Rivals updated their MBB Top 150 yesterday, and there are a few names of Gamecock note in it.
3 Recruits who have included us in their final lists:
#112: Ryan Dunn (previous ranking: UR) - fast rising 6-6 SF from NY, most known for his shooting, who has us in his top 8 teams. He’s had a close relationship with Chuck Martin for a while, and he seems genuinely interested in coming here. Probably our biggest competition to get him are Virginia and Maryland.
#122: Josh Reed (previous ranking: 89) - all-around scorer who has been on our radar for a while, the 6-7 SF from GA put us into his top 5 this week. A website of one of the other finalists, BC, has stated that they think that they and Northwestern are out front for him. That may be wishful thinking, who knows. I know that we are by far the closest team to him, and that his current PG teammate is from Blythewood and is high on our coach’s list for 2024, so we definitely have an in.
#145: Elijah Saunders (previous ranking: UR) - a 6-8 PF from AZ who put us into his top 4 a few weeks back. Known mostly as a guy who can play physical but can step out and shoot from long range, we might not be close to his home, but neither are any of his other finalists. And any time you make it to a player’s top 4, you feel you’re in a good position.
Other Recruits to keep an eye on:
#61: Dominick Barlow (previous ranking: UR) - This quick-rising 6-8 SF out of NJ is likely not done rising in the rankings. He’s got athleticism and skill that makes him a threat from the wing, but enough size to play on the post if needed. Lots of teams are jumping on him right now, like Kansas and Illinois, and others, like Pitt, are strongly in the mix, and he’ll probably garner more interest. But he’s has gone out of his way to speak very highly of our program, including mentioning that our Final Four run, playing in his backyard at MSG, is his first real memory of being interested in college basketball, as well as his mutual interest in tough defense.
#63: Ven-Allen Lubin (previous ranking: 119) - at 6-7, this young man from FL is listed as a PF, but is more of a PF/SF combo. When we offered him in mid-July, we were among his first offerings. Since then, three things have happened: he’s received a slew of other offers, news on him has gone virtually silent, and he’s shot up the rankings. Don’t know where we stand with him, but it doesn’t seem like anyone else does either. Everyone, it seems, is playing catch up to Alabama and Florida who offered him super early, but it’s really hard to tell.
#108: Jalen Reed (previous ranking: UR) - at 6-10 and still growing, this PF who just transferred from Oak Hill in VA to another school in CA, and who has been offered by his father’s alma mater, Ole Miss, since he was 15, is a matchup nightmare with athleticism to go with newly developed size. We were one of many to offer recently, and it at least sounds like he’s listening.
#150: Christ Essandoko (previous ranking: UR) - a 7-0 C out of NC by way of France, we just offered him last week as he was here at our camp. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Frank Martin offers a big man who’s left his foreign country home to hone his big man skills in the US (Chetkevicius, Kacinas, Silva, Kotsar, Haase, Frink, Leveque). He’s starting to garner a lot of love, but it’s undeniable that Frank has a way with guys in his situation.
Of note: Our only 2022 commit, 6-8 PG from Denmark, SC, Zachary Davis, did not quite make it into the top 150 this time. And we are obviously recruiting others from outside this list. 6-8 PF Perry Smith from North Augusta by way of Legacy Early in Greenville, who has us in his top 10, also is outside the top 150 in this update. https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2022
3 Recruits who have included us in their final lists:
#112: Ryan Dunn (previous ranking: UR) - fast rising 6-6 SF from NY, most known for his shooting, who has us in his top 8 teams. He’s had a close relationship with Chuck Martin for a while, and he seems genuinely interested in coming here. Probably our biggest competition to get him are Virginia and Maryland.
#122: Josh Reed (previous ranking: 89) - all-around scorer who has been on our radar for a while, the 6-7 SF from GA put us into his top 5 this week. A website of one of the other finalists, BC, has stated that they think that they and Northwestern are out front for him. That may be wishful thinking, who knows. I know that we are by far the closest team to him, and that his current PG teammate is from Blythewood and is high on our coach’s list for 2024, so we definitely have an in.
#145: Elijah Saunders (previous ranking: UR) - a 6-8 PF from AZ who put us into his top 4 a few weeks back. Known mostly as a guy who can play physical but can step out and shoot from long range, we might not be close to his home, but neither are any of his other finalists. And any time you make it to a player’s top 4, you feel you’re in a good position.
Other Recruits to keep an eye on:
#61: Dominick Barlow (previous ranking: UR) - This quick-rising 6-8 SF out of NJ is likely not done rising in the rankings. He’s got athleticism and skill that makes him a threat from the wing, but enough size to play on the post if needed. Lots of teams are jumping on him right now, like Kansas and Illinois, and others, like Pitt, are strongly in the mix, and he’ll probably garner more interest. But he’s has gone out of his way to speak very highly of our program, including mentioning that our Final Four run, playing in his backyard at MSG, is his first real memory of being interested in college basketball, as well as his mutual interest in tough defense.
#63: Ven-Allen Lubin (previous ranking: 119) - at 6-7, this young man from FL is listed as a PF, but is more of a PF/SF combo. When we offered him in mid-July, we were among his first offerings. Since then, three things have happened: he’s received a slew of other offers, news on him has gone virtually silent, and he’s shot up the rankings. Don’t know where we stand with him, but it doesn’t seem like anyone else does either. Everyone, it seems, is playing catch up to Alabama and Florida who offered him super early, but it’s really hard to tell.
#108: Jalen Reed (previous ranking: UR) - at 6-10 and still growing, this PF who just transferred from Oak Hill in VA to another school in CA, and who has been offered by his father’s alma mater, Ole Miss, since he was 15, is a matchup nightmare with athleticism to go with newly developed size. We were one of many to offer recently, and it at least sounds like he’s listening.
#150: Christ Essandoko (previous ranking: UR) - a 7-0 C out of NC by way of France, we just offered him last week as he was here at our camp. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Frank Martin offers a big man who’s left his foreign country home to hone his big man skills in the US (Chetkevicius, Kacinas, Silva, Kotsar, Haase, Frink, Leveque). He’s starting to garner a lot of love, but it’s undeniable that Frank has a way with guys in his situation.
Of note: Our only 2022 commit, 6-8 PG from Denmark, SC, Zachary Davis, did not quite make it into the top 150 this time. And we are obviously recruiting others from outside this list. 6-8 PF Perry Smith from North Augusta by way of Legacy Early in Greenville, who has us in his top 10, also is outside the top 150 in this update. https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2022
Last edited:
