Tag: 2024 basketball recruiting

Gators hoops commit reports growth spurt, will be tallest college player ever

Florida’s incoming walk-on center will be the tallest player to ever compete in college basketball this fall with his new reported height.

There has been some recent hype on social media surrounding Florida basketball’s towering 2024 commit: three-star center [autotag]Olivier Rioux[/autotag] out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

The clamor surrounding the incoming freshman is focused on his updated height on the Gators’ profile page, in which Rioux is now listed at 7 feet 9 inches. If that measurement is correct, it would make the native of Montreal, Quebec, the tallest person to have ever played college basketball.

As of last November, his height was listed at 7 feet 6 inches, representing a three-inch growth spurt over the past six months. It also increased Rioux’s own Guinness World Record as the world’s tallest teenager

Not much is expected from the young center in his first year, as he is generally viewed as a developmental project by the program coming in as a preferred walk-on. However, Rioux appears to be confident in head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s skills and is willing to be patient while he works his way up the bench.

“I like (Golden) and think he could make me grow a lot and help me (improve),” he told Gators Online. “He likes the fact I can see the floor and have good inside and outside (game) — and defensively.”

Last year, he helped Canada earn the bronze medal at the U18 FIBA AmeriCup, averaging 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.

Recruiting Summary

Rioux is ranked No. 305 overall and No. 53 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 278 and 36, respectively.

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LSU basketball’s 2024 recruiting class finishes in the top 10

Matt McMahon continues to bring a lot of talent to Baton Rouge.

It’s been a slower rebuild through two seasons of the [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] era than many expected, but as we enter the 2024-25 season, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

McMahon has acquired quite a bit of talent, especially through the transfer portal, but he hasn’t neglected high school recruiting either. LSU’s four-man class in 2024 features three top-100 prospects, and that was good enough to finish as a top-10 group in ESPN’s rankings.

The headliners are power forward [autotag]Robert Miller[/autotag] (No. 72), point guard [autotag]Curtis Givens III[/autotag] (No. 75) and shooting guard [autotag]Vyctorius Miller[/autotag] (No. 76). The Tigers also added [autotag]Noah Boyed[/autotag], a power forward who ranks as the No. 4 JUCO transfer in the country.

After finishing with a losing record in Year 1, LSU was above .500 last season and earned an NIT bid. With a top-10 class coming in, the Tigers will be expected to take another leap this winter.

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Gators get former Oklahoma State signee on campus for official visit

This former Oklahoma State commit looks to be all-in on joining the Gators this upcoming season.

Florida basketball will host former Oklahoma State point guard commit [autotag]Jeremiah Johnson[/autotag] — who was recently released from his letter of intent with the Cowboys — on an official visit to the O’Connell Center on Thursday, per reports.

“This visit is real big,” Johnson said of the upcoming OV. “Just hearing what they’ve got and seeing all they can offer and how I can help their program.”

The 6-foot-4inch, 175-pound ball-handler out of Phoenix (Arizona) PHHoenix Prep also has the Stanford Cardinals, Texas A&M Aggies and Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenixes along with the Gators as his preferred destinations. However, the Orange and Blue have a clear lead in the graduating senior’s recruitment.

“To be honest, the No. 1 school is Florida right now,” Johnson told Gators Online. “Just because of the plan they’ve got for me, how they envision me playing. I’ve watched Florida since I was a kid. Knowing how they play and about their program just gives them a leg up already.”

On3’s scouting report

“Jeremiah Johnson has long arms with a projectable frame,” On3’s Jamie Shaw said. “The jump shot is natural and smooth. It has a repeatable, high release with great wrist action on the follow-through.

“He runs well and moves both vertically and laterally with athleticism. He is a solid secondary ball handler, would like to see him continue to tighten this area. Has the upside to be a good defender, able to both move his feet on the perimeter and get into the passing lanes off the ball.”

Recruiting Summary

Johnson is ranked No. 137 overall and No. 12 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 134 and 30, respectively. Florida holds the upper hand according to On3’s recruiting prediction machine with a 96.3% chance of landing him.

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2024 National Recruiting Rankings: Updated top 25 basketball teams

See which NCAA men’s basketball teams lead the 2024 recruitment battle.

Here are the complete updated top 25 teams as we move along in June 2024, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Duke leads the way in the rankings, with the rest of the pack shifting again this week. Texas joins the top 25, jumping up multiple spots to No. 14.

LSU basketball lands JUCO big man transfer Noah Boyed

The Tigers added a promising 7-footer to the transfer class.

If there’s one thing [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] has proven at LSU, it’s that he can remake the men’s basketball roster in short order. He’s done so once again this offseason after the team took a step forward in Year 2 but still missed the NCAA tournament, and on Thursday, he added yet another piece.

JUCO center transfer [autotag]Noah Boyed[/autotag] committed to the Tigers over Oregon and Wisconsin, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. A native of St. Lucia, the McCook Community College 7-footer was originally committed to Baylor but reopened his recruitment last month.

Boyed ranks as the No. 4 JUCO prospect in the country, according to 247Sports. With McCook, he started 32 of 36 games he appeared in, averaging 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.

Boyed joins a recruiting class that features three top-100 prospects and ranks 15th nationally. The Tigers also brought in a trio of transfer guards this offseason in [autotag]Jordan Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Dji Bailey[/autotag].

