(Re)class is in session

South Carolina tells North Carolina "GG", a look at the successes and struggles of recent reclassification attempts, building a roster from scratch and more.

July 15, 2022

Your reward for making it to another weekend? An action-packed newsletter featuring the conclusion of a Carolina vs. Carolina battle, an in-depth look at reclassification success and more.

Let’s get into it!

THREE POINTERS

1. (South) Carolina in my mind

This just in! Well…kinda “just” in. 2023’s top prospect GG Jackson is de-committing from North Carolina. It is highly expected that he will instead play at South Carolina during the 2022-2023 season. Rumors of this move have gotten louder and louder over the last two weeks, and the Carolina blue smoke clouds finally turned into black and garnet flames last night.

De-commitments and re-classifications are far from rare these days, but Jackson’s move here is historic for a few reasons.

For starters, this is reportedly North Carolina’s first de-commitment in school history. For a storied program coming off a national runner-up finish, losing the nation’s top player to a ‘rival’ school with just two NCAA Tournament appearances in the new millennium feels substantial. Though Armando Bacot appears to be unbothered:

For South Carolina, Jackson would be the school’s highest-ranked recruit in the history of the 24/7 database. By a long shot. PJ Dozier (ranked 25) and Sindarius Thornwell (30) are the only previous Gamecocks recruits ranked in the Top 50 of their respective classes. Those guys made a Final Four together in South Carolina’s only successful March run since 1973.

If you just can’t get enough GG, our very own Rob Dauster gave his instant reaction on whether or not reclassifying is a mistake for Jackson long term:

2. The classification of re-classifications

It remains to be seen how productive Jackson will be in Year 1 for South Carolina. The latest top prospect re-classifications have had a varying range of success. Here are some examples of the good, the ‘meh’ and the ugly in recent years:

THE GOOD

  • Jalen Duren

    • No. 6 prospect after re-classifying into 2021

    • Averaged 12 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in one season at Memphis

    • Result: Drafted 13 overall by Charlotte (traded to Detroit)

  • Anthony Edwards

    • No. 2 prospect after re-classifying into 2019

    • Averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in one season at Georgia

    • Result: Drafted 1 overall by Minnesota

  • Kira Lewis Jr.

    • No. 39 prospect after re-classifying into 2018

    • Averaged 15.9 points and 4.0 assists per game in two seasons at Alabama

    • Result: Drafted 13 overall by New Orleans

THE ‘MEH’

  • Caleb Houstan

    • No. 11 prospect after re-classifying into 2021

    • Averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds per game in one season at Michigan

    • Result: Drafted 32 overall by Orlando

  • N’Faly Dante

    • No. 14 prospect after re-classifying into 2019

    • Averaged 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in three seasons at Oregon

    • Result: Entering senior season at Oregon

THE UGLY

  • Emoni Bates

    • No. 5 prospect after re-classifying into 2021

    • Averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in one season at Memphis

    • Result: Transferred to Eastern Michigan

  • Khristian Lander

    • No. 27 prospect after re-classifying into 2020

    • Averaged 2.9 points and 0.9 assists per game in two seasons at Indiana

    • Result: Transferred to Western Kentucky

  • Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

    • No. 26 prospect after re-classifying into 2021

    • Averaged 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in one season at Tennessee

    • Result: Transferred to Louisville

  • Devin Askew

    • No. 32 prospect after re-classifying into 2020

    • Averaged 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in one season at Kentucky

    • Result: Transferred to Texas (2.1 ppg, 1.3 apg) then Cal

There’s no clear way to determine what factors most positively or negatively impact reclassification success. While there are a handful of shining stories, the vast majority of the examples we have from the last five seasons have resulted in limited college accolades and/or a transfer. It is rare that a highly-touted recruit enrolls early and improves his draft stock.

Here’s to hoping that GG can buck the trend (unless you are a bitter North Carolina fan, in which case I encourage you to try and shake the insurmountable resentment of losing one recruit in 112 storied seasons fresh off of a national championship appearance).

3. How to Find 13 Guys in 50 Days

LSU coach Matt McMahon had a one-of-a-kind mission this offseason — fill 13 open scholarships and build a new team from scratch.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello went in-depth on how McMahon approached this quest and successfully fielded a full roster in less than 50 days.

Ten years ago, a task like this would have been impossible on such short notice. In the transfer portal era, not so much. So where did these new players come from?

  • Players recruited from the previous LSU regime to return (3)

  • Players transferring in from McMahon’s previous stop, Murray State (3)

  • Non-Murray State players from the transfer portal (3)

  • Incoming freshmen previously committed to Murray State (1)

  • Incoming freshmen that de-committed from other schools (3)

McMahon is well aware that the SEC will pose challenges for these new faces. In the article, he noted, “It’s different playing against Tennessee Tech and playing against Kentucky”.

He may be right, but there won’t be a more interesting case study for the new era of college basketball next season than LSU.

OFF THE CAROUSEL

New at Mizzou

Cuonzo Martin has left the building and in steps Dennis Gates. Can he make Missouri Missouri again? Three Man Weave’s Jim Root (a Missouri fan through and through) sat down to get the details on Gates’s plan to restore glory in Columbia.

THE FAST BREAK

Links to click as you sit back and ponder what you did to add to your legacy today:

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend, and spread the word if you love The Field of 68.