With the July live periods now over, the hoops recruiting calendar hits the reset button with a quiet period beginning August 1. The quiet period goes until September 8, after which a recruiting period goes from September 9 to November 5. Below is a breakdown of where Cal sits with each recruiting class going into this new recruiting cycle.
2018: At the moment, Cal has two scholarships available for 2018. With each of these remaining scholarships, Cal hopes to land both a power forward and a center with Kingsley Okoroh and Marcus Lee graduating in 2018.
Jordan Brown remains the top target. The general consensus among those in the recruiting world is that Cal is the frontrunner for Brown and after having a conversation with his dad, I agree. Wyking Jones is doing a great job of staying in contact with Jordan and his dad, continuing on the relationship that Cuonzo Martin started.
As far as who else the staff is after outside of Brown, they really appear to be focusing on Bryan Penn-Johnson, Andre Kelly, Tolu Jacobs Yaffa, Warren Washington, Amadou Sow, K.J. Hymes, Kenneth Nwuba, and Jaedon LeDee.
Out of all the guys in this batch, I feel Cal has the best chances with Amadou Sow, Jaedon LeDee, and Andre Kelly.
Cal can sell Sow on staying close to home and all that comes with that. Colorado appears to be the biggest threat at the moment since they offered earlier and are really showing him the love.
Jaedon LeDee has already visited Cal and really liked what he saw (Not as a recruit). There’s no reason to doubt Chris Walker’s recruiting chops after what we’ve seen this summer.
As for Andre Kelly, while he has been waiting for more offers to come through, such as Iowa State, Cal still has to feel confident they can land him. He really liked his visit and knows Jordan Brown from Team Arsenal. Similar to the situation with Sow, Cal can sell Kelly on staying close to home and also the academics.
As for whether or not Kelly is spurning Cal for bigger offers, I don’t see things that way. He really seemed to like his visit to Cal and all that it has to offer. I just think that he’s a guy that doesn’t want to commit to a school before he knows all of his possible options. Right now, his best options are Cal, Washington State, and Iowa State. While he isn’t a slam-dunk to Cal, Kelly is still a realistic option for Cal. Personally, I feel they are his best offer.
Ignas Brazdeikis and David McCormack have offers as well, but they don’t appear to be as prioritized as those seven guys. Brazdeikis because he’s being recruited as a stretch-four and that doesn’t appear to be a role he is likely to be open to. McCormack because of the stiff competition. Duke seems to be the heavy favorite. Click here for a more in-depth look at McCormack’s situation.
As far as James Akinjo is concerned, I know his name is being mentioned by other sites (including ones on Rivals) as a Cal target, but upon doing some more digging, it appears as though the only person linking Akinjo to Cal is Akinjo. Akinjo saying he wants to visit Cal doesn’t mean Cal still wants him. After offering Akinjo, Cal landed both Paris Austin and Darius McNeill. I have no reason to believe Cal is still looking to add him given the present scholarship situation.
As far as whether or not Cal would be open to freeing up a third scholarship, they already did this by parting ways with Brandon Chauca. At this point, I’m not going to talk about the possibility of specific guys getting the same treatment. I find that to be disrespectful to them and I don’t want to have any such rumors floating around. So long as two scholarships remain open, I’m going to operate under the premise that there are only two spots available for 2018. The time to talk about a third scholarship freeing up will be if such an occurrence happens. I will say that if a third scholarship were to be freed up, I think Cal would use it on a third big man.
At the moment, with two spots available, Cal is looking to add a 4 and a 5 to round out the 2018 class. Nothing has changed on that front.
In regards to a pecking order, I’ve been told that there is no pecking order. Cal just wants whoever wants to be at Cal the most. So, if Andre Kelly says, “Hey, I want to commit right now,” Cal would take him. The only guy who Cal would be saving a scholarship for is Jordan Brown. Everyone else is first come, first serve.
2018 Crystal Ball: If I’m making a prediction for 2018, I’m gonna say Cal lands Jordan Brown and Andre Kelly. Jordan has developed a strong relationship with the Cal program during the past couple of years and Wyking Jones is doing a great job of building on the momentum that Cuonzo Martin started with him.
As for Kelly, Cal still remains his best offer. They’re close to home and are the front-runners to land his Team Arsenal teammate Jordan Brown. I think if Brown commits and Kelly is undecided, Brown will be able to sway him to come to Cal. Likewise, I think if Kelly commits first, he’d help solidify Brown in coming. The two of them as a pair makes the most sense at this juncture.
If I had to pick a couple of dark horses, I would pick Bryan Penn-Johnson and Warren Washington. I was torn of which dark horse to pick, so I figured I would explain my rationale for both.
Bryan Penn-Johnson: If Jordan Brown commits before he does, Cal would suddenly look like a very attractive place for him to play. The presence of Matt Bradley at Wasatch Academy could be a factor as well.
Warren Washington: Utah is viewed as the front-runner, but if he were to go elsewhere, Cal would make the most sense. They’ve been on him for a while and he’s very familiar with the program. The fact that Rutgers just offered him is a possible indicator that he isn’t locked in to Utah like other people seem to think.
