Courts to remain quiet: College hoops recruiting dead period extended until July 31
The dead period in college basketball recruiting has been extended through July 31, the NCAA Division One Council Coordination Committee announced Wednesday.
This means no college coaches can make trips to visit with, or evaluate high school hoops prospects through the end of July. Also no prospects will be allowed to make campus visits in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Coaches will be able to continue their online conferences with recruits.
This decision — which is for all college recruiting in all sports — was reached with the support of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, organizations that two weeks ago recommended the recruiting dead period extend through July. Until Wednesday’s announcement, the dead period was to run through June 30.
In a normal summer, a plethora of AAU tournaments sponsored by Nike, Adidas and Under Armour are held almost every weekend in June and July. There has yet to be a tourney held this season.
The Division One Council Coordination committee stated Wednesday on Twitter it will “regularly evaluate the dead period, continuing to be guided by medical experts.”
NCAA Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletic director at Pennsylvania, said in an NCAA news release: “The committee is committed to reviewing the dead period again in late June or early July.”
Conceivably, if the current pandemic concerns ease around the country, there could be adjustments to the recruiting calendar. It’s still possible an AAU event or two could be held in August, or even later in 2020.
“The summer months are crucial to the recruiting process for coaches and prospective student-athletes alike,” NABC president and TCU coach Jamie Dixon told NCAA.com recently when asked about the NABC’s recommendation to extend the dead period to July 31.
“The NABC is committed to working alongside the WBCA, the NCAA and scholastic and non-scholastic event personnel to encourage the development of alternative evaluation opportunities as soon as circumstances allow. It is important to note that these temporary changes would not decrease the number of available scholarship opportunities. The NABC Board of Directors does not take the impact of this recommendation lightly,” Dixon said of the July 31 date.
“However, our highest priority must remain the well being of prospects, their families, our current teams and our fellow coaches. We must also be respectful of the financial burdens that many of our institutions and prospects’ families are currently facing.”
The annual Peach Jam recruiting showcase, which concludes the Nike EYBL circuit, had been scheduled for July 8-12 in North Augusta, South Carolina. It has not yet officially been canceled.
“As time has gone on and more and more information has been gained, it’s clear that we need to look at the future opportunities to create alternative events going forward in August, September and October possibly,” TCU coach Dixon told Andy Katz of NCAA.com earlier this month. “Those being scholastic and non-scholastic. We love recruiting in July. We were looking forward to the Academies in June at four different (USA Basketball) sites, but we have to adjust,” Dixon added.
Tamar Bates, a 6-foot-4 senior-to-be who is headed to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior season of high school basketball after playing three years at Piper High in Kansas City, Kansas, says he’s saddened by the long delay to the start of the spring/summer AAU season.
He plays for KC Run GMC.
“Of course I’m devastated, i’ve been looking forward to my 17 and under season and i was too ready to get after it with my guys,” Bates, the No. 90-ranked player in the recruiting class of 2021 by Rivals.com, told The Star Wednesday in a Twitter DM.
“So it’s tough to see that we won’t be able to play together, but there’s nothing we can do at this point,” Bates added.
Asked if he would feel confident (amid the pandemic) if AAU teams were allowed to start playing in tournaments this summer, Bates, who has KU, Kansas State, Missouri and many others on his list of schools, told The Star: “I’ll definitely be comfortable playing at this point; I just want to hoop.”
Tech adds Mac McClung
Texas Tech’s basketball team, which suffered a big loss when Davide Moretti announced plans to give up his senior season (2020-21) in order to play pro basketball in Italy, gained a standout player Wednesday in Georgetown transfer Mac McClung.
McClung, a 6-2 junior combo guard from Gate City, Virginia, who averaged 15.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a sophomore at Georgetown last season, chose Tech over Auburn, Memphis, USC, BYU, Arkansas and Wake Forest. According to Zagsblog.com, he will apply for a waiver in hopes of being eligible to play in games immediately. Tech will play Kansas twice during the 2020-21 regular season.
Known for his athleticism resulting in a batch of highlight-reel dunks in his two seasons at Georgetown, McClung figures to play point guard at Tech. Unranked in the high school recruiting class of 2018, he hit 31 of 96 threes last season for 32.3 percent.
“A quick and explosive guard that caused an immediate following thanks to his dunking powers, McClung is more than just a mix-tape dunker,” wrote Corey Evans of Rivals.com. “His jump shooting must continue to improve, but he did raise his three point shooting to a more respectable 32.3% this past season from 27.7% as a freshman. McClung is at his best attacking the basket. He can create for others which was reflected by his 2.4 assists per game last season and is a solid rebounding guard,” Evans added.
Kentucky transfer picks UCLA
UCLA, which could meet KU in the two-day Wooden Legacy Classic (Nov. 26-27 in Anaheim, California), learned Wednesday that former Kentucky guard Johnny Juzang had been granted a waiver and would be immediately eligible to play in games for the Bruins in 2020-21.
Juzang, who announced plans to transfer to UCLA from Kentucky on March 31, averaged 2.9 points while logging 12.3 minutes per game his freshman season. He hit 14 of 43 threes for 32.6%. The Harvard Westlake High graduate from North Hollywood, California, was No. 34-rated player in the recruiting class of 2019 by Rivals.com.
KU will meet Juzang’s former school, Kentucky, in the Champions Classic on Nov. 10 in Chicago. McClung’s former school, Georgetown, will join KU, UCLA and Virginia in the Wooden Legacy Classic.
Embiid seventh-best player in NBA?
Former KU center Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers is seventh-best player in the NBA, according to NBC Sports Washington.
Of Embiid, reporter Chase Hughes, who compiled the list, wrote: “Say what you want about the Sixers and the perception they underachieve, Embiid is a star on both offense and defense. He might be the most imposing physical force in the game and he combines his size with a uniquely versatile skillset. If Embiid stays healthy, he has the chance to be a league MVP.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was listed as the league’s top player, with Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers second and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers third. Several top players, such as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, were not considered since they’ve missed time with injuries this season.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Courts to remain quiet: College hoops recruiting dead period extended until July 31."
