Top 4: Arizona, Oregon, Gonzaga, UCLA
The Latest: It will be a big shock if five-star Oregon big man Nathan Bittle doesn't stay home to play for Dana Altman and the Ducks, but Arizona is one program that remains in contention to pull him away from home. The 6-foot-11 prospect from Crater, Oregon named his top four Friday morning and the theme is programs in the West. UCLA and Gonzaga join Arizona and Oregon on the final list for the 18th-ranked prospect in the 2021 class.
Bittle has primarily focused on schools closer to home, and this is the latest confirmation that he is going to stay in his part of the country for college. Arizona has done a good job of recruiting Bittle up to this point and he used his first official visit of the process on a trip to UA for the Red-Blue Game last year.
If there is a program that is capable of pulling Bittle away from the Ducks it is the Wildcats. UA has been involved with the five-star recruit since very early in the process and since then the connections between Sean Miller's program and his travel ball program, West Coast Elite, have strengthened. Last season around half of Arizona's roster was made of players who were part of the program including Josh Green and Nico Mannion.
Ira Lee, Jemarl Baker Jr. are two current players that played for WCE during their travel ball careers and Lee's father, Zeph, is currently the program's strength and conditioning director. Former UA assistant coach Mark Phelps is also now part of that program while Book Richardson is working for the media arm of the program.
There are plenty of ties between the Wildcats and WCE meaning you cannot write off Arizona in this recruitment. Miller and his staff have, at the very least, closed the gap on Oregon and the possibility that Bittle ends up playing at UA is certainly more realistic moving forward in the process.
Arizona once again wants to focus on solidifying the front court for the 2021-22 roster and Bittle is certainly a versatile piece that could play either spot. There are several prospects that are in focus, but Bittle is the one Arizona has been involved with most over the last several years.
At this stage a decision is not expected to come for at least a couple months, but Arizona remains in a good position after Friday's announcement from Bittle.
What the expert (Rivals.com's Corey Evans) says: "Bittle is respected for his versatility and long-term upside in the frontcourt. Someone that can play either big man spot and is at his best facing the basket, Bittle carries a reliable stroke to 22-feet that is fairly consistent with his feet set. He has good ball skills intact, along with a solid feel and IQ for the game. Strength gain is a must moving forward but Bittle has the talent and length to immediately impact a high-major program as a freshman."
The Latest: It will be a big shock if five-star Oregon big man Nathan Bittle doesn't stay home to play for Dana Altman and the Ducks, but Arizona is one program that remains in contention to pull him away from home. The 6-foot-11 prospect from Crater, Oregon named his top four Friday morning and the theme is programs in the West. UCLA and Gonzaga join Arizona and Oregon on the final list for the 18th-ranked prospect in the 2021 class.
Bittle has primarily focused on schools closer to home, and this is the latest confirmation that he is going to stay in his part of the country for college. Arizona has done a good job of recruiting Bittle up to this point and he used his first official visit of the process on a trip to UA for the Red-Blue Game last year.
If there is a program that is capable of pulling Bittle away from the Ducks it is the Wildcats. UA has been involved with the five-star recruit since very early in the process and since then the connections between Sean Miller's program and his travel ball program, West Coast Elite, have strengthened. Last season around half of Arizona's roster was made of players who were part of the program including Josh Green and Nico Mannion.
Ira Lee, Jemarl Baker Jr. are two current players that played for WCE during their travel ball careers and Lee's father, Zeph, is currently the program's strength and conditioning director. Former UA assistant coach Mark Phelps is also now part of that program while Book Richardson is working for the media arm of the program.
There are plenty of ties between the Wildcats and WCE meaning you cannot write off Arizona in this recruitment. Miller and his staff have, at the very least, closed the gap on Oregon and the possibility that Bittle ends up playing at UA is certainly more realistic moving forward in the process.
Arizona once again wants to focus on solidifying the front court for the 2021-22 roster and Bittle is certainly a versatile piece that could play either spot. There are several prospects that are in focus, but Bittle is the one Arizona has been involved with most over the last several years.
At this stage a decision is not expected to come for at least a couple months, but Arizona remains in a good position after Friday's announcement from Bittle.
What the expert (Rivals.com's Corey Evans) says: "Bittle is respected for his versatility and long-term upside in the frontcourt. Someone that can play either big man spot and is at his best facing the basket, Bittle carries a reliable stroke to 22-feet that is fairly consistent with his feet set. He has good ball skills intact, along with a solid feel and IQ for the game. Strength gain is a must moving forward but Bittle has the talent and length to immediately impact a high-major program as a freshman."
