* What a week it was for the Hogs and MA picking up 2 huge 2018 commitments: First it was Arkansas Hawks 16U prospect Reggie Perry -- the uber-talented 6-8.5 combo forward from Thomasville, GA, and a Top 75, 4-star -- who pledged to MA on Tuesday, and he was followed up by Hawks teammate Desi Sills -- the hard-nosed, vertaile 6-1 combo guard from Jonesboro who exploded onto the national scene in July and is a Top 115, 3-star -- who committed on Friday.
The 2 commitments, combined with Hawks' teammate Derek "Isaiah" Joe (another Top 115 player in 2018) who had already committed the first week of August, moved the Hogs into the No. 1 spot in the composite national TEAM recruiting rankings for 2018 ... it also means that with one more Hawks starter on board, the Hogs will be the only known high-major program to sign the 5 starters from the same AAU team. Obviously, speculation as to whether or not the Hogs would go after all 5 Hawks' starters is over, and now we pivot to speculate as to when Ethan Henderson pulls the trigger and calls the Hogs ... I've been told it will be "soon" -- which to me would suggest in the next few days or likely before the calendar turns to September.
If / when that Henderson commitment happens, the Hogs will have locked up the top in-state player for 3 consecutive classes (2017, 2018, and 2019).
* Options, options, options to round out the 2017 and 2018 classes: We're still almost 3 months away from the Class of 2017 early signing period, and the Hogs have 3 commits with 1 spot to fill to finish out the 2017 class, and the Hogs have already filled half of the 6 available spots for 2018 and may have a 4th early commitment if Ethan Henderson commits soon as expected.
So, with a total of 10 scholarships to give over the 2 classes, we've effectively filled 7 of those (counting Henderson) ... with only 3 more scholarships to give combined, there will be no scrambling, no settling, and plenty of options as we pick and choose how we finish. Don't be surprised if the Hogs wait till the spring to finish the 2017 class, and certainly we could be looking to add a juco since we have no remaining players from the 2015 class who would be juniors in 2017-18 ... as for 2018, again assuming a Henderson commit, we'll have 2 more to give and lots of ways to go there with plenty of Arkansas kids to consider, including guys like Caleb Stokes (2018), Connor Vanover (2018), and possibly even Kalin Bennett (2018 and committed to UALR recently) if he develops.
For those 3 spots remaining in 2017 / 2018, I hope we look to add another guard (PG, CG, or SG), another swingman / SF, and another big. However the Hogs choose to close out these classes, the current national TEAM recruiting rankings suggest we are in elite company ... finished No. 17 in 2016, currently No. 8 in 2017, and again currently sitting at No. 1 in 2018.
* With all the buzz around the Arkansas Hawks 16U starters, don't sleep on Hawks 6th-man Caleb Stokes: I continue to talk about this kid, and continue to hope he and the Hogs get to a place where he gets an offer and commits. Again, he's got a high Bball IQ, he's skilled, he's agile for a big fell at 6-8 (and still growing). Teams like Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa State, and TCU have been recruiting him -- not too mention several respectable mid-majors -- and Caleb was in Fort Worth over the weekend for a visit and elite camp with Jamie Dixon and TCU ... it went well enough for Hawks coach Kevin Howard to speculate that a TCU offer may be coming soon for Caleb.
Congrats to Caleb ... and Hog fans need to keep an eye on this Hawk who has not received all the attention and pub that the others have ... he's definitely a high-major prospect, and would be a good complement to guys like Perry and Henderson.
* Class of 2017 and 2018 are loaded with Top 150 in-state kids: Seven, yes, 7 Arkansans can be found in the Top 150s in 2017 and 2018 ... Daniel Gafford (2017), Khalil Garland (2017), Javon Franklin (2017), Ethan Henderson (2018), Isaiah Joe (2018), Desi Sills (2018), and Connor Vanover (2018) ... that does not include Reggie Perry (2018), formerly a LR resident and a current Hog commit ... or guys like Darious Hall (Top 250 in 2017) and Justice Hill (No. 66 according to Future150 for 2019) ... and at least 3 Arkansas kids in the Class of 2020 will likely be in the Top 100 or 150 in a couple fo years ... this state is absolutely loaded with talent the next few years, and the Hogs are mopping up right now.
* A pair of 2017 Arkansas kids who continued to pick up offers last week: S.K. Shittu, the 2017 6-9 PF from Rogers Providence / AAO 17U / and Team Griffin 17U, received an offer from UALR; and Exavian Christon, the 6-4 SG / wing from Hot Springs / Team Portis Wings Elite 17U Nike EYBL who already holds a UALR offer, was offered by Arkansas State. Both these kids have multiple offers from respected mid-major programs, and I truly believe if they hold off from signing early, they will get some high-major offers, too. Risky business waiting and passing on a sure thing, but we'll see what they decide to do. Congrats to S.K. and Exavian for their latest offers.