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4-star guard Vyctorius Miller signs with LSU men’s basketball

The Tigers made things official with their third and final 2024 commit on Thursday.

The LSU men’s basketball team and coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] signed their third high school commit of the 2024 cycle on Thursday.

Four-star Los Angeles guard [autotag]Vyctorius Miller[/autotag] made things official, signing a national letter of intent with the Tigers. He was the third and final high school commit in the 2024 class to sign with LSU, joining forward [autotag]Robert Miller[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Curtis Givens III[/autotag].

All three players rank in the top 100 nationally.

Miller is the highest-rated of the group. He ranks 56th nationally, per the 247Sports Composite, and he ranks as the No. 10 shooting guard in the 2024 cycle. Miller began his high school career in Chandler, Arizona, before moving to Southern California.

LSU’s recruiting class currently ranks 13th overall, per 247Sports, and it ranks 16th nationally when you include the three transfer additions so far.

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4-star guard Vyctorius Miller commits to LSU men’s basketball

LSU has added its third commitment in the 2025 cycle.

The LSU men’s basketball team took some significant strides in Year 2 under coach Matt McMahon, but it will be expected to take another step next season.

The Tigers are off to a good start in terms of roster construction for 2024-25, and they landed another four-star commitment in the 2024 class in Vyctorius Miller.

The four-star shooting guard hails from Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona, and ranks as the No. 53 player nationally according to both 247Sports’ and On3’s national rankings. LSU had a Crystal Ball projection to land Miller, but On3 had Oregon as the favorite for the blue-chip prospect, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 170 pounds.

With Miller’s addition, LSU’s class now ranks 29th nationally and features three four-star recruits as forward [autotag]Robert Miller[/autotag] and point guard [autotag]Curtis Givens III[/autotag] have already signed.

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5-star LSU women’s basketball target to announce commitment on Friday

Jaloni Cambridge, the top guard in the 2024 class, will announce her college decision on Friday.

Acquiring top talent hasn’t been an issue for [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] since arriving in Baton Rouge, and she’s looking to land another elite high school prospect in five-star guard [autotag]Jaloni Cambridge[/autotag].

Cambridge, the No. 3 player in America and top guard in the 2024 class, will announce her college commitment on Friday. The product of Montverde Academy in Florida by way of Nashville, Tennessee, will announce her decision between Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, South Carolina, Louisville, Baylor and the Tigers.

Cambridge officially visited LSU in November and was on hand for the team’s national championship banner unveiling and ring ceremony. The Tigers will hope she becomes the second commit in the 2024 class alongside [autotag]Jada Richard[/autotag], who signed during the early signing period last month.

Cambridge is the second-highest-ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2024 class behind North Carolina forward [autotag]Sarah Strong[/autotag], the No. 1 player in the nation. The Tigers are in the mix for strong, as well, though they’re in a two-team race with blue-blood UConn.

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Gators basketball earns commitment from Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter

The Florida women’s basketball program earned a signing from the daughter of legendary former-NBA star Shaquille O’Neal

The Florida women’s basketball team welcomes the daughter of legendary former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal to be a part of their squad.

Four-star recruit Me’Arah O’Neal in the 2024 cycle officially signed with the University of Florida this past Sunday afternoon, putting her name on the dotted line after only visiting the campus a single time.

O’Neal said she felt instantly connected with head coach Kelly Rae Finley and the campus, solidifying her decision.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged,” O’Neal told ESPN. “And that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida. I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me.”

Her father, better known as Shaq, rose to fame playing for the LSU Tigers before being drafted in 1992 to the Orlando Magic. The NBA Hall of Famer didn’t want to influence his daughter’s decision too much, even while visiting the LSU campus.

“One of the best moments of my life, where I took her to my alma mater and they knew who she was,” O’Neal said. “But believe it or not, I tried to stay out of it. What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted. Because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want (my kids) to have their own journey, have their own experience.”

Me’Arah O’Neal is a four-star who is ranked No. 33 on the ESPNW scale. The Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats and LSU Tigers were all among the finalists before signing to Florida.

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Florida basketball included in top 4 for 5-star center

Florida joined the race a bit late for consensus five-star center Jayden Quaintance, but the Gators were included in his top four Saturday.

One of the top-ranked centers in the class of 2024 narrowed down his college options to four programs on Monday, and the Florida Gators remain in the hunt.

The Orange and Blue will compete with Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio State for Word of God (North Carolina) big man Jayden Quaintance, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

“My dad is from Florida, his whole side of the family is down there,” Quaintance said.” It’s good to be able to talk to Florida schools.”

Todd Golden and his recruiting staff became serious contenders for Quaintance after a strong October push. The Gators visited him at his high school and then hosted him on an official in Gainesville before stopping by one more time.

Quaintance’s father played against Coach Golden in the Israeli Basketball League, but those ties might not be strong enough to beat out Big Blue. The good news is that Quaintance is no longer considering the G-League Elite route and should make it to a college campus.

Quaintance is a consensus five-star recruit, ranked highest by On3 at No. 4 overall and No. 1 among centers in the class of 2024. ESPN is the least bullish on him, but still puts him at No. 14 overall, so this is an elite talent.

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