2019: At the moment, Cal is projected to have one scholarship available for 2019, after the departure of Don Coleman. However, there could be as much as three scholarships freed up if Paris Austin (redshirt junior) and Roman Davis (sophomore) graduate in 2019. Both are projected as of now to still be on scholarship, but both will be finishing their fourth years as NCAA student athletes in 2019. They’re getting a fifth year due to redshirting. It’s entirely possible that both guys play elsewhere for their fifth year as graduate transfers.
At the moment, everyone on the 2019 offers list is in play. If I had to pick three guys most likely to join Cal in 2019, I would pick Isaiah Mobley, Charles Smith IV, and Majok Deng. Both Smith and Deng have visited Cal and Mobley is one who plans to visit Cal in the near future. Those three pop out right now. De’Vion Harmon is another kid who has shown interest as well, saying he wants to visit.
The best player who Cal has offered in 2019 is 5-star power forward Armando Bacot, who plays for Team Loaded VA. Bacot is a high academic kid who would certainly value Cal’s academic pedigree. Click here for more details on his situation.
2020: It’s too early to talk scholarship count for 2020. The best prospects Cal has offered in 2020 are R.J. Hampton, Josh Christopher, and Greg Brown III. Hampton and Brown are both certain to get 5-star status and Christopher will be in the mix to be a 5-star as well.
While it is super early, I think Cal is already in a great position with Josh Christopher and Jabri Abdur-Rahim. Those two guys will be the ones who Cal really zeroes in on due to their potential and also their connections to the program. Hampton and Brown would be amazing additions, but the competition will be fierce to land them.
Women’s hoops: For 2018, Caitlin Bickle, Taylor Chavez, and Aquira DeCosta are the main targets right now. Bickle and DeCosta are expected to make fall decisions. I'm not sure on the specific timeline for Chavez. 2019 guard Lauren Fields was just offered as was 2021 guard Brooke Demetre. Those are the main names to be aware of on the women’s hoops end right now.
Closing thoughts: When looking at 2018, 2019, and 2020, what really stands out is how many scholarships Cal has locked up for the next four years. Cal has six freshmen on scholarship right now for the 2017-18 season. Those six freshmen won’t graduate until 2021 or 2022 pending on whether or not any of them redshirt. Wyking Jones is placing a lot of faith in these six freshmen to develop into a quality core.
Given the amount of scholarships that they eat up, they’d better deliver the goods over the next four years. Juhwan Harris-Dyson projects to be an absolute stud, as does Darius McNeill. Everyone else I feel needs to prove their worth.
2018: At the moment, Cal has two scholarships available for 2018. With each of these remaining scholarships, Cal hopes to land both a power forward and a center with Kingsley Okoroh and Marcus Lee graduating in 2018.
Jordan Brown remains the top target. The general consensus among those in the recruiting world is that Cal is the frontrunner for Brown and after having a conversation with his dad, I agree. Wyking Jones is doing a great job of staying in contact with Jordan and his dad, continuing on the relationship that Cuonzo Martin started.
As far as who else the staff is after outside of Brown, they really appear to be focusing on Bryan Penn-Johnson, Andre Kelly, Tolu Jacobs Yaffa, Warren Washington, Amadou Sow, K.J. Hymes, Kenneth Nwuba, and Jaedon LeDee.
Out of all the guys in this batch, I feel Cal has the best chances with Amadou Sow, Jaedon LeDee, and Andre Kelly.
Cal can sell Sow on staying close to home and all that comes with that. Colorado appears to be the biggest threat at the moment since they offered earlier and are really showing him the love.
Jaedon LeDee has already visited Cal and really liked what he saw (Not as a recruit). There’s no reason to doubt Chris Walker’s recruiting chops after what we’ve seen this summer.
As for Andre Kelly, while he has been waiting for more offers to come through, such as Iowa State, Cal still has to feel confident they can land him. He really liked his visit and knows Jordan Brown from Team Arsenal. Similar to the situation with Sow, Cal can sell Kelly on staying close to home and also the academics.
As for whether or not Kelly is spurning Cal for bigger offers, I don’t see things that way. He really seemed to like his visit to Cal and all that it has to offer. I just think that he’s a guy that doesn’t want to commit to a school before he knows all of his possible options. Right now, his best options are Cal, Washington State, and Iowa State. While he isn’t a slam-dunk to Cal, Kelly is still a realistic option for Cal. Personally, I feel they are his best offer.
Ignas Brazdeikis and David McCormack have offers as well, but they don’t appear to be as prioritized as those seven guys. Brazdeikis because he’s being recruited as a stretch-four and that doesn’t appear to be a role he is likely to be open to. McCormack because of the stiff competition. Duke seems to be the heavy favorite. Click here for a more in-depth look at McCormack’s situation.
