The early signing period is now one week closer and with it, a bevy of some of the top college prospects from the 2017 class continue to find their appropriate homes for next season. This week saw a number of premier targets come off the board as programs from every level cashed in thanks to their effort these past few years on the recruiting trail. However, no one had a better week in looking head than Fran Dunphy’s program at Temple and the staff at Howard thanks to their haul of RJ Cole.  

POWER CONFERENCE COMMITMENTS OF THE WEEK

TEMPLE LANDS TWO WITH MOORMAN & PERRY

We usually give this segment to just one college commitment that occurred this past week but it would be difficult not to note the work that the staff at Temple had done in luring two of the most competitive wings from off of the east coast to campus beginning next fall.

On Wednesday, JP Moorman decided to call it a day with his recruitment turning down the likes of Cincinnati, UNCW, and Richmond. Choosing the Owls, the AAC bunch should expect an immediate contributor by way of his energy levels, egoless manner on the playing floor, to go along with his ability to play many positions on the playing floor. Throw in the fact that Moorman is one of those max out type of guys, that is someone that will do his best to get every God given ounce of talent out of him, and what Temple received with the Carolina native is a four year winner from day one.

Two days later, after the celebratory praises wore off, Dre Perry, a 6-foot-5 small forward out of Baltimore, also decided to call it a day with his recruitment committing to Dunphy’s bunch over the likes of Virginia Tech and Kansas State. Just like Moorman, Perry is someone that can play various spots on the hardwood, is a bit of a better shooter from off of the deck, but brings the same winning mentality regardless of who he might be facing off against.

Between the two, Moorman and Perry personify the blue collar nature that the city of Philadelphia has become known for. While there may be more talented or higher ranked prospects landed in the weeks ahead from those within the AAC, no two are more willing to compete and fight for what is theirs than what Moorman and Perry display, creating for further success under the regime of Fran Dunphy at Temple.

NON-POWER CONFERENCE COMMITMENTS OF THE WEEK

RJ COLE COMMITS TO HOWARD

A few years from now, heck, maybe even next college basketball season, there are going to be a lot of head coaches cussing out their assistants for not chasing after RJ Cole. The 6-foot-1 guard out of New Jersey committed to Howard this past weekend, ending what has been one of the more surprisingly inattentive recruitments from the 2017 class.

Sure, Cole is more of a combo guard with not the biggest of frames. He also isn’t a premier athlete but what he does on the floor more than makes up for his discrepancies as a college basketball prospect. On the Nike EYBL circuit this past summer in going up against some of the best players from across the land, all Cole did was hit over 50-percent of his three-point attempts as he came in the top-15 in perimeter jumpers made. Toss in the fact that the Playaz product displayed the ability to move over onto the ball as he averaged over three assists per game and what you have with the Jersey native is a tough-nosed playmaker that can shoot it and create for others.

Every year, the St. Anthony’s basketball program is one that is going to pride themselves on their ability to grind out games but also rely on a go-to option whenever crunch time situations pop up. Expect for Cole to be that exact guy this winter and with the experience, maturity, and competitive juices that will be in tow by the time the high academic prospect hits the Howard campus, look for him to produce early on within the MEAC.

Cole doesn’t pass the looks test nor is he an elite athlete with a ton of pizzazz but he is a winner and someone that is the easy claim for the non-power conference commitment of the week.

AAC

SMU

• Ethan Chargois, 6-foot-8 center, Union City High School (Oklahoma)

TEMPLE

• JP Moorman, 6-foot-6 forward, Greensboro Day School (North Carolina)
• Dre Perry, 6-foot-5 small forward, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Maryland)

ACC

NC STATE

• Thomas Allen, 6-foot-1 guard, Brewster Academy (New Hampshire)

UNC

• Brandon Huffman, 6-foot-10 center, Word of God Christian Academy (North Carolina)

VIRGINIA TECH

• Wabissa Bede, 6-foot-2 guard, Cushing Academy (Massachusetts) – NATIONAL RANKING: 76

WAKE FOREST

• Chaundee Brown, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, The First Academy (Florida) – NATIONAL RANKING: 22

ATLANTIC SUN

LIPSCOMB

• Ahsan Asadullah, 6-foot-8 center, North Clayton High School (Georgia)

ATLANTIC 10

DAVIDSON

• Luke Frampton, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Poca High School (West Virginia)
• Bates Jones, 6-foot-8 power forward, Charlotte Latin School (North Carolina)

ST. JOE’S

• Anthony Longpre, 6-foot-7 forward, Glenelg County High School (Maryland)

BIG SOUTH

WINTHROP

• Keondre Schumacher, 6-foot-1 point guard, University High School (Illinois)