* Reminder to join me this and every Thursday at 1:30 p.m CDT on the Hog Call when I'll talk Razorbacks basketball and recruiting on KREB 1190 AM The Fan in Fayetteville, an affiliate of Fox Sports national radio: If you do not live in the Fayetteville area, you can log onto http://1190thefan.com/ and click on the "listen live" link at the top of the page.
The 2 commitments, combined with Hawks' teammate Derek "Isaiah" Joe (another Top 115 player in 2018) who had already committed the first week of August, moved the Hogs into the No. 1 spot in the composite national TEAM recruiting rankings for 2018 ... it also means that with one more Hawks starter on board, the Hogs will be the only known high-major program to sign the 5 starters from the same AAU team. Obviously, speculation as to whether or not the Hogs would go after all 5 Hawks' starters is over, and now we pivot to speculate as to when Ethan Henderson pulls the trigger and calls the Hogs ... I've been told it will be "soon" -- which to me would suggest in the next few days or likely before the calendar turns to September.
If / when that Henderson commitment happens, the Hogs will have locked up the top in-state player for 3 consecutive classes (2017, 2018, and 2019).
* Options, options, options to round out the 2017 and 2018 classes: We're still almost 3 months away from the Class of 2017 early signing period, and the Hogs have 3 commits with 1 spot to fill to finish out the 2017 class, and the Hogs have already filled half of the 6 available spots for 2018 and may have a 4th early commitment if Ethan Henderson commits soon as expected.
So, with a total of 10 scholarships to give over the 2 classes, we've effectively filled 7 of those (counting Henderson) ... with only 3 more scholarships to give combined, there will be no scrambling, no settling, and plenty of options as we pick and choose how we finish. Don't be surprised if the Hogs wait till the spring to finish the 2017 class, and certainly we could be looking to add a juco since we have no remaining players from the 2015 class who would be juniors in 2017-18 ... as for 2018, again assuming a Henderson commit, we'll have 2 more to give and lots of ways to go there with plenty of Arkansas kids to consider, including guys like Caleb Stokes (2018), Connor Vanover (2018), and possibly even Kalin Bennett (2018 and committed to UALR recently) if he develops.
For those 3 spots remaining in 2017 / 2018, I hope we look to add another guard (PG, CG, or SG), another swingman / SF, and another big. However the Hogs choose to close out these classes, the current national TEAM recruiting rankings suggest we are in elite company ... finished No. 17 in 2016, currently No. 8 in 2017, and again currently sitting at No. 1 in 2018.
* With all the buzz around the Arkansas Hawks 16U starters, don't sleep on Hawks 6th-man Caleb Stokes: I continue to talk about this kid, and continue to hope he and the Hogs get to a place where he gets an offer and commits. Again, he's got a high Bball IQ, he's skilled, he's agile for a big fell at 6-8 (and still growing). Teams like Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa State, and TCU have been recruiting him -- not too mention several respectable mid-majors -- and Caleb was in Fort Worth over the weekend for a visit and elite camp with Jamie Dixon and TCU ... it went well enough for Hawks coach Kevin Howard to speculate that a TCU offer may be coming soon for Caleb.
Congrats to Caleb ... and Hog fans need to keep an eye on this Hawk who has not received all the attention and pub that the others have ... he's definitely a high-major prospect, and would be a good complement to guys like Perry and Henderson.
* Class of 2017 and 2018 are loaded with Top 150 in-state kids: Seven, yes, 7 Arkansans can be found in the Top 150s in 2017 and 2018 ... Daniel Gafford (2017), Khalil Garland (2017), Javon Franklin (2017), Ethan Henderson (2018), Isaiah Joe (2018), Desi Sills (2018), and Connor Vanover (2018) ... that does not include Reggie Perry (2018), formerly a LR resident and a current Hog commit ... or guys like Darious Hall (Top 250 in 2017) and Justice Hill (No. 66 according to Future150 for 2019) ... and at least 3 Arkansas kids in the Class of 2020 will likely be in the Top 100 or 150 in a couple fo years ... this state is absolutely loaded with talent the next few years, and the Hogs are mopping up right now.
* A pair of 2017 Arkansas kids who continued to pick up offers last week: S.K. Shittu, the 2017 6-9 PF from Rogers Providence / AAO 17U / and Team Griffin 17U, received an offer from UALR; and Exavian Christon, the 6-4 SG / wing from Hot Springs / Team Portis Wings Elite 17U Nike EYBL who already holds a UALR offer, was offered by Arkansas State. Both these kids have multiple offers from respected mid-major programs, and I truly believe if they hold off from signing early, they will get some high-major offers, too. Risky business waiting and passing on a sure thing, but we'll see what they decide to do. Congrats to S.K. and Exavian for their latest offers.
* Reminder to join me this and every Thursday at 1:30 p.m CDT on the Hog Call when I'll talk Razorbacks basketball and recruiting on KREB 1190 AM The Fan in Fayetteville, an affiliate of Fox Sports national radio: If you do not live in the Fayetteville area, you can log onto http://1190thefan.com/ and click on the "listen live" link at the top of the page.
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