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Hey all, before the weekend fully hits, I wanted to drop some good nuggets with Bearcats basketball recruiting that I've picked up over the past few days from various sources around the program and around lots of recruits UC is pursuing.
*First off, I'm told UC will definitely take one more in the 2024 class, but it's not a definite on two. Remember, Tyler McKinley has already been locked in and nothing suggests he won't sign his letter of intent during the fall signing period. The one sure thing is that UC WILL take one point guard in the class.
**The highest target on the board is four-star Tyler Betsey. He'll be officially visiting UC Sept. 23, the weekend of the Oklahoma football game. I don't personally know his 'handler' or the guy really running point on his recruitment, but I'm told he has a close connection with Wes Miller. And this handler has told one of my sources, "It'll be Cincy." I can't confirm if there's any type of deal in place with Betsey or anyone else, but from the vibes I'm hearing, it will almost be surprising if it's not UC. Now, that said, Alabama might be the one making the biggest push right now. The Tide had NBA star Brandon Miller reach out personally to Betsey at the end of last week and I'm told someone from that staff talks to him almost every day. No official set up with Alabama that I'm aware of, but I know there's a massive push there. That will be telling if he does visit Tuscaloosa.
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***I've been working to get Labaron Philon for an interview, but have not had luck with that so far. But sources in the program said they were please with how his official visit to UC last weekend went. They had McKinley come by and hang out with him and that seems to be a big driver. I know Chad Dollar has had a big impact here as well and I'm told they hit it off again during the visit. I know McKinley transferred to Winton Woods from Link, where Philon just went. But I'm told that isn't a factor here. Philon and McKinley are tight, as evidenced by the visit and that bodes well for UC. The others still in the mix here are Kansas, Alabama and Ole Miss.
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****The other guard here that we've covered is Jase Richardson. He also will visit officially on Sept. 23. He talked very glowingly about the Bearcats, but Rivals sources have told me he's talked positively about everyone and the thought is he's trying to deflect from everyone thinking he's an automatic to Michigan State. I mean, that makes sense, with his dad, Jason Richardson winning a national title there. But this one overall has been tough to read. Everyone still involved here seems to feel great about the chances of getting Richardson, particularly Arkansas I'm told. And it's weird because Richardson never once mentioned them to me. The good news is he's visiting UC soon, where the staff can make its biggest push for him.
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*****The other guard here in play is one who somewhat quietly visited UC last weekend, Jasper Johnson, I did a story on him yesterday, but was told this morning there's a growing feeling that he'll reclassify to the 2024 class, up from the 2025 class, now that he's at Link. He didn't mention this to me, but it looks to have a ton of merit. He's from right down the road in Lexington and I had one Rivals source tell me Coach John Calipari has personally been reaching out to Johnson. When we talked, Johnson didn't want to mention anyone outside of UC for whatever reason, so I don't have a great gauge. But it's interesting him visiting UC unofficially last weekend, literally hours before he moved in at Link, in Branson, Missouri.
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******Lastly, the other name in play here is Jayden Quaintance. He's a big man, a true center, which if he gets taken, would definitely mean two more high school guys taken in the class. He officially visited Ohio State over the weekend and I'm told UC expects him in October. I haven't confirmed that date, but it's looking like Oct. 14 or Oct. 21, which would line up with home football games against Iowa State and Baylor. My source close to UC's program tells me "We're staying in tuned with him" and hopes "we get some steam getting closer to October." I don't think the Bearcats feel quite as strongly with him as others, but he's another possibility more on the outside I think right now. So, Betsey and Philon seem to be the best odds, followed by Johnson, Richardson and Quaintance.
More info to come when available, but wanted to keep everyone up to date on what's going on right now in UC basketball recruiting.
cincinnati.rivals.com
