No. 1-ranked basketball recruit cuts his list of schools. Kentucky is not in the mix.
The basketball recruit most likely to ascend to the No. 1 spot in the class of 2021 rankings has narrowed his list to seven schools, and Kentucky is not on it.
Chet Holmgren — a highly versatile 7-footer from Minneapolis — announced his latest recruiting list Friday, paring down his options to Georgetown, Gonzaga, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Ohio State. There is no timetable for his final college decision.
With longtime No. 1 recruit Jonathan Kuminga on the verge of officially reclassifying to 2020, the top spot in the 2021 class will be open. Holmgren appears to be the most likely prospect to take that ranking.
In fact, ESPN has already shifted Kuminga to the 2020 class — following his graduation from his New Jersey high school earlier this month — and placed Holmgren in the No. 1 spot in its 2021 rankings. 247Sports currently has Holmgren as the No. 2 player behind Kuminga in its 2021 rankings, which were updated Wednesday, meaning Holmgren will likely take the No. 1 spot after Kuminga reclassifies.
Kuminga — a 6-8 forward from Congo — has narrowed his options to Kentucky, Auburn, Duke, Texas Tech and the G League, and — though he has graduated from high school — he has not explicitly said he’ll be reclassifying to 2020. That move, however, is widely expected, and an announcement on both reclassification and his next destination should come in the near future.
The G League is likely where he’ll end up. Kentucky is no longer seen as a realistic option.
So, Kuminga’s eventual reclassification will likely make Holmgren the No. 1 recruit in the composite rankings, with the No. 1 spots at ESPN and 247Sports. Rivals.com currently ranks Holmgren as the No. 4 player in the 2021 class, behind Kuminga, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and Paolo Banchero.
Kentucky extended early scholarship offers to Kuminga, Baldwin and Banchero, but the Herald-Leader confirmed this week that the Wildcats never got deeply involved in Holmgren’s recruitment, a somewhat rare occurrence for a player seen as one of the very best in the country.
Though Holmgren’s talent is undeniable, his skill set is unique and his fit at the next level is uncertain. Traditionally, a 7-footer with the amazing shot-blocking skills that Holmgren possesses would be seen as a “5” in college. But Holmgren is no traditional post prospect. His ball-handling skills, shooting range that extends beyond the three-point line, and ability to run the floor like a guard are what make him such a unique talent, and he’s expected to seek more of a perimeter role as a college player.
Other programs seem more suited to showcase Holmgren’s style of play than Kentucky, which hasn’t really had a player quite like him.
In an interview with the Herald-Leader this spring, Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans mentioned Gonzaga, Ohio State and Minnesota as three schools that “are really in there” with Holmgren, designating that trio as possible front-runners in his recruitment.
It’s also possible that Holmgren could go the professional route straight out of high school, bypassing college basketball for the G League’s new program or an overseas destination as preparation for the 2022 NBA Draft.
So far, UK has extended scholarship offers to just four players in the 2021 class — Baldwin, Banchero, point guard Kennedy Chandler, and shooting guard Jaden Hardy — though that list is expected to grow once John Calipari and his coaching staff are able to get a closer look at more of the top prospects in the class.
There are not expected to be any live evaluation periods for college coaches until September, at the earliest — due to ongoing concerns over COVID-19 — but there are still recruiting events planned in the coming weeks that will be available for coaches to watch online. And UK’s staff continues to engage in video conferences and phone calls with high school prospects and their families as this uncertain recruiting calendar extends into the summer.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 6:12 PM.
