Evans Seven: Predicting first coach to call top 2020 prospects June 15
RANKINGS: 2018 Rivals150 | 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2018 Team | 2018 Position
College coaches will be able to start placing direct phone calls to juniors on June 15, which will be a day that many in the 2020 class remember for a long time. In this week’s Evans Seven, we predict which coach will be the first to call the top seven prospects in the 2020 rankings.
First to call: John Calipari, Kentucky
There are questions about Green and his chances of ever attending a college thanks to the potential of the one-and-done rule being removed in the coming months. Until that change happens, look for some of college basketball's behemoths to prioritize the Fresno native. Who that first call on June 15 might be from? Try John Calipari. Kentucky has made the top-ranked sophomore its go-to prospect in the 2020 class and while the Wildcats have not offered just yet, that scholarship opportunity could be on the table by the time the calendar flips to July. UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, USC and a number of others out west will give a call to Green, too, but the expectation here is that UK will be first in line.
First to call: Mike White, Florida
Kentucky has already offered Barnes, but the South Florida native will likely hear first from the in-state Florida Gators. Mike White has already offered White and has had him up to campus a number of times. Speaking through his travel and high school coaches up until this point, the second-ranked sophomore will not have issues fielding phone calls from some of the top power brokers in the sport on and after June 15.
Oregon is a dream school of Barnes and Dana Altman will be on the phone with Barnes, as will Miami, Florida State and a slew of others. The most versatile two-way prospect in high school basketball, Barnes will be a much-wanted man, though White might be the first to get him on the phone come next Friday.
First to call: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
There is a chance Hampton might reclassify into the 2019 class, thus speeding up his timeline to get to the NBA. Hampton will receive Mike Krzyzewski’s first phone call to a 2020 prospect. He will have to compete with several others, but the Blue Devils, after offering him a few weeks back, have become the overwhelming favorite for Hampton.
First to call: Bill Self, Kansas
Dante has already received lofty comparisons to Joel Embiid so why wouldn’t Kansas’ Bill Self be the first to call Dante next Friday? The 7-footer has showed remarkable progressions over the past two years and isn’t close to touching his basketball ceiling.
Agile for his size and sporting a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Dante, like most big men, is ahead on the defensive end compared to the offensive side. Still, he has looked the part of a deadly two-way big man that can score in the post and on the turnaround jumper out of the mid-post region, very similar to that of Embiid. There will be a contingent of college coaches calling the best center prospect in the 2020 class, but Self will likely be the very first in hopes of pulling the fourth-ranked sophomore to campus in two years.
First to call: Roy Williams, North Carolina
Not short for college interest, Todd has already become a must for the top programs along the East Coast. The Baltimore native will hear from his fair share of heavy hitters on June 15, but the first will be from North Carolina’s Roy Williams. Known for his dependence on wings and forwards that display multi-dimensional skillsets and an urgency on the glass, Todd is a perfect fit for what Williams looks for in a player. The Tar Heels have not offered just yet but they have hosted Todd for a handful of unofficial visits already.
First to call: Richard Pitino, Minnesota
Every few years, the state of Minnesota is good for at least one can't-miss prospect that becomes a must-get for the in-state Minnesota Gophers. Unfortunately, Richard Pitino has not had great luck with those prospects yet, but he has come close.
Pitino is surely hoping he can get over the hump in the 2020 class with Suggs. The sixth-ranked sophomore guard nationally, Suggs has been a hot commodity over the past two years. It is not just his exploits on the basketball floor that has drawn the spotlight but also his abilities on the football field where he holds offers from a number of name brand programs. Suggs hasn't decided if he will play both sports in college or just one, but Pitino is hoping that he stays home and will likely express that desire on June 15.
First to call: Shaka Smart, Texas
Shaka Smart did a fine job of recruiting the Richmond and Hampton Roads region during his time at VCU and has continued to place a priority on the top local products during his first three years at Texas. The next up is Brown, who attends high school less than 30 minutes from the Texas campus. Having grown another inch or two since last year, Brown has already drawn a few comparisons to Kevin Durant thanks to his perimeter skillset while standing close to 6-foot-10.
Brown has not been short for college interest but that won’t affect the level of attention that Smart places on him. By the crack of midnight, it would not come as a surprise if Smart is on the phone with Brown, outlining how heavily they are going to recruit him and how he might be inserted into his Havoc system at UT.
