New rankings. New recruits. New outlook.

D.J. Wagner is still the consensus No. 1 2023 prospect after ESPN's updated 100. Plus, Memphis bolsters its backcourt, Iowa State eyes more for Kalscheur, latest Summer Reading, and more.

August 30, 2022

It’s the first day of school in the Miller household. My oldest is off to 7th grade and is taller than my wife. My youngest can’t wait to spend 4th-grade recess playing hoops.

Yet, neither of those things makes me feel old. This makes me feel old.

And let’s not even discuss whatever’s going on with Tom Brady. Off to the news.

THREE POINTERS

1. D.J. Wagner’s still the one (for now)

It wasn’t a strong summer for Trenton, N.J., prospect D.J. Wagner, but he’s starting his senior year of high school the same way he left his junior year — as the nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023.

A long-awaited update from ESPN (their rankings hadn’t been touched since April) placed Wagner as their No. 1 recruit. He’s also atop the On3 rankings, ranked second by 247 and third by Rivals. (Wagner also has yet to pick a school; he’s still torn between Kentucky and Louisville.)

The rest of the consensus Top 5: Isaiah Collier, Justin Edwards, Xavier Booker and Mackenzie Mgbako.

But I’m most fascinated by what happens with Xavier Booker.

He’s now the highest-ranked recruit in Tom Izzo’s Michigan State tenure, ahead of Shannon Brown, Jaren Jackson and Miles Bridges. This comes after a significant leap in the ESPN rankings from unranked to No. 3. Rivals tabs him as the top prospect.

The 6-11 big man dominated in the spring and added an MVP award at the Pangos All-American Camp. A fluid lefty with a soft shooting touch who runs the floor well, Booker may have the most upside of any player in the class, especially if he becomes a more proficient rebounder (Izzo would certainly help there).

If nothing else, Booker (and the others in the top five) will certainly vie for Wagner’s spot.

2. Memphis may have its 2022-23 backcourt set

Penny Hardaway has been busy the past few days.

Less than a week after learning that guard Emmanuel Akot would not transfer to Memphis, the Tigers added their third player to the roster, and second guard, in Illinois-Chicago transfer Damaria Franklin.

He’ll be an impact player, too. Franklin earned All-Horizon League honors with the Flames, averaging 17.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game last season, though he made just 47 of 157 attempts (.30 percent) beyond the arc. He was a consistent scorer, hitting double-digits in all but two games. He’ll battle with Alex Lomax for a starting slot alongside Kendric Davis.

Memphis will be Franklin’s third D-I school. He spent two seasons at State Fair (Missouri) Community College, and one at Tennessee Tech. The 6-3 guard’s only been in the transfer portal since Aug. 24, not that he needed too long to choose.

“Memphis is a no-brainer choice for me,” Franklin told the Commercial Appeal. “Don’t get me wrong, all the coaches that reached out, they’re great coaches. (But) I feel like Memphis can be another hometown (to me), like Chicago. They show a lot of support. (Hardaway) told me, ‘Once you’re a Tiger, everybody treats you like family.’ That’s what I’m looking for.”

On the recruiting front:

3. Otzelberger: Gabe Kalscheur ‘can make a big jump’

One could argue Gabe Kalscheur has never been better than when he was a freshman at Minnesota. By the numbers, it’s not even close.

He started 36 games, averaged 10 ppg, had an eFG% of 55.3 (59.1 in conference play!) made 41 percent of his 3s, and only averaged 1 TO in more than 30 minutes a night. Those are career bests in eFG%, TO%, 3-point%, and offensive efficiency.

Compare to last season: 34 starts, 9.6 ppg, 42.1% eFG%, 24% from deep and a 23.6 turnover rate. It’s one of the more inefficient seasons by a player who started for a Sweet 16 team.

Yet, here’s the thing: Iowa State doesn’t make the Sweet 16 without Kalscheur going off against Wisconsin: 22 points, 9-15 from the field, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and just one turnover. That — or some version close to it — is the version Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger expects out of the fifth-year senior. From The Athletic:

We’re putting him in a spot now where we trust him. We believe in him. We know what he can do. He’s helped us win a lot of key games, big games last year. And so now it’s taking that next step. When you’re a go-to guy, when you move up the scouting report, or when you’re given more responsibility, more defenses are preparing for you and keying on you. But Gabe has had a terrific summer. I mean, he was playing really well at the end of the season for us, for sure. And we think he can make a big jump for us.

Otzelberger says Kalscheur spent the summer working on his shot and learning when he needs to be more aggressive. Given the roster turnover from last year’s 22-13 surprise team, Iowa State certainly needs everything it can muster out of Kalscheur. He’ll be expected to carry the load (along with St. Bonaventure transfers Osun Osunniyi and Jaren Holmes, and it’ll be fascinating to see his offensive progression.

Hey, showing improvement from an 80.4 offensive rating should be easy, right?

THE ALMANAC: ON SALE NOW

San Diego State’s tenacious D

You’ll hear plenty about non-power 5 schools that could reach the 2023 Final Four. Gonzaga (of course). Creighton. Houston. All worthy contenders. But none feature the nation’s best defense.

That’s San Diego State. Eli Boettger from Heat Check CBB explains why in The Almanac, the best college basketball preview available.

The Almanac: The 2022023 College Basketball Preview Digital Magazine is on sale now. Use promo HOOPS to save before Sept. 27.

SUMMER READING

Oral Roberts goes for one last run in Max Abmas era

Summer reading assignments suck. Trying to absorb info when your brain just wants to zone out is like trying to outrebound Oscar Tshiebwe. Well, good news. We did the assignment. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Sean Paul gives CliffsNotes on programs that aren’t Top 25 contenders but are worth knowing entering the 2022-23 season. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. 

Oral Roberts synopsis: Two seasons after making a Sweet 16 run, the Golden Eagles will try to steal hearts and headlines one more time in the Max Abmas era. Winning 19 games and finishing third in the conference is a success for most teams; it felt slightly underwhelming for Oral Roberts.

Main characters: Abmas led the nation in scoring (24.5 ppg) two seasons ago, but fell to third (22.8 ppg) last season. He was less efficient (46 percent from the field and 39 percent from deep last year, down from 52 percent and 43 percent in 2020-21). The loss of pick-and-pop partner Kevin Obanor (transfer to Texas Tech) affected Abmas.

So head coach Paul Mills made some moves. Frontcourt newcomers — 7-3 stretch-big Connor Vanover from Arkansas and bouncy 6-7 forward Patrick Mwamba from UT Arlington — should play pretty significant roles. Also, Abmas isn’t the only impact guard. Former Vandy transfer Issac McBride was excellent last season, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc.

The conflict: The Golden Eagles couldn’t exert any on-ball defensive pressure last season, often opening driving lanes for opponents. Only North Dakota State forced fewer turnovers per possession in all of D-I. Mwamba and DeMari Williams, a lengthy wing from Arizona State, should help but it’ll likely remain an issue. Abmas, McBride and Trey Phipps all struggle defensively.

Spoiler Alert! A great regular season is nice, but not paramount for programs in a one-bid league. Oral Roberts was the fourth seed in the Summit League Tournament in 2021 — then vaulted into the national spotlight with wins against Ohio State and Florida. As South Dakota State (maybe?) goes through a transitional phase, a door slowly creeks open for ORU.

THE FAST BREAK

Links as you hope for one last U.S. Open run by Serena.

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