Here is a cut and paste from ESPN Insider regarding Adam Finkelstein's predictions. Good news is that he thinks Jarrett Allen will be either KU or UK. He also thinks Marques Bolden goes to Kansas, and that makes Allen's decision.
After a period of time where the momentum seemed to be with Duke, it seems that Self is zeroing in on this recruiting season's most important recruit (Bolden).
When we get a cease and desist letter, we'll have to remove this obvious violation of copyright laws. Read quickly.
Twelve of the 28 five-star prospects in the country remain uncommitted but as they continue to take visits and cut their lists, more and more information on their collegiate choices has begun to emerge. Here’s a look at where the most recent intel suggests these prospects are leaning at present:
No. 1 Harry Giles (PF, 6-9, 230, Oak Hill Academy (VA)/Winston-Salem NC) -- Duke Blue Devils
Duke has been the presumed leader for Giles since Day 1, and when Giles’ best friend and USA basketball teammate Jayson Tatum came on board in Durham the buzz only got stronger. Giles has taken visits to Wake Forest, Kansas and Kentucky and has only Duke left -- which gives Coach K and staff the chance to make the final impression. The Blue Devils appear to still be firmly in the driver’s seat.
Under Armour, Under Armour, USA Basketball
No. 3 Josh Jackson (SF, 6-7, 195, Prolific Prep (CA)/Southfield, MI) -- Arizona Wildcats
The truth is that this one is still very much in flux. Yes, Arizona and Sean Miller have gone from a quiet contender to a perceived favorite while Michigan State and Maryland have emerged as the two most likely competitors. There’s no denying that Tom Izzo’s top-ranked national class has Jackson excited about the possibility of coming back home to play for the Spartans, while anyone discounting Maryland’s chances probably said the same thing about Diamond Stone at this time last year.
No. 5 Malik Monk (SG, 6-3, 185, Bentonivlle/Bentonville, AR) -- Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats seem to be the favorite, although Arkansas and to a somewhat lesser extent Oregon appear to be in consideration as well. Arkansas has the hometown advantage, especially since Monk’s older brother Marcus starred on the football field there, but when Kentucky and John Calipari are locked in on a prospect for this long, they rarely miss.
No. 6 Bam Adebayo (PF, 6-8, 235, High Point Christian/High Point, NC) -- North Carolina State Wolfpack
Adebayo seemed like a heavy NC State lean over the summer along with his AAU teammate, Dennis Smith Jr.. With Smith having officially committed last month, most expected it would only be a matter of time before Adebayo followed suit. That hasn’t happened just yet though, as Auburn and even Kentucky have stayed involved. While Bruce Pearl remains locked in, Mark Gottfried is still the presumed favorite and has a chance to close later this month when Adebayo takes his visit.
No. 7 De'Aaron Fox (PG, 6-3, 185, Cypress Lakes/Katy, TX) -- Kentucky Wildcats
Fox is done with his visits after seeing LSU, Louisville, Kansas and Kentucky and John Calipari certainly seems to be the favorite for the player who may be the closest thing we’ve seen to John Wall (albeit a left-handed version) since the Washington Wizards guard pushed the tempo in Lexington back in the 2009-2010 season. Fox has even gone as far as publicly discussing how well he and Monk could fit together in the backcourt.
No. 13 T.J. Leaf (PF, 6-9, 220, Foothills Christian/El Cajon, CA) -- UCLA Bruins
UCLA, Oregon and San Diego State are the final three schools in contention for Leaf. Word is that UCLA is the most likely destination, but right now one of the biggest hold-ups is the fact that Leaf wants to know he’ll be in the starting lineup from Day 1 of his freshman season, and that isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion at UCLA if Jonah Bolden decides not to pursue the NBA after this season. In other words, there’s a chance this one goes past the early signing period (which ends Nov. 18 ).
No. 15 Rawle Alkins (SF, 6-4, 200, Word of God Christian Academy (NC)/Brooklyn, NY) -- North Carolina State Wolfpack
Alkins has been a top priority for Chris Mullin from the moment he arrived back in New York and while Kentucky was perceived as the most notable threat to St. John’s over the summer, right now it doesn’t appear as if the Wildcats are going to get too involved. North Carolina State has become a definite factor though, especially since Alkins transferred to nearby Word of God. North Carolina too is working to take advantage of Alkins' new-found proximity.
No. 18 Kobi Simmons (PG, 6-5, 170, St. Francis/Alpharetta, GA) -- Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State, Kentucky and UNLV are the three schools that made Simmons’ final list and with Kentucky presumably intent to wait on Fox and UNLV taking another ESPN 100 point guard in Jaylen Fisher, all signs seem to be pointing toward Thad Matta right now. If that weren’t enough, Jeff Borzello reported Monday that Ohio State canceled last weekend’s visit with another point guard, Tyson Carter, perhaps signaling a potential pledge from Simmons on the horizon.
No. 19 Jarrett Allen (C, 6-10, 235, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal/Austin, TX) -- Kentucky Wildcats
Allen cut his list to eight and is coming off a recent visit to Notre Dame which reportedly went well. Nonetheless though, it's starting to look more and more like Allen could be headed to either Kansas or Kentucky, schools he'll will visit in back-to-back weekends to end the month of October. Ultimately, it might come down to the domino effect, given that both schools are in the mix for Marques Bolden. If one guy ends up at Kentucky, the other could be sealed for Kansas.
No. 20 Marques Bolden (C, 6-10, 240, DeSoto/Dallas, TX) -- Kansas Jayhawks
Coming off what was described by all reports as a great visit to Kansas, Bolden canceled planned trips to both Kentucky and Duke last weekend, fueling speculation that Bill Self had taken over the driver’s seat in Bolden’s recruitment. While Alabama is also looking to make a push, the expectation that Bolden now ends up at Kansas is what ultimately could push Allen to Kentucky.
No. 21 Dewan Huell (PF, 6-9, 230, Miami Norland/Miami, FL) -- Florida State Seminoles
Huell’s visits appear to be done now as he’s seen Miami (FL), Florida State and South Carolina in recent weeks. The Seminoles are the perceived favorites and apparently made an impression after hosting him along with several of their other top targets, yet reportedly pushed hard for the pledge but weren’t able to get it just yet. Miami is the hometown favorite and a very real contender while South Carolina got the chance to make the final impression on their visit this weekend.
No. 22 Udoka Azubuike (C, 6-10, 280, Potters House Christian/Jacksonville, FL) -- Florida State Seminoles
Azubuike and Huell were on Florida State's campus earlier this month along with Jonathan Isaac, who is already pledged to Leonard Hamilton, and so it’s clear the Seminoles have visions of pairing Azubuike and Huell together up front. He’s also visited NC State and will reportedly trip to North Carolina this weekend. Nevertheless, Florida State still sounds like the team to beat.
