In a normal year, the college basketball recruiting calendar would have flipped about this time. Coaches would be returning home after a month-long cross country trip to watch recruits play in a variety of tournaments.
College Basketball Recruiting in a World With COVID-19
With the coronavirus pandemic still affecting sports at all levels all across the country, college basketball recruiting has taken a big hit. All of the camps and tournaments that would normally happen over the course of a summer were all cancelled.
The NCAA even extended its recruiting dead period – meaning no contact with athletes – through the end of August (and maybe longer). Without the virus restrictions, players would be getting ready to cut their lists of prospective schools and take official visits. It should be the peak of the recruiting season.
Some summer leagues and tournaments have gone on as scheduled this summer. College coaches have not been permitted to attend, but they have the ability to live stream the action. The coaches are split on the value of watching the streamed games.
Some say the competition isn’t all that great. Others prefer to watch high school film as they believe it offers more value. Regardless, there are plenty of recruits out there still trying to get noticed.
Get a College Basketball Betting Bonus Today.
Can Sleeper NCAA Basketball Recruits Get Noticed?
It’s becoming more difficult for the sleeper recruit to get noticed. The annual Peach Jam held in South Carolina routinely attracts some of the nation’s best young basketball talent. Years ago, a young Anthony Davis burst onto the national recruiting scene based solely on his performance at the Peach Jam.
With events like the Peach Jam cancelled in 2020, athletes like James Graham, a four-star forward from Wisconsin, have had to rely on the livestreamed games and film from the spring to attract national attention.
In July, Graham cut his list of schools to nine. None had offered before the spring. They all came after his performance this summer. Graham chose Maryland.
Another player that has benefited from the live streams is 6-foot-1 guard Sean Pedulla from Oklahoma. In a game against five-star guard Keyonte George, Pedulla scored 31 points and caught the attention of several major programs as a result.
Pedulla held a handful of offers from mid-majors prior to that performance. After it, he now holds offers from Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Tulsa, SMU, and Saint Louis, among other college basketball teams on the rise.
Lasting Effects on CBB Recruiting
While the limits on college basketball recruiting will surely affect the Class of 2021, it will also linger and effect future classes. Shaedon Sharpe, a 2022 recruit, is a great example.
Sharpe, who hails from Canada, played at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas last season. He didn’t see much playing time on a roster that included several college prospects. Last summer, he played for Canada’s FIBA U16 team and averaged 13 points a game. It was there that college coaches learned of his potential.
Without the benefit of this summer, Sharpe has just a handful of offers. He will transfer and play at Dream City Christian (AZ) next year, but a player of his ability should have offers from every major college in the country by now.
A Sharp’s Guide to Betting College Basketball Totals.
Another effect is being seen in the number of commitments by top players around the country. Before the end of August, about 50 of the ESPN Top 100 2021 recruits will have verbally committed. The number of commits is never that high at this time of year.
Players like Max Christie (Michigan State commit) and Trey Patterson (Villanova) were able to focus more on their recruitment without the camps and tournaments that are usually played in the summer. As a result, more players are committing early.
Will that continue? It’s hard to say, but for now college basketball recruiting will continue to be anything but normal.
