With it now being August, it is time for me to do a Cal hoops recruiting breakdown going into August. I will first reply to questions that have been asked by the board.
"When will the two scholarships free up? Sometime in the coming 12 months or 3 years from now?" -petalumabear.
To my knowledge, both Austin McCullough and Deschon Winston will transfer elsewhere within the next 12 months and I expect much much sooner than that. While neither has found a new home yet, I don't expect their scholarships to hinder Cal from adding two more guys in the 2019 class. I really wouldn't worry about that right now.
"Who does Cal feel good about?"-ayetee11
I could probably just end the breakdown with this question. The only guys in the 2019 class who they should feel any sort of optimism about are 4-star point guard Kyle Sturdivant and 3-star center Christian Koloko. Sturdivant because he did include Cal in his final 8 and Koloko because Cal is one of the first major programs to offer him (Arizona, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Cal are his only major offers).
However, Sturdivant seems likely to stay close to home, making Georgia and Georgia Tech the front runners. As for Koloko, he's a kid I hope to interview soon, but given that Cal offered early relative to other programs, it stands to reason they are in a good spot with him at the moment. It also helps that he's a California kid.
As for 2020, Cal feels really good about 4-star point guard Dalen Terry, 4-star power forward Isaiah Cottrell, 4-star shooting guard Nimari Burnett, 4-star shooting guard Jaylen Clark, 4-star shooting guard Tramon Mark, 4-star small forward Ziaire Williams, and 3-star center Dishon Jackson. Those are the guys in the 2020 class who Cal seems to feel good about.
2021 and beyond, both Jaden Hardy and DaRon Holmes, Jr. seem to be interested in what Cal has to offer though it's really too early to tell with anyone in that class.
"Chances with new offer Koloko?"-philbert0
(See above).
2019 class: Like I said above, the 2019 class should have Cal very concerned. They did secure the commitment of a preferred walk-on in Logan Alters to join Charles Smith IV, which is nice, but he doesn't really move the needle. At least not yet. Cal does want to add a point guard/playmaker as well as another big man in the 2019 class, but the odds of them doing so by the early signing period seem unlikely. The best case scenario is Sturdivant is more serious about Cal than he's been putting on and Koloko likewise finds Cal to be the right place for him. If Cal could add those two guys, the 2019 class would be rescued rather nicely.
If Cal can't get those guys, we could be looking at a situation where they don't add anyone else until the late signing period in the spring. It does look like last season's horrific record has made recruits hesitant about the program. The hope is that with an improved second year of the Wyking Jones era, recruits will see Cal as a program on the rise with the potential to get even better in year 3 and beyond.
2020 class: The 2020 class looks a lot more promising than the 2019 class. Dalen Terry and Jaylen Clark are both being recruited by David Grace thanks to his Compton Magic connections, Tramon Mark is a Chris Walker recruit cut out of the cloth of Darius McNeill, Jacobi Gordon, and Charles Smith IV, while Ziaire Williams and Nimari Burnett are two California guys who seem to like what Cal has to offer. In regards to Isaiah Cottrell, Cal offered him early and can promise heavy minutes in the front court if he commits. He seems to be interested in Cal as well. And as for Dishon Jackson, he's a local big man out of Vallejo. Cal should be able to remain in play for him all the way until the end. Especially since as of right now, he isn't too highly rated (#119 in the 2020 class).
If Cal has a bounce back season next year and builds on that momentum in the following season, the 2020 class could shape up to be really solid for Cal.
2021/2022: As I've said earlier, it's really too early to get a pulse on these classes, but so far, DaRon Holmes, Jr. and Jaden Hardy seem to be interested in what Cal has to offer based on my conversations with them.
"When will the two scholarships free up? Sometime in the coming 12 months or 3 years from now?" -petalumabear.
To my knowledge, both Austin McCullough and Deschon Winston will transfer elsewhere within the next 12 months and I expect much much sooner than that. While neither has found a new home yet, I don't expect their scholarships to hinder Cal from adding two more guys in the 2019 class. I really wouldn't worry about that right now.
"Who does Cal feel good about?"-ayetee11
I could probably just end the breakdown with this question. The only guys in the 2019 class who they should feel any sort of optimism about are 4-star point guard Kyle Sturdivant and 3-star center Christian Koloko. Sturdivant because he did include Cal in his final 8 and Koloko because Cal is one of the first major programs to offer him (Arizona, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Cal are his only major offers).
However, Sturdivant seems likely to stay close to home, making Georgia and Georgia Tech the front runners. As for Koloko, he's a kid I hope to interview soon, but given that Cal offered early relative to other programs, it stands to reason they are in a good spot with him at the moment. It also helps that he's a California kid.
As for 2020, Cal feels really good about 4-star point guard Dalen Terry, 4-star power forward Isaiah Cottrell, 4-star shooting guard Nimari Burnett, 4-star shooting guard Jaylen Clark, 4-star shooting guard Tramon Mark, 4-star small forward Ziaire Williams, and 3-star center Dishon Jackson. Those are the guys in the 2020 class who Cal seems to feel good about.
2021 and beyond, both Jaden Hardy and DaRon Holmes, Jr. seem to be interested in what Cal has to offer though it's really too early to tell with anyone in that class.
"Chances with new offer Koloko?"-philbert0
(See above).
2019 class: Like I said above, the 2019 class should have Cal very concerned. They did secure the commitment of a preferred walk-on in Logan Alters to join Charles Smith IV, which is nice, but he doesn't really move the needle. At least not yet. Cal does want to add a point guard/playmaker as well as another big man in the 2019 class, but the odds of them doing so by the early signing period seem unlikely. The best case scenario is Sturdivant is more serious about Cal than he's been putting on and Koloko likewise finds Cal to be the right place for him. If Cal could add those two guys, the 2019 class would be rescued rather nicely.
If Cal can't get those guys, we could be looking at a situation where they don't add anyone else until the late signing period in the spring. It does look like last season's horrific record has made recruits hesitant about the program. The hope is that with an improved second year of the Wyking Jones era, recruits will see Cal as a program on the rise with the potential to get even better in year 3 and beyond.
2020 class: The 2020 class looks a lot more promising than the 2019 class. Dalen Terry and Jaylen Clark are both being recruited by David Grace thanks to his Compton Magic connections, Tramon Mark is a Chris Walker recruit cut out of the cloth of Darius McNeill, Jacobi Gordon, and Charles Smith IV, while Ziaire Williams and Nimari Burnett are two California guys who seem to like what Cal has to offer. In regards to Isaiah Cottrell, Cal offered him early and can promise heavy minutes in the front court if he commits. He seems to be interested in Cal as well. And as for Dishon Jackson, he's a local big man out of Vallejo. Cal should be able to remain in play for him all the way until the end. Especially since as of right now, he isn't too highly rated (#119 in the 2020 class).
If Cal has a bounce back season next year and builds on that momentum in the following season, the 2020 class could shape up to be really solid for Cal.
2021/2022: As I've said earlier, it's really too early to get a pulse on these classes, but so far, DaRon Holmes, Jr. and Jaden Hardy seem to be interested in what Cal has to offer based on my conversations with them.
