As February approaches, it is that time of the year when high school seniors start to come down to a college decision. For those lucky enough to continue their basketball career at the next level, that decision is going to draw a lot of eyes and attention. For those in the ESPN 100, that decision is under a microscope. As these athletes start to conclude their recruitment, we introduce part one of a three part series to check in on the remaining recruits in the Class of 2016 ESPN 100 rankings that have not yet committed to a school — plus a high-profile Canadian.
Josh Jackson — No. 3 ESPN 100
Five-star, 6’7” wing
In my book, Josh Jackson is the best player in this class. He is explosive, plays hard, and attacks on offense. His recruitment was wide open for a long time, but when Michigan State landed Cassius Winston and Miles Bridges in a matter of a month, the Spartans seem to pull away as the leader. His recruitment has leveled off recently, despite a false report that Jackson was down to Michigan State and Arizona. He recently released his top five: MSU, Arizona, Kansas, Maryland and UNLV were all teams still in the running. It feels as though MSU and Arizona are the leaders, but Kansas is a dark horse in this recruitment. Jackson visited Lawrence this past weekend and really enjoyed his visit. It’s easy to see Jackson in a Jayhawk uniform, as his game is reminiscent of former Kansas standout Andrew Wiggins. The relationships he has built with Arizona head coach Sean Miller and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo cannot be discounted, though. Jackson has targeted late February has a time to make his commitment.
Thon Maker — No. 16 247Sports
Five-star, 7’0” forward
Because ESPN does not rank international players in their class rankings, one of the best uncommitted players in the 2016 class would have been ignored. He needs to be included here for this article to even make sense. Maker’s size is something to behold. He is a seven-foot monster that plays the game angry, but can also step out and hit a three if he’s left open. Maker is another player whose recruitment has been absolutely wide open, but right now, it seems that Arizona State is the clear favorite. Bobby Hurley and staff have made landing Maker their top priority since arriving on campus, and it feels as though their work may pay off. That said, Kansas has been a team that has come at Maker strong recently, which is unsurprising considering they only have one commit in the class so far. Bill Self is never out of a recruitment. The other three teams still in the picture for Maker — Indiana, Notre Dame, and St. John’s — all seem to be practically out of the running. If anyone is going to surprise the country though, it would be Maker. This is a recruitment that could linger into the spring, so all options are open at this point. (I wrote about Maker’s recruitment more in-depth here).
Rawle Alkins — No. 17 ESPN 100
Five-star, 6’5” guard
Alkins is a New York-native guard that is relentless going to the rim. He’s a strong player, more of a ‘power guard’ than a shooting guard, and that motor will translate to the college level. While his shooting ability is questionable, Alkins will still bring a lot to whatever school he chooses. As far as I’m concerned, St. John’s is the school to beat here. They are in the same area as Alkins’ home town, and he really respects Chris Mullins. Although Alkins has said location will not play a factor, there is reason to think there is a serious draw to stay in New York. North Carolina State is clearly in the picture as well, and is the favorite according to 247Sports. Although NC State whiffed on five-star forward Edrice Adebayo, they did manage to keep five-star point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who enrolled early. It is very possible that Alkins wants to go play with Smith and stay down south, where he has been playing lately. Other teams that are *barely* in the mix right now are Kentucky, North Carolina and Arizona. Arizona seems to be doing the best out of those three, as Alkins is set to take an unofficial visit to watch the Wildcats take on Oregon on Thursday. That said, this seems to be a two-school race with St. John’s and North Carolina State leading the way.
