I spent the weekend in SoCal checking out the Nike and Under Armour circuits. There is more talent on the Nike side but there are some really good Under Armour players as well and Arizona has offers out to a bunch of recruits on both circuits. Here is a rundown of who I watched this weekend and who left me impressed and who didn't. Keep in mind this is a small sample size and at most I was able to watch these recruits for two games so it's not perfect. For that reason I'll have a third category of recruits I want to see more of.
Who impressed
Marvin Bagley - "Oh really the No. 1 prospect in the country impressed you?" ... Yes, yes he did. Bagely is playing on a terrible team, but he finally was able to get the team a couple wins over the weekend behind some strong performances. It wasn't the best we've seen Bagley play, but even when there's times he looks closer to the pack in terms of his talent he does something nobody else in high school can do. He had a few of those moments Saturday and he's just fun to watch play. Bagley isn't saying much about his recruitment right now, but Arizona is in the mix.
Taeshon Cherry - The four-star wing continues to look better each time we watch him play. I have had an eye on him for quite some time and I have been able to see the progress with his game over the last few years. The nice thing about the 2018 wing is if some part of his game isn't working he still plays at about 100 MPH and will always give 100 percent effort on both ends. He is a frustrating player for others to play against because he relentless with his in-your-face style of play. He can shoot it and he can pass and he has shown an increasing ability to handle the ball. He's only getting better and is turning into quite the prospect. Arizona was about the fourth school mentioned when he was asked about his recruitment this weekend, but the Wildcats are right in there. He said he has the best relationship with Texas A&M but he's also being pulled in different directions by his friends namely Oregon commit Miles Norris and Arizona commit Shareef O'Neal. He said he is taking the things they tell him into account and it will play a part in his recruitment.
Cam Reddish - The Pennsylvania-based recruit is a star and he's going to be one in college. He has great size for a wing and he isn't afraid to mix it up and use that size to his advantage. He had some posterizing dunks when we watched him, but he is confident enough to step outside and knock down 3-pointers. He still needs to tighten up his ball handling some more but he is athletic and has an aggressiveness about his game that you like to see. Arizona is on his short list, but Duke continues to get the buzz for the top-five prospect.
Simi Shittu - It was my first time seeing the versatile Canadian in person and I was impressed. He's so fluid for being as big as he is and he can do a variety of things. He was taking numerous players off the dribble when we watched him and he has the type of game that a coach can plug him into any position and he should be able to get it done whether that means playing around the basket or stepping out and playing more on the perimeter. The 6-foot-9 power forward is ultra aggressive and plays hard and with a toughness. He said Arizona has kept in contact with him here and there, but he is a long way from making any decision. Shittu is friends with Emmanuel Akot and he said he plans on keeping in touch with the incoming UA freshman to get a feel for the Wildcats since both have similar games.
Shareef O'Neal - He wasn't perfect and there weren't too many jaw-dropping moments from the Arizona commit, but his game is really starting to come into form now. There is a fluidity to his game that is really easy to appreciate and it's not something that can be taught. It's a natural gift and I can bet you can guess where that came from. O'Neal continues to try and evolve his game and he has even worked in some more back-the-basket elements like his pops. There are still some ill-advised shots and trying to make too much happen at times, but his game has certainly come a long way and his versatility continues to be what stands out. Arizona got a good one with O'Neal who is only getting better and still has plenty of room to develop.
Tre Jones - There's not a whole lot to say about the standout point guard other than that he is solid and what more could you want at that position? There's no panic in him and there is a smoothness about his game that is fun to watch. Jones is certainly more of what you think of at the point guard position. He knows his main job is to facilitate and run the the show. He's quick off the dribble and has an understated toughness about him as well. You're not getting a lot of flare with his game, but there doesn't need to be. He would be a great option for Arizona in this class, but all signs still point to Duke eventually being the spot for the five-star point guard.
Devon Dotson - The prospect I may have been most impressed with over the weekend was Team Charlotte's standout point guard. Dotson just recently picked up his offer from Arizona so it was my first time to see him in action and he certainly left me impressed. He has great pacing when he plays and it leads to some really strong takes to the basket. That is the standout part of his game right now and there is not much stopping him when he gets a head of steam. He has found a way to balance toughness and physicality with being crafty as well. He is more of the scoring-minded point guard mold but he isn't someone I would qualify as a combo guard just more of the new-age point guard who will do plenty of his own scoring. He plans on cutting his list as soon as this week, so we'll see where Arizona lands at that point but as of now he said he doesn't know a ton about the Wildcats and it's one of the schools he's less familiar with right now. Kanas is the favorite right now and he certainly has the game of a KU type of point guard, but we'll see how this thing plays out.
Jahvon Quinerly - The New Jersey-based point guard is someone who has gained a ton of buzz this spring and he made no secret about his desire to be the top point guard in the class - a class filled with talent at the position. We were only able to see one game of his this weekend, but he was certainly impressive when his coaches let him play his game. There were times they took the ball out of his hand and put him out on the wing, but when he was able to run the show things ran much more smoothly. He has some explosive qualities but he also plays under control and has very good body control. There is very much a controlled chaos element to his game where he does things quickly but without making too many mistakes or getting out of the game plan. Like Dotson he has found a nice balance between being a facilitator and scorer.