BIG 10

INDIANA

• Clifton Moore, 6-foot-9 power forward, Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School (Pennsylvania)
• Justin Smith, 6-foot-5 small forward, Stevenson High School (Indiana) – NATIONAL RANKING: 104

MARYLAND

• Bruno Fernando, 6-foot-9 power forward, IMG Academy (Florida) – NATIONAL RANKING: 70

MICHIGAN STATE

• Xavier Tillman, 6-foot-8 center, Grand Rapids Christian School (Michigan) – NATIONAL RANKING: 105

NORTHWESTERN

• Anthony Gaines, 6-foot-5 small forward, New Hampton School (New Hampshire)

BIG 12

KANSAS STATE

• Nigel Shadd, 6-foot-8 power forward, Tri-City Christian Academy (Arizona)

TEXAS

• Jase Febres, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Westfield High School (Texas)

CAA

HOFSTRA

• Jalen Ray, 6-foot-2 guard, Hampton High School (Virginia)

JAMES MADISON

• Dwight Wilson, 6-foot-7 power forward, Lincoln High School (Florida)

CONFERENCE USA

LOUISIANA TECH

• Amorie Archbibald, 6-foot-4 shooting guard, Trinity Christian High School (Florida)

MARSHALL

• Tanner Robinette, 6-foot-8 power forward, Hargrave Military Academy (Virginia)

NORTH TEXAS

• Zachary Simmons, 6-foot-9 power forward, Cedar Hill High School (Texas)

OLD DOMINION

• Michael Hueitt, 6-foot-2 shooting guard, Northwood Temple Academy (North Carolina)

UT-SAN ANTONIO

• Adrian Rodriguez, 6-foot-6 forward, Union High School (Oklahoma)

HORIZON

WRIGHT STATE

• Tyler Mitchell, 6-foot point guard, Kings High School (Ohio)

IVY

CORNELL

• Jake Kuhn, 6-foot-6 small forward, St. Maria Goretti High School (Maryland)
• Riley Voss, 6-foot-5 swingman, Moeller High School (Ohio)

PRINCETON

• Sebastian Much, 6-foot-8 forward, JSerra Catholic High School (California)

MAC

BALL STATE

• Ishmael El-Amin, 6-foot-2 combo guard, Hopkins High School (Minnesota)

BOWLING GREEN

• Joniya Gadson, 6-foot-10 center, Dillard High School (Florida)

BUFFALO

• James Reese, 6-foot-3 swingman, AC Flora High School (South Carolina)

MEAC

HOWARD

• RJ Cole, 6-foot guard, St. Anthony’s High School (New Jersey)

MISSOURI VALLEY

BRADLEY

• Elijah Childs, 6-foot-7 forward, Lee’s Summit West (Kansas)

MOUNTAIN WEST

AIR FORCE

• AJ Walker, 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Saint Mary's Hall School (Texas)

NEW MEXICO

• Christopher Sodom, 7-foot-3 center, Tennessee Preparatory Academy (Tennessee)

NEC

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON

• Jahlil Jenkins, 5-foot-11 point guard, Virginia Academy (Virginia)

LONG ISLAND-BROOKLYN

• Shyheim Hicks, 6-foot-1 point guard, Commonwealth Academy (Massachusetts)

PAC 12

COLORADO

• Evan Battey, 6-foot-7 power forward, Villa Park High School (California)

PATRIOT

AMERICAN

• Drew Lamont, 6-foot-8 power forward, American Heritage School (Florida)

ARMY

• Gabe McGlothan, 6-foot-6 power forward, Basha High School (Arizona)

NAVY

• Nick Alikakos, 6-foot-7 small forward, Episcopal Academy (Pennsylvania)

SEC

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Ibrahim Doumbia, 6-foot-9 power forward, Miami Country Day School (Mali)

SUMMIT

DENVER

• Elijah Blake, 6-foot-2 point guard, Rangeview High School (Colorado)

NEBRASKA OMAHA

• Matt Pile, 6-foot-9 center, Eisenhower High School (Kansas)

SUN BELT

SOUTH ALABAMA

• AJ Caldwell, 6-foot-5 swingman, Riverview High School (Florida)

WAC

RIO GRANDE VALLEY STATE

• Greg Bowie II, 6-foot-2 guard, Athlos Leadership Academy (Texas)

WCC

SAN DIEGO

• Joey Calcaterra, 6-foot-2 guard, Marin Catholic High School (California)
• Emanuel Hylton, 6-foot-3 shooting guard, St. John’s College High School (Washington, DC)

SAN FRANCISCO

• Souley Boum, 6-foot-2 point guard, Oakland Technical High School (California)

2019 CLASS

BIG 12

KANSAS

• Markese Jacobs, 6-foot point guard, Uplift Community High School (Illinois)

SEC

AUBURN

• Jared Jones, 6-foot-8 power forward, Pebblebrook High School (Georgia)