I hope everyone is doing well. Lots of things are starting to happen around the Vanderbilt Basketball recruiting scene, and I wanted to start the week out by addressing them. Before I got confirmation last Tuesday night that Tyrin Lawrence would become a Commodore, I made the statement that a lot of circumstantial evidence was pointing in their direction. That is what I have right now on Kerwin Walton and Dylan Cardwell, a paper trail, but those trends are strong, and I also should find out much more as the week progresses.
There is one player that we have more factual knowledge on and that is Akeem Odusipe. Jerry Stackhouse extended an offer last Friday, but there is a holdup. As is the case with any player they have interest in, final clearance must be granted by admissions. I have been told by a source very close to Akeem that is the issue here. He is hoping to know something by mid-week. I was also told that if he is accepted, he likes Vanderbilt very much.
It is hard to tell where Odusipe actually has invites from, but evidently Maryland offered Friday as well. I’m not so sure on some of the other places like Auburn. J.T. Thor committed over the weekend, so their needs of getting a bigger player have been met.
Speaking of Auburn, that brings us to Dylan Cardwell. We have had some very astute posters on our board link the two parties. As many of you know, the Tigers were considered the leader in the clubhouse. They had a need for a big, and Cardwell has friends on the team, plus several members who have graduated and are currently going there. But Thor’s commitment changed things.
I spoke with Jeffrey Lee at the Auburn site yesterday, and he said he believes the Thor commitment “lessens the chance” of Cardwell having a spot on the roster. So now what?
Vanderbilt has always been persistent in this recruitment. Early on it appeared it was between Tennessee and Georgia, then the Vols filled up their roster. Yesterday, Auburn came close to doing the same. After speaking with Dan McDonald, it now appears that it may be down to the Commodores and the Dawgs.
I spoke with Anthony Dashler of the Georgia site, and he isn’t sold completely that they are in. Dashler said this has been a hard recruitment to gauge, but they are “completely without any semblance of a big.” Georgia has one spot remaining on their roster which would turn to two if Rayshaun Hammonds stays in the draft.
We are working sources close to Cardwell very thoroughly, and will learn more this week. But it appears that Stackhouse is outlasting the competition. As others have fallen to the wayside, McDonald believes it is down to a two-horse race.
Finally, handicapping Kerwin Walton has been like fitting square pegs into round holes. But now the fog may be lifting a bit. Eric Bossi recently put in a FutureCast for North Carolina. The reasoning is that a roster spot has opened up. Things also had to fall in place for it to remain vacated.
Tar Heel post player, Brandon Huffman, announced last Friday that he would be entering the transfer portal. On the same day, Walton announced he would be making his decision on April 25. Most see that timing as not coincidental. The Tar Heels were also in on two other perimeter players.
Ziaire Williams announced Saturday he would be attending Stanford. The Heels were once a favorite, but that wore off. The Cardinal was a surprise to some, but staying on the West Coast wasn’t.
Yesterday, Trey Wertz committed to Notre Dame over Carolina, Ohio State, and Virginia. Wertz is from Charlotte, and his father is a graduate from UNC. Early on it also appeared that Chapel Hill could become the landing spot, but the Irish started getting the buzz last week.
So to summarize, North Carolina has a spot available, they need a guard, and Kerwin Walton is reportedly interested.
Bossi touched on the competition this morning.
“Arizona and darkhorse Creighton are the two who are most likely in the thick of it with UNC while Georgetown, Minnesota, and Vanderbilt are also in the mix.”
There is one player that we have more factual knowledge on and that is Akeem Odusipe. Jerry Stackhouse extended an offer last Friday, but there is a holdup. As is the case with any player they have interest in, final clearance must be granted by admissions. I have been told by a source very close to Akeem that is the issue here. He is hoping to know something by mid-week. I was also told that if he is accepted, he likes Vanderbilt very much.
It is hard to tell where Odusipe actually has invites from, but evidently Maryland offered Friday as well. I’m not so sure on some of the other places like Auburn. J.T. Thor committed over the weekend, so their needs of getting a bigger player have been met.
Speaking of Auburn, that brings us to Dylan Cardwell. We have had some very astute posters on our board link the two parties. As many of you know, the Tigers were considered the leader in the clubhouse. They had a need for a big, and Cardwell has friends on the team, plus several members who have graduated and are currently going there. But Thor’s commitment changed things.
I spoke with Jeffrey Lee at the Auburn site yesterday, and he said he believes the Thor commitment “lessens the chance” of Cardwell having a spot on the roster. So now what?
Vanderbilt has always been persistent in this recruitment. Early on it appeared it was between Tennessee and Georgia, then the Vols filled up their roster. Yesterday, Auburn came close to doing the same. After speaking with Dan McDonald, it now appears that it may be down to the Commodores and the Dawgs.
I spoke with Anthony Dashler of the Georgia site, and he isn’t sold completely that they are in. Dashler said this has been a hard recruitment to gauge, but they are “completely without any semblance of a big.” Georgia has one spot remaining on their roster which would turn to two if Rayshaun Hammonds stays in the draft.
We are working sources close to Cardwell very thoroughly, and will learn more this week. But it appears that Stackhouse is outlasting the competition. As others have fallen to the wayside, McDonald believes it is down to a two-horse race.
Finally, handicapping Kerwin Walton has been like fitting square pegs into round holes. But now the fog may be lifting a bit. Eric Bossi recently put in a FutureCast for North Carolina. The reasoning is that a roster spot has opened up. Things also had to fall in place for it to remain vacated.
Tar Heel post player, Brandon Huffman, announced last Friday that he would be entering the transfer portal. On the same day, Walton announced he would be making his decision on April 25. Most see that timing as not coincidental. The Tar Heels were also in on two other perimeter players.
Ziaire Williams announced Saturday he would be attending Stanford. The Heels were once a favorite, but that wore off. The Cardinal was a surprise to some, but staying on the West Coast wasn’t.
Yesterday, Trey Wertz committed to Notre Dame over Carolina, Ohio State, and Virginia. Wertz is from Charlotte, and his father is a graduate from UNC. Early on it also appeared that Chapel Hill could become the landing spot, but the Irish started getting the buzz last week.
So to summarize, North Carolina has a spot available, they need a guard, and Kerwin Walton is reportedly interested.
Bossi touched on the competition this morning.
“Arizona and darkhorse Creighton are the two who are most likely in the thick of it with UNC while Georgetown, Minnesota, and Vanderbilt are also in the mix.”
