Canes Hoops: August Recruiting Update

While football season is upon us with the first game just 3 weeks away, let’s check in on our Cane Hoops squad who have plenty going on this summer ahead of their season. As you may know, the Canes brought in a whopping 0 recruits in their 2018 class. Pair that with 2 underclassmen leaving in the draft and another starter graduating, and the coaching staff was left scrambling for transfers to replenish the talent on the bench. Luckily, Coach L and company were able to secure 3 transfers (more on those guys later) who should be able to play big roles with the team this season. 2019 is now a crucial recruiting year for the program, with more departures assured at the end of this season. This recruiting cycle has been a slow burn so far, with not much activity heading into the summer, other than a very interesting situation with arguably the top recruit in the entire class, Vernon Carey Jr, including the Canes in his top-5. Since our last update however, there has been plenty of action, and fans should find some comfort in knowing the coaching staff has been putting in plenty of work out on the AAU and Elite circuits. A huge area of need is in the frontcourt, with Dewan Huell sure to leave for the NBA after originally declaring this year, and Ebuka Izundu graduating. According to 247sports.com, the Canes are serious contenders for 7 prospects:

James Bouknight, a 6’4” 180lb guard from Granby, MA has included the Canes in his top 5 and will take an official visit to Miami on September 7th. UConn is considered to be the current leaders for the 4 signature.

As you can see in the highlight video below, Bouknight has good size for a guard and is a great athlete. Looks to have a smooth shooting stroke but remains to see how that will translate to college.

Donovan Williams is a 6’5” 160 lb guard from Missouri City, TX who will visit Miami on September 21st after naming the Canes in his top 5.

Williams has a similar build to Bouknight, with a little more length. He is a great finisher around the rim, although he’ll definitely have to add some weight to continue working in the paint at the next level. Texas currently leads in his recruitment.

CJ Walker is one of the more intriguing prospects in this class, which shows in the fact that he just named a top 12 (instead of a top 5) including the Canes.

The 6’8” 200 lb wing out of Orlando has seen his stock shoot up with some quality showings this summer. Another crazy athlete who could possibly have consistent range out to the 3 point line. Reminds me of a quicker Amp Lawrence. He would be a great get for this class, and luckily his recruitment is still wide open. His top 12 features lots of SEC teams (not including Kentucky) and the only other ACC team is NC State. Great situation for the Canes, let’s bring this local product home.

Qudus Wahab is a 6’10” 230 lb center out of Ashburn, VA. Big men are a premium, so Miami should be happy to be in the top 12 for his signature.

Wahab is pretty raw (as many big men are at this stage) but could definitely develop into a quality rim running center like Ebuka Izundu, who will be gone after this year. Miami should be looking to land this DMV prospect, especially if Vernon Carey Jr doesn’t work out.

Anthony Harris is a 6’3” 180 lb combo guard from Fairfax, VA. He named the Canes in his top 5 this past week and will take his official visit to Coral Gables September 28-30. Right now Harris is considered a strong Virginia Tech lean.

Harris is a gritty guard with a decently solid frame who likes to mix it up in the paint, grab rebounds, finish at the rim, and play hard-nosed defense. It would be great to sway him away from an ACC foe as well.

We’ve mentioned combo guard Isaiah Wong on here before, as the Trenton, NJ native is currently considered a strong Miami lean. Wong is a gifted scorer, and has listed a top 5 of Miami, Clemson, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, and Villanova. Having the defending national champions still in the hunt makes Wong’s signature far from a sure thing, so the Coaching staff should work to capitalize on this interest and get him locked down sooner rather than later.

Which of these recruits (other than Vernon Carey Jr obviously) do you hope the Canes land the most? Let us know in the comments.