The college basketball recruiting world continues to turn with Nassir Little headed to North Carolina
College basketball recruiting continues to roll on into the fall semester as fallout from last week’s events continue. This week, Nassir Little committed to North Carolina, Florida made some big moves and Louisville continued to suffer.
Here’s a look at the biggest college basketball recruiting stories of the week.
5-star wing Nassir Little commits to North Carolina amid FBI probe
Roy Williams landed a commitment from Nassir Little on Wednesday night. Little is the Tar Heels third commit in the Class of 2018 alongside Coby White and Rechon Black. North Carolina currently has the top recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports.
The 5-star prospect’s commitment comes on the heels of accusations that he is “Player-12,” the recruit referenced in a complaint following the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into bribery in college basketball. Little played for Brad Augustine, the AAU program director who was arrested as part of the investigation, but he and his family have vehemently denied any allegations that they asked for or were offered money as part of his recruitment.
That said, it’s worth noting that Little was rumored to be heading to Arizona before news of the FBI investigation broke. The 6-foot-6 wing explicitly referenced the investigation as part of his decision in an interview with ESPN.
Florida strikes big with two 4-stars in two days
Florida head coach Mike White is answering any concerns about his ability to bring top talent to the Gators. This week, he landed a pair of 4-star guards. Montverde Academy’s Andrew Nembhard committed on Monday followed by top 100 shooting guard Noah Locke on Tuesday.
Having the two high level guards in the hopper will be important for White and the Gators with senior Chris Chiozza set to graduate at the end of this season.
Nembhard’s decision also seems to have had a trickle down effect on another top 2018 prospect. Florida had been picking up steam with 4-star guard Devon Dotson in the 247Sports’ Crystal Ball, but several experts changed their picks to Kansas after Nembhard’s commitment.
Michigan lands a pair of 2018 recruits
Florida wasn’t the only school landing recruits this week as the Michigan Wolverines also roped in a pair of 2018 prospects. 3-star shooting guard Adrien Nunez committed on Monday while 4-star power forward Colin Castleton announced on Wednesday.
Nunez may have some time to develop, but Castleton could be called into the rotation early on with Moritz Wagner potentially set to enter the NBA Draft after this season. Michigan now has five recruits in its 2018 class and ranks as the No. 3 class in the nation, according to 247Sports.
Syracuse lands 4-star guard Jalen Carey
Jim Boeheim also landed an important piece this week, picking up a commitment from 4-star guard Jalen Carey. He is the third member of what is currently a top 10 class for the Orange. Carey gives Boeheim a versatile backcourt piece who can play either off the ball or handle it as the point guard.
Next: A college basketball investigation primer
Recruiting fallout continues for Louisville
The hits keep coming for the Louisville Cardinals as 2019 recruit David Johnson withdrew his pledge to play for the program. Johnson is the third player to de-commit from the Cardinals in the wake of their involved with the college basketball bribery scandal. A pair of 2018 recruits, Anfernee Simons and Courtney Ramey, de-committed last week.