Basketball Recruiting Notes: First July Evaluation Period Underway

By: Chris Horne |

July Evaluation Period No. 1 Underway

At 5 p.m. yesterday, the first of three July Division 1 men’s basketball recruiting Evaluation Periods got underway. This initial period lasts through this Sunday and will be followed by Evaluation Periods on July 13-17 and July 20-24. This is a key month for college coaches to further examine potential prospects. Following last year’s July Evaluation Period, for example, Virginia head coach Tony Bennett offered a scholarship to then rising senior De’Andre Hunter, who thrived during the AAU season. Hunter would go on to sign with the Hoos and is now enrolled on Grounds.

With only one scholarship available to give in 2017, Virginia’s primary focus appears to be on rising juniors heading into this year’s July Evaluation season. Point guard Ty Jerome, wings Kyle Guy and De’Andre Hunter, and posts Jack Salt, Jarred Reuter, Mamadi Diakite and Jay Huff make up the projected 2018/2019 roster. There are obvious depth concerns at the point and on the wing, and Virginia could use another big as well. Based on coach Bennett’s history with using scholarships, should the Cavaliers miss on the current top rising senior targets we still expect the scholarship spot to be filled, but the 2018 Class is important regardless of what happens in 2017.

As of this writing, we have confirmed that the following nine uncommitted rising junior prospects have scholarship offers from the Hoos…

– Darius Garland, Point Guard

– Jahvon Quinerly, Point Guard

– Prentiss Hubb, Point Guard

– Brandon Williams, Combo Guard

– Keldon Johnson, Shooting Guard

– Nassir Little, Small Forward

– Jalen Smith, Forward

– Zion Williamson, Forward

– Joey Hauser, Power Forward

2017 Remains Important, Of Course!

Targets such as point guard Matt Coleman and small forward Michael Porter Jr. have been atop UVA’s 2017 wish list for quite some time, but neither has yet to make a commitment. On a side note, Porter Jr., whose best friend is Cavalier freshman guard Kyle Guy, continues to show why he is considered a consensus 5-star prospect.

In addition to Coleman and Porter Jr., we know Reading (PA) rising senior combo guard Lonnie Walker IV is high on Virginia’s target board, too. Other scholarships have gone out, but for now these three appear to be Virginia’s best bets. The trouble is, it’s easy to see the Hoos losing out on all three, so I expect Bennett and staff to continue to scour the 2017 Class for prospects. Don’t be surprised to see a new offer or two go out by the end of the month or in August.

UVA-Related News On Day 1 Of The Evaluation Period

– Coach Bennett headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday for the Under Armour All-American Camp, which features class of 2018 targets Jahvon Quinerly, Prentiss Hubb and Nassir Little. Quinerly, a Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) product who visited UVA last month, averaged 12 points per game in two games on Wednesday. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) star Hubb averaged 11.5 points per contest while leading the entire field in assists per game with seven.

Little, a 6’6″ wing prospect, sat down with Scout.com’s Evan Daniels for a recruiting update. Click here to go to the report. It is for subscribers only so I won’t give any specifics away, but Little certainly seems interested in the Hoos and wants to visit soon. We hope to have much more with the Jacksonville (FL) native soon.

– Class of 2017 combo guard prospect David Beatty, who is getting a look from Virginia, was in action while Bennett was looking on in the early evening hours. UVA’s coach then reportedly watched Quinerly and Hubb go head-to-head.

– Meanwhile, Virginia was also represented at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam event in South Carolina.

Team Takeover features class of 2017 point guard Chris Lykes, who was a top Virginia target before he committed to Miami, while Expressions Elite features point guard Tremont Waters. Other Virginia targets in action at Peach Jam include: 2017 prospects Porter Jr. (SF, MOKAN Elite) and Walker IV (CG, Team Final), and class of 2018 targets Darius Garland (PG, St. Louis Eagles) and Brandon Williams (CG, California Supreme). All of these prospects have been offered by the Hoos.

– The Carolinas will be crawling with Division 1 basketball coaches this week. South Carolina is playing host to the Adidas Gauntlet Finale as well as Peach Jam. Under Armour’s big event is in Charlotte. Additionally, the Big Shots All-American Camp takes place in Myrtle Beach.

We’ll provide more basketball recruiting updates as they come, so stay tuned this week for more from the first July Evaluation Period. Also be sure to check out our Scholarship Picture Page, giving you the latest on UVA basketball recruiting in terms of scholarship numbers and targets. Click here for the scholarship picture page.