Initial Reaction: Early Signing Period

November 9, 2023 by Travis Graf

Once again, the early signing period is here and the heavy majority of ranked prospects who have already made their commitments will elect to sign during this time. Below, I go through a few observations of where things stand early on during this period.

TOP DOG: Duke

It's no shock that the Blue Devils claim the top spot in this recruiting cycle so far with the commitments of four five-star players to go along with an additional four-star. The crown jewel of the class is obviously Cooper Flagg, the number one player in 2024. But he's also joined by arguably the top shooter in the class in Kon Knueppel, a steady big man in Patrick Ngongba, and yet another Paul VI pipeline product in Darren Harris. Those four are the ones who have signed, and there's another to get across the finish line in Isaiah Evans, a lengthy five-star wing. Evans announced today via social media that he will be signing with the Blue Devils on November 13th. They're also in good position with the No. 6 player in the class, VJ Edgecombe, who would take an already great class to an absurd level.

UNDERRATED CLASS: TCU

TCU's class is impressive not only because it's one of their highest ranked classes of all-time, but it's also a class that makes sense stylistically and fit wise. Four stars Malick Diallo and David Punch give them a nice 1-2 punch at the four and five spots, each bringing different skill sets to the table. Micah Robinson is also a top 150 prospect that plays hard and provides different things on the wing, and Ashton Simmons is a Texas product that fits the mold the Horned Frogs are looking for as well. One common theme among all of these prospects is their motor and ability to impact the game through grit.

MID MAJORS SHOWING OUT: Saint Mary's, Old Dominion, Murray State

Mid majors really catch your eye when looking at the class rankings as a whole. There's a handful of programs that beat out some power five competition for kids at lower levels. Saint Mary's is the first we'll mention here, with two players ranked in the top 75 in Mikey Lewis and Zion Sensley, both of whom were pursued by big name programs at one point. Old Dominion landed a trio of three-stars in Ethan Lathan, Caden Diggs, and Deion Ware, with Lathan having visited an ACC program. Lastly, Murray State signed Jordan McCullum, a lengthy top 110 prospect with a lot of high major interest, and also signed DJ Shine.