Baylor's Scott Drew and Alabama's Nate Oats have been two of the most successful coaches in the country over the past few years -- and both bosses added top-10 prospects in recent weeks to propel their programs into the top five of the latest recruiting class rankings.
Baylor had the slightly bigger coup, beating out Duke and Kentucky for No. 4 overall prospect V.J. Edgecombe. It was a long recruitment that included several other schools at different points in time and looked like a potential Duke-St. John's battle around the time of the early signing period. But Baylor turned up the heat, including sending its full staff to one of his high school games. And with Edgecombe in the fold now, the Bears have the No. 4 recruiting class in America, with another potential lottery pick heading to Waco.
Alabama's recruiting win was also something of a come-from-behind victory. Derrion Reid was all set to commit back in October, and Georgia seemed like the most likely destination had he followed through on his scheduled announcement. But he delayed the commitment, and Oats and Alabama were able to pull ahead and land a pledge from the top-10 forward -- one of last spring and summer's best performers. The Crimson Tide now have the fifth-best class in the country.
Of those left, who can similarly move the needle in the 2024 class?
Derik Queen (No. 10): While Houston and Kansas remain involved, this one has felt like a Maryland vs. Indiana battle for months. Neither program currently has a top-25 recruiting class.
Bryson Tucker (No. 17): Tucker has maintained a fairly quiet recruitment, but he visited both Kansas and Michigan State, while G League Ignite is also an option. Could he push the Jayhawks or Spartans into the top five in the class rankings?
Karter Knox (No. 24): Knox took his final official visit to Kentucky last weekend, and the Wildcats are joined by Louisville, South Florida and G League Ignite on his list. Kentucky is the presumed favorite, although it's likely not enough to push it to No. 1.
