Here is the Cal hoops breakdown going into July. I know some of you want to know who the main targets are. I'll have a Q&A portion for the breakdown going into August. I'll also make sure to start doing these at the very beginning of the month again.
2019 (1 commit in Charles Smith IV): The plan for 2019 at this time is to find another point guard and big man to pair with Charles Smith IV. The two point guards Cal is trying with right now are 4-stars Boogie Ellis and Kyle Sturdivant. It's hard to get a read on where Ellis is leaning, but Cal is making the point guard position a priority in that class, so that's why he's still in play. He's also a kid from Southern California.
As for Sturdivant, common sense does seem to indicate he'll stay close to home and commit to either Georgia or Georgia Tech, but he did include Cal in his Top 8, so they're hoping they can get him out on a visit and build some momentum from there.
As for big men targets in the 2019 class, the only recruits who I feel are expressing any sort of interest in Cal at this time is 4-star power forward Maxwell Lorca-Lloyd and Cornell grad transfer Stone Gettings, who aims to join whatever school he commits to in the winter of 2019. I would honestly be surprised if Cal landed either kid, but they both seem to have shown some interest. Click here for my latest interview with Lorca-Lloyd. Click here for my latest interview with Stone Gettings.
2019 5-star center Will Baker who was recently offered is a wish-upon-a-star recruit who Cal feels is a long shot to say the least. Cal is also not really trying with 5-star big man Kofi Cockburn. Tim O'Toole was the main coach that was on him.
I've been told Cal isn't really focusing on wings at this stage. 4-star wing Majok Deng listed Cal in his Top 12, but Cal doesn't really seem to be too high on him. Quinn Slazinski is the only wing type player I could still see them go after since he has the size and frame to play power forward in addition to small forward. Chris Walker also knows him and likes him a lot so there's that connection as well.
So as you can see, Cal has their work cut out for them in 2019. There's really nobody in that class who I feel they are in excellent position with. They're in the mix for a some guys, but they need to get to work to find that point guard and big man that they desire.
2020: In the 2020 class, there are several backcourt guys who I feel Cal is in good position to land. 4-star wing Ziaire Williams, 4-star point guard Dalen Terry, 4-star wing Jaylen Clark, 4-star shooting guard Nimari Burnett, and 4-star shooting guard Tramon Mark. I've interviewed all five of these guys within the last couple of months, so I have some fresh content on all of them.
Terry and Clark are Compton Magic guys with ties to David Grace, Tramon Mark is a Chris Walker recruit who they feel really good about. As for Burnett and Williams, they aren't really tied to one specific coach, but both seem to be expressing serious interest in the Cal program as well. I think out of all five of these guys, Cal could get any number of them. It'll really be a first come first serve type of team since they will want to make room for a big man in that class.
The only big man target in the 2020 class who Cal should feel optimistic about is 4-star power forward Isaiah Cottrell (who I recently interviewed). He's actually a kid I need to get an update on, but he seems to be expressing interest early on. What's all good for Cal (in a weird way) is his ranking dropped, so it's conceivable that some bigger name programs will cool on him a bit. Cal offered 3-star center Dishon Jackson out of Vallejo recently and I haven't yet gotten the chance to interview him. I've messaged him but no cigar so far. Given his proximity to home and being early in his recruitment, he's a guy who should be gettable.
After that, there's a bunch of 5-stars who Cal is trying with in Jalen Green, R.J. Hampton, Jalen Suggs, Josh Christopher, Greg Brown III, Julian Strawther, and Jaemyn Brakefield. Suggs and Brakefield were both recently offered. All of these recruits look like long shots at the moment, but I do know Cal is trying with all of them.
Quite honestly, it's too early to really write off anyone at this stage, though if there was one guy who I would feel comfortable writing off it would be R.J. Hampton. He's the only guy who appears to be narrowing things down and he's aiming for a blue blood program like Duke. Everyone else looks like a long shot, but given that they haven't started narrowing things down like Hampton has, they're worth monitoring. I will try to hit up these players when I return from my trip. I actually know Julian Strawther's AAU coach Anthony Brown pretty well so I think I'll start with him.
One recruit you might be wondering about is 4-star wing Johnny Juzang. Cal contacted him on the first day, but I get the sense he's going to be sticking around in Southern California. USC or UCLA. Cal is trying with him, though.
For 2021, there are three guys who are standing out early in Jaden Hardy, DaRon Holmes, Jr. and Keon Edwards. I haven't yet interviewed Edwards, but there's a Chris Walker connection which is always promising. I haven't yet interviewed JT Thor, I so I need to get to him before I can comment on that situation. As for the other 2021 offer, Jerrell Colbert, he's expected to blow up into a big time recruit, so he's a guy that will be tough for Cal to land. The only thing Cal has have going for them is they are one of the first programs to offer him.
Only one kid has been offered in 2022 in Dylan Anderson, a big man who draws comparisons to Kristaps Porzingis. He'll be a five star recruit for sure. David Grace is the main connection here as he has ties to the Arizona region. He looks like a long shot given what he's projected to become, but what does help Cal is they are one of the first programs to offer him a scholarship. If you want to land these big time prospects, you gotta offer early if you are a school like Cal.
