Commitment Catchup: Five top-75 2024s off the board
We’re at the point on the fall calendar in which a majority of the nation’s top seniors have taken several visits already.
A pivotal wave of commitments in the 2024 class has crested with five top-75 prospects coming off the board.
Knueppel’s weekend in ACC country was bound to end in a commitment. After having taken visits to both Duke and Virginia a little over a week ago, Knueppel announced his commitment to the Blue Devils on Thursday. Knueppel is one of the best scorers, shooters in the class. He led the EYBL in scoring in the spring. Knueppel chose Duke over Virginia, Marquette and Wisconsin among others. Knueppel is Duke’s highest-rated recruit.
Miami is loading up in the backcourt. The Canes landed sharpshooter Jalil Bethea shortly after receiving a commitment from another bucket-getter in Austin Swartz. Bethea shot 40.8% from three on the EYBL circuit. Miami is coming off of a run that included Final Four and Elite Eight appearances in consecutive seasons. A lot of their success came via their potent scorers in the backcourt. The Swartz and Bethea duo could keep that momentum going in Coral Gables. He chose Miami over Villanova and Kansas.
Another school that has had a hot hand in recruiting has been Missouri. To no surprise, the Tigers are landing high-level prospects and are getting even more on campus. Annor Boateng is the most recent to choose Mizzou. Boateng is one of the high-upside prospects in the class. He has the frame and athleticism right now, and he’s good at a little bit of everything. His defensive potential is especially intriguing. Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Indiana, LSU, Virginia Tech and Ohio State were the other schools on his final list.
LSU has had busy weekends recently. Hosting several top-100 prospects, the Tigers got the first one to commit when 6-foot-10 forward Robert Miller III announced his plans to make Baton Rouge home. He has ties to the school because his father was a member of the football program. In Miller III, Matt McMahon and company are getting a fluid big man with skill. Miller had visits planned to Texas and Alabama planned before making his decision.
One of the country’s more promienent stockrisers over the last year or so has been Larry Johnson. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, the 6-foot-4 guard started to gain national recognition after successful seasons with Huntington Prep (WV) during the high school season and Team Thad during the travel season. Johnson is an athletic guard with plenty of untapped potential. He can be an impactful defender at the next level with length and athleticism, and he can handle secondary creation duties as well. Johnson chose Creighton over Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Missouri and Illinois.
