Four commitments that moved the needle last week

This is an interesting time of year. A crossroads of sorts. Many high school sophomores and juniors are taking advantage of the travel season to make a name for themselves. While some high school seniors are still in the process of looking for colleges. You also have a transfer portal with over 1,700 names entered, and more than half are uncommitted. There are a lot of moving pieces.

While the recruiting carousel goes around, so does the coaching carousel. Many coaches are on the move, finding new opportunities and building new rosters. Some coaches are getting ahead in the 2024 class, and some are finalizing what they will put on the floor in a couple of months.

The first two high school evaluation periods took place in April. The 60-day transfer portal window closed in early May. Things are starting to trend toward the 2023-24 season as players are starting to arrive on campus for summer school. That said, all the while, commitments are happening.

In college basketball, they say if you’re not recruiting, you’re not winning. Let’s go through some of the commitments that happened last week that could move the college basketball needle moving forward.

High school commitments

Four-star center Thomas Sorber commits to Georgetown

Ed Cooley laid some good early groundwork in the recruitment of Thomas Sorber. Right as the 6-foot-10 center was blowing up, Georgetown was able to lock him down. Sorber is a true low-block presence. Something that John Thompson Sr. built his Hoya foundation on. Last season at Archbishop Ryan (PA), Sorber averaged 17.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks per game. He has strong hands with a natural understanding of positioning and angles. He has touch, with a go-to move over both shoulders.

Playing with the Team Final program, Sorber has helped lead his team to an 11-1 record through three Nike EYBL Circuit sessions. He is leading the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game while also adding 10.8 points on 54.9 percent from the field and 1.5 blocks.

Sorber is currently the No. 51 player in the 2024 On3 150. He is the second commitment in Georgetown’s 2024 class joining four-star wing Kayvaun Mulready, who was formerly committed to Cooley at Providence.

Point guard Jayden Reid commits to USF

New South Florida head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim was able to swoop in to get a commitment from former VCU commit Jayden Reid. The 5-foot-10 was the catalyst for the 23-3 Long Island Lutheran (NY) team who finished second this season on the NIBC. Reid plays with the utmost confidence, able to touch the paint, knock down a shot, or pick up full-court at the point of attack.

Reid played as an unsigned senior with the PSA Cardinals through April on Nike’s EYBL Circuit. He averaged 11.1 points and shot 43.8 percent from three.

Reid is the eighth player Abdur-Rahim has brought in this off-season, and the second commitment of the 2023 class, joining center Daniel Tobiloba.

Four-star point guard Dedan Thomas commits to UNLV

UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger worked hard in the recruitment of Dedan Thomas, and he reaped the rewards of that work last week. Thomas, who is the No. 30 player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking, became the first high school commitment of the 2024 class. He is a true point guard, the type you trust to lead a team, but has the ability to go out and score.

Thomas is also local. His Liberty High (NV) campus is less than ten miles from the UNLV campus. And even more than that, Thomas is a player that other players want to play with. The lefty is averaging 20.8 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 40.9 percent from three on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit with the Dream Vision program this summer.

Transfer portal commitments

Ven-Allen Lubin commits to Vanderbilt

Ven-Allen Lubin signed with Notre Dame as a consensus top-100 recruit. The 6-foot-8., 225-pound forward started seven games during his freshman season. In those games, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 61.9 percent from the field.

Lubin is a strong and lengthy forward. His most intriguing aspect is his motor. He plays aggressively on both ends, showing some switchable things on defense with natural timing. His per-40 numbers at Notre Dame last season were 14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. This could be a case where a change of scenery benefits all parties.

Vanderbilt loses six of its top eight scorers from last season, five of which came via the transfer portal. Lubin joins Lehigh grad transfer Evan Taylor (14.2 points/43% 3P) as the two portal additions this off-season.

Other notables

*Three-star guard Durral Brooks from Catholic Central (MI) committed to Michigan.

*Three-star forward Isaiah Brown from Orlando Christian Prep (FL) committed to Florida.

*Four-star forward Baye Ndongo from Putnam Science (CT) committed to Georgia Tech.

*Three-star forward Eemeli Yalaho from Western Reserve (OH) committed to Texas Tech.