Should Miami Basketball Be Concerned With 2018 Recruiting Class?
The 2017 Miami Basketball recruiting class is being heralded as the best in school history That comes on the heels of the previously ranked best class in 2016. Without any commits for 2018 should we be concerned?
The Miami basketball program has yet to get one commit for 2018. Basketball at Miami will likely always be second to football. The football program has the number one class for 2018. Should we start being concerned about who Miami basketball will land for their 2018 recruiting class?
The Hurricanes have several dozen targets for 2018. Four are listed as high choices according to 247Sports. One of those is point guard Immanuel Quickley. Quickley is a member of the USA Under 19 team that is participating in the FIBA World Cup.
Quickley’s top choice is reportedly Kentucky. His USA Under 19 coach is the Wildcats John Calipari.
Related Story: Miami Basketball Recruit Immanuel Quickley Playing in FIBA U19’s
The Miami basketball program could face a substantial rebuilding job for the 2018-19 season. They will definitely lose Senior Guard Ja’Quan Newton. Also likely gone are Sophomore Guard Bruce Brown and Freshman wing Lonnie Walker.
Sophomore Forward Dewan Huell could also leave for the NBA draft. Huell spoke about the potential that he might leave after his freshman season. His freshman first season of college basketball did not go as well as expected. He averaged 5.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds.
Miami has good depth in the backcourt. If they lose all three starters as expected the backups give Jim Larranaga a good base to build on.
Four-Star point guard Chris Lykes, Sophomore shooting guard D.J. Vasiljevic and guard Miles Wilson who will be Sophomore-eligible in 2018-19 give Miami basketball a good base.
ESPN examined all of their projected top 25 for the 2017-18 season and the team’s needs for the 2018 recruiting cycle. The mothership’s college basketball writer Jeff Borzello said about Miami’s needs:
"12. Miami Hurricanes For the 2018 class, Jim Larranaga will look to the perimeter. Ja’Quan Newton is a senior, while Walker and Bruce Brown could both leave early for the NBA draft. The Hurricanes made the recent lists for Cameron Reddish, Quickley, Dotson and Jalen Carey(No. 55), though it will be an uphill battle for those guys. Emmitt Williams (No. 12) is an in-state option, while Miami is also recruiting Dort (No. 24), Little, Jermaine Harris (No. 91) and others."
In fairness to Jim Larranaga and his staff, only one of the top 17 players in the class of 2018 is currently committed. That one is Jontay Porter, the younger brother of the number one ranked player in 2017, Michael Porter.
Michael is expected to be the first pick in the NBA draft in 2018. Jontay verbal commitment is to Missouri where his brother will play this season and where his father is an assistant coach.
Being involved on so many high-level recruits shows how far the Miami Basketball program has come during the Larranaga era. The momentum of the last two recruiting classes should help Larranaga and his staff sell potential recruits.
Miami basketball has also become an event unto itself. The Hurricanes have sold out seasons tickets for the last two seasons. Add in that they should be able to sell playing time to interested recruits.
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Four five-star recruits list Miami as high on their list and another ten are interested. If UM can get one or two of those targets to sign, the class will be deemed a good one.