As far as James Akinjo is concerned, I know his name is being mentioned by other sites (including ones on Rivals) as a Cal target, but upon doing some more digging, it appears as though the only person linking Akinjo to Cal is Akinjo. Akinjo saying he wants to visit Cal doesn’t mean Cal still wants him. After offering Akinjo, Cal landed both Paris Austin and Darius McNeill. I have no reason to believe Cal is still looking to add him given the present scholarship situation.
As far as whether or not Cal would be open to freeing up a third scholarship, they already did this by parting ways with Brandon Chauca. At this point, I’m not going to talk about the possibility of specific guys getting the same treatment. I find that to be disrespectful to them and I don’t want to have any such rumors floating around. So long as two scholarships remain open, I’m going to operate under the premise that there are only two spots available for 2018. The time to talk about a third scholarship freeing up will be if such an occurrence happens. I will say that if a third scholarship were to be freed up, I think Cal would use it on a third big man.
At the moment, with two spots available, Cal is looking to add a 4 and a 5 to round out the 2018 class. Nothing has changed on that front.
In regards to a pecking order, I’ve been told that there is no pecking order. Cal just wants whoever wants to be at Cal the most. So, if Andre Kelly says, “Hey, I want to commit right now,” Cal would take him. The only guy who Cal would be saving a scholarship for is Jordan Brown. Everyone else is first come, first serve.
2018 Crystal Ball: If I’m making a prediction for 2018, I’m gonna say Cal lands Jordan Brown and Andre Kelly. Jordan has developed a strong relationship with the Cal program during the past couple of years and Wyking Jones is doing a great job of building on the momentum that Cuonzo Martin started with him.
As for Kelly, Cal still remains his best offer. They’re close to home and are the front-runners to land his Team Arsenal teammate Jordan Brown. I think if Brown commits and Kelly is undecided, Brown will be able to sway him to come to Cal. Likewise, I think if Kelly commits first, he’d help solidify Brown in coming. The two of them as a pair makes the most sense at this juncture.
If I had to pick a couple of dark horses, I would pick Bryan Penn-Johnson and Warren Washington. I was torn of which dark horse to pick, so I figured I would explain my rationale for both.
Bryan Penn-Johnson: If Jordan Brown commits before he does, Cal would suddenly look like a very attractive place for him to play. The presence of Matt Bradley at Wasatch Academy could be a factor as well.
Warren Washington: Utah is viewed as the front-runner, but if he were to go elsewhere, Cal would make the most sense. They’ve been on him for a while and he’s very familiar with the program. The fact that Rutgers just offered him is a possible indicator that he isn’t locked in to Utah like other people seem to think.
2019: At the moment, Cal is projected to have one scholarship available for 2019, after the departure of Don Coleman. However, there could be as much as three scholarships freed up if Paris Austin (redshirt junior) and Roman Davis (sophomore) graduate in 2019. Both are projected as of now to still be on scholarship, but both will be finishing their fourth years as NCAA student athletes in 2019. They’re getting a fifth year due to redshirting. It’s entirely possible that both guys play elsewhere for their fifth year as graduate transfers.
At the moment, everyone on the 2019 offers list is in play. If I had to pick three guys most likely to join Cal in 2019, I would pick Isaiah Mobley, Charles Smith IV, and Majok Deng. Both Smith and Deng have visited Cal and Mobley is one who plans to visit Cal in the near future. Those three pop out right now. De’Vion Harmon is another kid who has shown interest as well, saying he wants to visit.
The best player who Cal has offered in 2019 is 5-star power forward Armando Bacot, who plays for Team Loaded VA. Bacot is a high academic kid who would certainly value Cal’s academic pedigree. Click here for more details on his situation.
2020: It’s too early to talk scholarship count for 2020. The best prospects Cal has offered in 2020 are R.J. Hampton, Josh Christopher, and Greg Brown III. Hampton and Brown are both certain to get 5-star status and Christopher will be in the mix to be a 5-star as well.
While it is super early, I think Cal is already in a great position with Josh Christopher and Jabri Abdur-Rahim. Those two guys will be the ones who Cal really zeroes in on due to their potential and also their connections to the program. Hampton and Brown would be amazing additions, but the competition will be fierce to land them.
Women’s hoops: For 2018, Caitlin Bickle, Taylor Chavez, and Aquira DeCosta are the main targets right now. Bickle and DeCosta are expected to make fall decisions. I'm not sure on the specific timeline for Chavez. 2019 guard Lauren Fields was just offered as was 2021 guard Brooke Demetre. Those are the main names to be aware of on the women’s hoops end right now.
Closing thoughts: When looking at 2018, 2019, and 2020, what really stands out is how many scholarships Cal has locked up for the next four years. Cal has six freshmen on scholarship right now for the 2017-18 season. Those six freshmen won’t graduate until 2021 or 2022 pending on whether or not any of them redshirt. Wyking Jones is placing a lot of faith in these six freshmen to develop into a quality core.
Given the amount of scholarships that they eat up, they’d better deliver the goods over the next four years. Juhwan Harris-Dyson projects to be an absolute stud, as does Darius McNeill. Everyone else I feel needs to prove their worth.
