Entering Saturday’s Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore., seven elite uncommitted players now remain on the board in the Class of 2015 after Caleb Swanigan pledged to Michigan State on Friday.
That group includes six on the USA roster — Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram, Malik Newman, Ivan Rabb and Stephen Zimmerman — and two on the World roster — Cheick Diallo and Thon Maker, who has said he’s “70 percent” on reclassing to 2015.
The game will air on Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
Two other elite players recently committed in Diamond Stone (Maryland) and Thomas Bryant (Indiana).
Keep in mind that the NCAA late signing period begins April 15 and the NBA Early Entry Draft Deadline is April 26.
Here’s a brief look at the other uncommitted players and where they stand:
IVAN RABB
The 6-10 big man from Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd could also make his college announcement soon.
Sources previously told SNY.tv that Rabb is expected to pick Cal over Arizona.
There are many factors that are playing in role in his decision-making.
“The biggest difference between the two programs is Arizona is already established,” Rabb told Quint Kessenich during the McDonald’s Game. “They get deep in the [NCAA] Tournament every year. And Cal, they have a new coaching staff and they’re very hungry and they’re looking for somebody like myself to come into the program and try to turn things around. And if I was to go there I possibly would be able to get people to come with me.
Rabb added at media day that he has spoken with fellow McDonald’s All-Americans Jaylen Brown and Caleb Swanigan a lot about going to school together, but as of now he still needs to talk with some people and get advice before he makes his final decision. Cal is recruiting both Brown and Swanigan, while Arizona is not.
Asked on air if he wanted to be the face of a program like Cal or not, Rabb said, “That’s the issue I’m trying to figure out what I wanna do. It’s a decision that I’m going to make because I’m going to be the one that has to live with it and play there and live there for as long as I want to be so it’s my choice.”
Rabb is projected as the No. 8 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com.
CHEICK DIALLO
The 6-9 McDonald’s All-American Game MVP from Our Savior New American is getting close to a decision.
Diallo is considering Iowa State, St. John’s, Kentucky, Kansas and Pitt.
He will have in-home visits next week with Kentucky’s John Calipari, Kansas’s Bill Self and St. John’s Chris Mullin and visits with Pitt’s Jamie Dixon and Iowa State’s Fred Holberg after the Jordan Brand Classic on April 17, a source confirmed to SNY.tv after it was reported by Evan Daniels of Scout.
“I’m trying to make a decision maybe Jordan Game or after Jordan Game,” he said in the above video from OregonLive.com. “I wanna know what players are going to the NBA and what players are not going. That’s my big thing.”
Diallo is projected at No. 14 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
BRANDON INGRAM
The 6-8 wing from Kinston (N.C.) High was recently added to the Hoop Summit roster and is considering North Carolina, Duke, N.C. State, Kentucky, Kansas and UCLA.
His high school coach, Perry Tyndall, told SNY.tv that Ingram will “probably have some in-homes in the next couple of weeks” leading up to an announcement.
Ingram is projected at No. 7 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
STEPHEN ZIMMERMAN
The 7-footer from Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman is considering UNLV, Arizona, UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky.
Some are speculating that with Kentucky expected to lose Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson to the NBA, Zimmerman could slide right into the center position at Kentucky.
But we will have to wait and see.
MALIK NEWMAN
The 6-4 guard out of Callaway (MS) has never cut his list and is considering Kentucky, Kansas , LSU, Mississippi State and N.C. State among others.
As we’ve written, LSU commits Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney are working to get him to join them, while Kentucky-bound point guard Isaiah Briscoe is doing the same.
Meantime, with Andrew and Aaron Harrison expected to declare for the NBA Draft, it could open up space for Newman to head to Kentucky alongside Briscoe, Charles Matthews and returning point guard Tyler Ulis.
Newman recently told ESPNU he has no timetable on an announcement.
“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “We still don’t have a timetable for that but right now I’m not sure.”
Newman is projected at No. 5 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
JAYLEN BROWN
The 6-7 Brown out of Marietta (GA) Wheeler is keeping everyone guessing and recently appeared in this epic Bleacher Report video with him wearing the jerseys of all eight teams on his list — Cal, UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan, Georgia, Georgia Tech and North Carolina, adding at the end, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Brown is projected at No. 3 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com behind Kentucky commit Skal Labissiere and LSU-bound Ben Simmons, who is also on the World Team .
THON MAKER
It remains unclear if the 7-footer from Orangeville Prep in Ontario will ever step foot on a college campus, with many observers saying he may not qualify.
His guardian, Ed Smith, has told SNY.tv that they will consider possibly playing in Europe or China next season if that is the case.
But Marc Spears of Yahoo! Tweeted Tuesday that “Maker told Yahoo at Hoop Summit practice he will not play pro overseas & will either go to a 5th year prep school or college.”
Meantime, Kentucky, Kansas and Indiana are among those involved for Maker, a tremendous athlete projected as the No. 10 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com.