Who impressed
Marvin Bagley - "Oh really the No. 1 prospect in the country impressed you?" ... Yes, yes he did. Bagely is playing on a terrible team, but he finally was able to get the team a couple wins over the weekend behind some strong performances. It wasn't the best we've seen Bagley play, but even when there's times he looks closer to the pack in terms of his talent he does something nobody else in high school can do. He had a few of those moments Saturday and he's just fun to watch play. Bagley isn't saying much about his recruitment right now, but Arizona is in the mix.
Taeshon Cherry - The four-star wing continues to look better each time we watch him play. I have had an eye on him for quite some time and I have been able to see the progress with his game over the last few years. The nice thing about the 2018 wing is if some part of his game isn't working he still plays at about 100 MPH and will always give 100 percent effort on both ends. He is a frustrating player for others to play against because he relentless with his in-your-face style of play. He can shoot it and he can pass and he has shown an increasing ability to handle the ball. He's only getting better and is turning into quite the prospect. Arizona was about the fourth school mentioned when he was asked about his recruitment this weekend, but the Wildcats are right in there. He said he has the best relationship with Texas A&M but he's also being pulled in different directions by his friends namely Oregon commit Miles Norris and Arizona commit Shareef O'Neal. He said he is taking the things they tell him into account and it will play a part in his recruitment.
Cam Reddish - The Pennsylvania-based recruit is a star and he's going to be one in college. He has great size for a wing and he isn't afraid to mix it up and use that size to his advantage. He had some posterizing dunks when we watched him, but he is confident enough to step outside and knock down 3-pointers. He still needs to tighten up his ball handling some more but he is athletic and has an aggressiveness about his game that you like to see. Arizona is on his short list, but Duke continues to get the buzz for the top-five prospect.
Simi Shittu - It was my first time seeing the versatile Canadian in person and I was impressed. He's so fluid for being as big as he is and he can do a variety of things. He was taking numerous players off the dribble when we watched him and he has the type of game that a coach can plug him into any position and he should be able to get it done whether that means playing around the basket or stepping out and playing more on the perimeter. The 6-foot-9 power forward is ultra aggressive and plays hard and with a toughness. He said Arizona has kept in contact with him here and there, but he is a long way from making any decision. Shittu is friends with Emmanuel Akot and he said he plans on keeping in touch with the incoming UA freshman to get a feel for the Wildcats since both have similar games.
Shareef O'Neal - He wasn't perfect and there weren't too many jaw-dropping moments from the Arizona commit, but his game is really starting to come into form now. There is a fluidity to his game that is really easy to appreciate and it's not something that can be taught. It's a natural gift and I can bet you can guess where that came from. O'Neal continues to try and evolve his game and he has even worked in some more back-the-basket elements like his pops. There are still some ill-advised shots and trying to make too much happen at times, but his game has certainly come a long way and his versatility continues to be what stands out. Arizona got a good one with O'Neal who is only getting better and still has plenty of room to develop.
Tre Jones - There's not a whole lot to say about the standout point guard other than that he is solid and what more could you want at that position? There's no panic in him and there is a smoothness about his game that is fun to watch. Jones is certainly more of what you think of at the point guard position. He knows his main job is to facilitate and run the the show. He's quick off the dribble and has an understated toughness about him as well. You're not getting a lot of flare with his game, but there doesn't need to be. He would be a great option for Arizona in this class, but all signs still point to Duke eventually being the spot for the five-star point guard.
Devon Dotson - The prospect I may have been most impressed with over the weekend was Team Charlotte's standout point guard. Dotson just recently picked up his offer from Arizona so it was my first time to see him in action and he certainly left me impressed. He has great pacing when he plays and it leads to some really strong takes to the basket. That is the standout part of his game right now and there is not much stopping him when he gets a head of steam. He has found a way to balance toughness and physicality with being crafty as well. He is more of the scoring-minded point guard mold but he isn't someone I would qualify as a combo guard just more of the new-age point guard who will do plenty of his own scoring. He plans on cutting his list as soon as this week, so we'll see where Arizona lands at that point but as of now he said he doesn't know a ton about the Wildcats and it's one of the schools he's less familiar with right now. Kanas is the favorite right now and he certainly has the game of a KU type of point guard, but we'll see how this thing plays out.
Jahvon Quinerly - The New Jersey-based point guard is someone who has gained a ton of buzz this spring and he made no secret about his desire to be the top point guard in the class - a class filled with talent at the position. We were only able to see one game of his this weekend, but he was certainly impressive when his coaches let him play his game. There were times they took the ball out of his hand and put him out on the wing, but when he was able to run the show things ran much more smoothly. He has some explosive qualities but he also plays under control and has very good body control. There is very much a controlled chaos element to his game where he does things quickly but without making too many mistakes or getting out of the game plan. Like Dotson he has found a nice balance between being a facilitator and scorer.
