Garrett Tucker:
Future150 Southeast Analyst. Covering high school basketball across the Southeast.
Nashville, TN (Future150) -- Heading into this weekend, the eight available top 10 players in the 2014 Future150 Rankings will be on campuses for visits. Of those eight prospects, the majority will be at Kansas, Kentucky, and Memphis.
PACKAGE DEAL LANDS IN LAWRENCE
Despite having their midnight madness festivities a few weeks ago, Kansas’ biggest recruiting weekend could be on tap. With Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones on campus, Bill Self and his staff have the chance to wow the dynamic duo.
Duke has been considered the front-runner for the package deal for the longest, but Kansas has started to make its charge, and sources say the Jayhawks are big players for both prospects, especially Okafor.
Jones and Okafor will be the only prospects on campus this weekend, so expect the staff to work them very hard; they will trip to Duke together next weekend.
KENTUCKY HOSTING TOP TARGETS AND UNDERCLASSMEN
There is no doubt that Kentucky will have the biggest weekend of any college, and it isn’t necessarily because of the seven McDonald’s All-Americans set to make their first appearance at Big Blue Madness on Friday.
Instead, John Calipari will use Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness as a tool to ‘reload’ for next season, as the Wildcats are hosting several of their top targets in 2014.
Stanley Johnson, Kentucky’s top target, will fly in from California and he could be the most important visitor. UK and Arizona have been battling all summer for the five-star wing man, and an excellent experience in Lexington could pay dividends for the Calipari in the recruitment of Johnson.
A pair of former Indiana commitments will also be in attendance, as Trey Lyles and James Blackmon Jr. will make the short trip. Kentucky looks to be in great position with both, and a commitment from Blackmon could come shortly after the trip.
Karl Towns and Tyler Ulis, both whom are committed to Kentucky, will be on campus as well. They will be accompanied by a handful of underclassmen:
2015: Eric Davis
2016: Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, Joshua Langford, Braxton Blackwell, Kobi Simmons, Quentin Goodin
2017: Brian Bowen
MEMPHIS LOOKING TO ADD PACKAGE DEAL OF THEIR OWN
Memphis’ midnight madness is one of the best festivities out there in the country, and Josh Pastner will use it to try to reel in Cliff Alexander and JaQuan Lyle, both who have discussed a possible package deal.
Kansas looks to be the popular leader for Alexander to this point, but with the gaining momentum of Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, the Chicago-Curie big man could be the odd-man out.
Alexander is expected to announce his decision November 16.
Since his de-commitment from Louisville, Lyle’s recruitment has been somewhat of a question mark. Nevertheless, if anyone has a chance to gain a commitment from the guard, Memphis could have the best chance.
OTHER TIP-INS
Kevon Looney will visit UCLA on Sunday. The staff visited him in Wisconsin this week, and with a commitment looking to happen at the end of the month, it looks like the Bruins are putting themselves in a good position.
Myles Turner, the No. 9 player in 2014, will officially visit Ohio State; the Buckeyes offered the Texas big man after a good showing at the NBA Player’s Camp in June.
Arizona will host one of its biggest remaining targets in Justise Winslow. Sean Miller and his staff have done a great job recruiting him and they are considered the leaders at this point.
Devin Booker will visit the alma mater of his father this weekend, Missouri. The Tigers are set to throw the entire kitchen sink at the Mississippi native, but Future150 expects the sharpshooter to commit to Kentucky at some point in the coming weeks.
Another under-the-radar visit to watch this weekend is William Lee to SMU. The Mustangs came on rather late, but they have made quite the move for the four-star power forward from Dallas County (Ala.). Georgia and Alabama are hoping for him to leave Dallas still open.
UConn will host some nice underclassmen this weekend for midnight madness, as Malachi Richardson, Jessie Govan, and Jaquan McKennon, along with others, are expected to be on campus.
A trio of Huntington Prep (WV) prospects will make a short trip to West Virginia this weekend. Headlined by 2015 commit Levi Cook, Thomas Bryant and Montague Gill-Caesar will also join him.
Matt Milon, Quintez Cephus, Ronald Bell, Dishon Lowery, and others will be at Clemson.
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