NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Fresh off winning a gold medal with the USA U17 team at the World Championship in Spain last week, Gary Trent Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. continue to talk about going to the same school for college.
Mohamed Bamba is also in the mix for joining the two at the next level.
“We talk about it here and there,” Trent Jr. said at the Peach Jam on Friday afternoon. “Me and Wendell seriously, but Mo joining us, that’s a possibility as well, too.”
The 6-foot-6 Trent Jr. out of Apple Valley (MN) and the Howard Pulley AAU squad said all three Class of 2017 stars talk often on a group chat.
“We just talk, here and there,” he said. “Mostly in the group chat we don’t even talk about schools really, we just talk about what we did last night.”
Trent Jr. listed Ohio State, Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky, Arizona and UCLA among those recruiting him hardest, but said Kentucky has backed off somewhat recently.
“It’s been here and there, it’s not every day like some schools but it’s still pretty consistent,” he said. “But it’s not as strong as every day.”
He plans to cut his list after Peach Jam ends this weekend.
“After Peach Jam after my last game, I plan on cutting my list down to 5-7,” he said.
Duke remains a strong option for the Trent Jr.-Carter Jr. duo, as the 6-10 Carter Jr. has long been linked to the ACC power. He was named to the all-tournament team at the FIBA U17 World Championship.
“I enjoyed myself, I went to Spain, got a gold medal,” Trent Jr. said of the experience. “That’s my second one now, so I was happy.”
Meantime, the 7-foot Bamba has been tearing it up here with the PSA Cardinals, 4-0 heading into Friday night’s action. He plans to cut his list to 10 in August and holds offers from both Duke and Kentucky, among others.
“It could happen, but it’s not a package deal,” Bamba said. “We talk, we’re friends and we joke around a lot but it’s not a package deal. He’s doing his recruitment and I’m doing my recruitment.”
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