there aren't others, as has been noted with UVa's interest and pursuit of
Alex Barcello and
Trae Young. In talking to sources this week following their respective times at Top 100 Camp and visits with the staff before heading out, we definitely got the vibe that UVa feels better about things with Barcello even if Young visited with
Michael Porter.
Barcello perhaps fits Bennett's style a little better than Young and it feels like right now that Young is the longest shot among the three. We won't be surprised to see Barcello take hold as the "other" guy at that position as things move forward. Young's interest in Duke seemed to be a sign and we're not sure how serious UVa will be in this one over the next handful of months.
The question, though, will be how the numbers and skillsets stack up should UVa get a wing in this class. There's no doubt in our minds that it's the goal and we don't see it changing. But recruiting is always about inventory: What do you need? If the Cavaliers get a guy like Fultz, what does that mean for the potential PG they are after in 2017? Barcello, for example, is probably a little bit more balanced in terms of his ability to play on and off the ball. Coleman, meanwhile, is really at his best at the 1. And inevitably, there will be new targets that emerge next month as the staff watches various tournaments and events. All of that is to say that none of this happens in a vacuum and it'll be important for 2017 how the Hoos close out 2016.
That is it for this week, and as always, what's said here, stays here!
