Commitments of the Week: Jackson, Gumwel, Bronson, Emmanuel
Commitments of the week
With the travel basketball season now in the books, the recruiting process is starting to ramp up. There were four notable decisions over the past week that deserve a deeper dive. One major decision, a pair of notable mid-major pledges and one that will be interesting to watch through the lens of social media and the NIL.
I don’t need to wax on about just how big of a pickup this is for South Carolina, do I? You get it. You’re smart.
Find your own path. That’s the plan for so many of today’s prep stars. Things are changing. Just look at some of these one-and-done dudes. Jabari Smith went to Auburn. Cade Cunningham went to Oklahoma State. Anthony Edwards went to Georgia. Evan Mobley went to USC.
You get the picture. Blue blood basketball is starting to look a little differently.
For Jackson, he flipped from UNC to USC and instantly gives the Gamecocks program something to really get excited about. I’d argue he’s the most important player to suit up in Columbia since Devan Downey transferred back home after starting his college career in Cincinnati.
With Jackson moving from the 2023 class to the 2022 class, he also moves around in the rankings. I have him slated at No. 6 overall in the class nationally. Jackson is the second-highest rated big man in the class of 2022 behind Texas-bound Dillon Mitchell who is No. 3 overall.
Jackson will certainly be the go-to guy in Columbia with a lot of assumed freedom for new USC head man Lamont Paris. With his decision, there will come big expectations for a program that doesn’t have big expectations outside of its own locker room. Can Jackson handle it and will he thrive?
Every time I saw the 6-foot-11 Gumwel play this season he was one of the best and most important big men in the middle for his team. Pepperdine patiently stayed the course and landed one of the best five men in the West and an anchor player that should remind some of Washington State’s Mouhamed Gueye. That’s as high of praise as I can give. I thought Gueye was a top 35 player coming out of high school. I think you could make an argument that Gumwel should be a top 100 player when it is all said and done. What a snag for Lorenzo Romar, the pro maker.
Bob Richey has a thing about finding the right dudes for the right position at the right time. Bronson’s commitment to the Southern Conference school is one of the most significant mid-major pledges in the class of 2023. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is the type of guard who shines in the SoCon, one of the best mid-major leagues in college hoops. Bronson is a winning play kind of guard from a winning program. He hails from Tampa Catholic, a scholastic system that properly prepares players for championship-level performances in college. Bronson was one of the best guards that I saw at our events this season and someone who should be hailed as a major addition to this year’s class.
There isn’t a more awe-inspiring player that I’ve seen in my career quite like Emmanuel. He’s the most unique player I’ve ever seen at this level and I am blown away by him every time I see him in action. He’s just incredible.
Anchored by some major NIL money and a major platform brand like Gatorade, it will be interesting to see how his career plays out on the court and in the marketing boardrooms of major brands worldwide. He could be the inspiring voice for several categories.
As a hooper, you can’t deny his talent. Despite his disability, Emmanuel has some star power to his game. You’ve seen the viral videos.
Will his game translate to the next level? For the last couple of years, Emmanuel has been a bit of a one-man show that draws justifiable oohs and ahhs. Can he take the same kind of wow to the collegiate level? It will certainly be fun to see if it can.