If you have any more questions or comments, fire away.
2019 (1 commit in Charles Smith IV): The plan for 2019 at this time is to find another point guard and big man to pair with Charles Smith IV. The two point guards Cal is trying with right now are 4-stars Boogie Ellis and Kyle Sturdivant. It's hard to get a read on where Ellis is leaning, but Cal is making the point guard position a priority in that class, so that's why he's still in play. He's also a kid from Southern California.
As for Sturdivant, common sense does seem to indicate he'll stay close to home and commit to either Georgia or Georgia Tech, but he did include Cal in his Top 8, so they're hoping they can get him out on a visit and build some momentum from there.
As for big men targets in the 2019 class, the only recruits who I feel are expressing any sort of interest in Cal at this time is 4-star power forward Maxwell Lorca-Lloyd and Cornell grad transfer Stone Gettings, who aims to join whatever school he commits to in the winter of 2019. I would honestly be surprised if Cal landed either kid, but they both seem to have shown some interest. Click here for my latest interview with Lorca-Lloyd. Click here for my latest interview with Stone Gettings.
2019 5-star center Will Baker who was recently offered is a wish-upon-a-star recruit who Cal feels is a long shot to say the least. Cal is also not really trying with 5-star big man Kofi Cockburn. Tim O'Toole was the main coach that was on him.
I've been told Cal isn't really focusing on wings at this stage. 4-star wing Majok Deng listed Cal in his Top 12, but Cal doesn't really seem to be too high on him. Quinn Slazinski is the only wing type player I could still see them go after since he has the size and frame to play power forward in addition to small forward. Chris Walker also knows him and likes him a lot so there's that connection as well.
So as you can see, Cal has their work cut out for them in 2019. There's really nobody in that class who I feel they are in excellent position with. They're in the mix for a some guys, but they need to get to work to find that point guard and big man that they desire.
2020: In the 2020 class, there are several backcourt guys who I feel Cal is in good position to land. 4-star wing Ziaire Williams, 4-star point guard Dalen Terry, 4-star wing Jaylen Clark, 4-star shooting guard Nimari Burnett, and 4-star shooting guard Tramon Mark. I've interviewed all five of these guys within the last couple of months, so I have some fresh content on all of them.
Terry and Clark are Compton Magic guys with ties to David Grace, Tramon Mark is a Chris Walker recruit who they feel really good about. As for Burnett and Williams, they aren't really tied to one specific coach, but both seem to be expressing serious interest in the Cal program as well. I think out of all five of these guys, Cal could get any number of them. It'll really be a first come first serve type of team since they will want to make room for a big man in that class.
The only big man target in the 2020 class who Cal should feel optimistic about is 4-star power forward Isaiah Cottrell (who I recently interviewed). He's actually a kid I need to get an update on, but he seems to be expressing interest early on. What's all good for Cal (in a weird way) is his ranking dropped, so it's conceivable that some bigger name programs will cool on him a bit. Cal offered 3-star center Dishon Jackson out of Vallejo recently and I haven't yet gotten the chance to interview him. I've messaged him but no cigar so far. Given his proximity to home and being early in his recruitment, he's a guy who should be gettable.
After that, there's a bunch of 5-stars who Cal is trying with in Jalen Green, R.J. Hampton, Jalen Suggs, Josh Christopher, Greg Brown III, Julian Strawther, and Jaemyn Brakefield. Suggs and Brakefield were both recently offered. All of these recruits look like long shots at the moment, but I do know Cal is trying with all of them.
Quite honestly, it's too early to really write off anyone at this stage, though if there was one guy who I would feel comfortable writing off it would be R.J. Hampton. He's the only guy who appears to be narrowing things down and he's aiming for a blue blood program like Duke. Everyone else looks like a long shot, but given that they haven't started narrowing things down like Hampton has, they're worth monitoring. I will try to hit up these players when I return from my trip. I actually know Julian Strawther's AAU coach Anthony Brown pretty well so I think I'll start with him.
One recruit you might be wondering about is 4-star wing Johnny Juzang. Cal contacted him on the first day, but I get the sense he's going to be sticking around in Southern California. USC or UCLA. Cal is trying with him, though.
For 2021, there are three guys who are standing out early in Jaden Hardy, DaRon Holmes, Jr. and Keon Edwards. I haven't yet interviewed Edwards, but there's a Chris Walker connection which is always promising. I haven't yet interviewed JT Thor, I so I need to get to him before I can comment on that situation. As for the other 2021 offer, Jerrell Colbert, he's expected to blow up into a big time recruit, so he's a guy that will be tough for Cal to land. The only thing Cal has have going for them is they are one of the first programs to offer him.
Only one kid has been offered in 2022 in Dylan Anderson, a big man who draws comparisons to Kristaps Porzingis. He'll be a five star recruit for sure. David Grace is the main connection here as he has ties to the Arizona region. He looks like a long shot given what he's projected to become, but what does help Cal is they are one of the first programs to offer him a scholarship. If you want to land these big time prospects, you gotta offer early if you are a school like Cal.
If you have any more questions or comments, fire away.
