By JACOB POLACHECK & ADAM ZAGORIA
Here’s a look towards this weekend’s recruiting visits and other news. This list will be updated throughout the weekend.
**Kentucky hosts an impressive group of recruits for “Big Blue Madness,” including five-Star centers Mohamed Bamba and Nick Richards, small forward Kevin Knox, five-star point guards, Trae Young and Quade Green, and five-star power forward P.J. Washington. Class of 2018 stars Romeo Langford, Immanuel Quickley and Cameron Reddish are all expected as well. As the Herald-Leader points out, this is the first Big Blue Madness in coach John Calipari’s career where Kentucky doesn’t have an early commit going into the event.
**St. John’s has a loaded group for its “Red Storm Tip-Off,” including Class of 2018 stars Naz Reid, Luther Muhammad, Jahvon Quinerly and Moses Brown and Class of 2019 stars Scottie Lewis, Bryan Antoine and Cole Anthony. The complete list is here.
**Arizona hosts DeAndre Ayton, Lonnie Walker and Ira Lee on officials and Quentin Grimes, Btrandon Williams, Taeshon Cherry and Miles Norris on unofficials for its Red-Blue Game. Walker, the 6-4 wing from Reading (Pa.), took an official to Miami last month (Sept.30) and has plans to visit Kentucky (Oct. 21), Villanova (Oct. 28) and Syracuse (Nov. 4). Each school is included in Walker’s final five. Lee, the 6-8 power forward from Prolific Prep, has also taken visits to Oregon (Oct. 7) and California (Sept. 23), both of which are in his final three.
**Michigan State hosted an impressive group for its Midnight Madness including uncommitted wing Brian Bowen, commits Jaren Jackson Jr.,Xavier Tillman and Thomas Kithier, along with Jimmy Anderson, Brandon John, Foster Loyer, Duane Washington and Tyger Campbell.
**Georgetown has a strong group for its Midnight Madness, including Antwan Walker, Keldon Johnson, Jamir Moultrie, Kiyon Boyd and the Mitchell twins.
**Maryland will host several prospects for its “Maryland Madness,” including Class of 2017 guard Darryl Morsell and commit Bruno Fernando, Class of 2019 standouts Anwar Gill and Marvin Price and 2018 Jared Bynum, according to Pat Lawless.
**North Carolina hosts 2017s Jarred Vanderbilt and Sterling Manley on officials, and Jalek Felton, Brandon Huffman, Rechon Black, Zion Williamson Coby Whie, Josh Nickelberry, Joey Baker and Juwan Gary on unofficials. Felton, Huffman and Black have all committed.
**UConn hosts 2017 star Hamidou Diallo and commit Makai Ashton-Langford, 2018s Kevin Easley, AJ Reeves and Nate Roberts, 2019s Max Lorca, Bryce Wills and Akok Akok and 2020 Jabri Abdur-Rahim.
**Wisconsin hosts commits Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers and Kobe King on officials, and 2018s Tyler Herro and Jarvis Thomas plus 2019 star Matthew Hurt.
**Wendell Carter, the 6-10 power forward from Pace (GA) , Academy, takes his first official visit to Georgia on Friday. Carter also has plans to visit Duke (Oct. 21) and Georgia Tech (Nov. 4). Harvard is the only other school included in his final four.
**Billy Preston, the 6-10 forward from Oak Hill (VA) Academy, takes his official to Syracuse after hitting Kansas for “Late Night in the Phog.”
**Jordan Nwora, the 6-8 forward from Vermont Academy, visits Louisville this weekend following a trip to Georgia Tech on Oct. 7. Read more here. Louisville also hosts 2018s Nasir Little and Immanuel Quickley (Corey Evans).
**Baylor hosts Nic Claxton, a 6-9 forward from Legacy Charter (S.C.), and Ike Obiagu, the 7-footer from Greenforest Christian School (N.C.).
**Gary Trent Jr., the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Prolific (CA) Prep, takes his second official visit to Michigan State on Thursday. Trent recently cut his list to three with Duke, UCLA, and Michigan State. He has already visited UCLA (Sept. 23) and plans to visit Duke later this month (Oct. 21).
**Kimani Lawrence, a 6-7 small forward from New Hampton (VA) School, takes his third official visit to Florida this weekend (Oct. 14). Lawrence has taken officials to Arizona State (Sept. 23), USC (Sept. 30), and Pittsburgh (Oct. 7). Texas is the only other school included in his top five.
**Florida also hosts 6-8 power forward Isaiah Stokes of IMG Academy (FL), who is also considering Tennessee, Iowa State, North Carolina, TCU and Memphis.
**Aaron Wheeler, the 6-7 small forward from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, takes his first official visit to Purdue this weekend.
**Anthony Mack, the 6-6 wing from Blair (N.J.) Academy, visits Missouri officially this weekend before heading to Georgia on Wednesday.
**Zach Kent, the 6-10 center from Blair (N.J.) Academy, takes an official to Tennessee this weekend before going to Northwestern next weekend. Tennessee will also host Darius Garland, DJ Burns and JoJo Toppin on unofficials.
Photo: Herald-Leader
