LINKS: Jahvon Blair Movin’ On, Georgetown Roster News

Well, the first official news of a BIG EAST Champion Georgetown Hoyas senior signing with an agent and going pro is out. Jahvon Blair has announced that he is moving on.

Along with Jamorko Pickett, Blair was part of a special senior class—Patrick Ewing’s first recruiting class—with the pair that stayed four years raising a championship banner in March and making the NCAA Tournament.

Blair averaged 15 points per game with 3.6 assists this year. He finished with 1120 points, making 210 three pointers, in his career.

Blair’s game matured greatly in the past two years, taking a significant step last December.

Thanks, Jahvon! Best of luck! HOYA SAXA!

Here are the links:

The Citadel’s Kaiden Rice commits to play for Patrick Ewing and Georgetown | POSTANDCOURIER

“It’s hard to pass up being coached by one of the legends of NBA history in Patrick Ewing,” Rice said. “He has endless connections, and playing in the Big East, it’s hard to turn Georgetown down. And it’s a really prestigious academic school as well. “So it sets me up not only for professional basketball, but after that as well.”

Rice had no lack of suitors in the transfer portal after averaging 17.6 points and shooting 34.8 percent from 3-point range for The Citadel last season...

Rice said Ewing, a basketball Hall of Famer who led Georgetown to three NCAA championship games and played 17 years in the NBA, called him after he released his list of possible schools. “He called me and then we set up a Zoom time, and he introduced himself and laid out how everything would be,” Rice said. “My goals and aspirations are to get to the NBA and not just play professional basketball, and I feel like this is the best possible way for me to do that.”

One Move Left to Make for Georgetown | HILLTOPHOOPS.SUBSTACK

Of course, the coaching staff could be wrong in their assessment, but currently, there is a high degree of optimism within the Thompson Athletic Center about the Hoyas’ chances of landing the #4 player in the Class of 2021.

This information comes at a time when Rivals national recruiting writer Rob Cassidy, who initially had this as a race between Milwaukee and Duke, backtracked last week, saying, “These days, both Duke and Georgetown are in the thick of the race, and things seem a tad less certain than they once did.”

Now, this is not saying Baldwin Jr. is a lock to Georgetown. It would be a seismic upset in the recruiting world if Georgetown won this race. But, this recruitment is following a similar pattern as Aminu Mohammed’s recruitment...

Where the 5-star basketball recruits are heading for college | 247SPORTS

Patrick Baldwin ... Has great length and an excellent frame to add weight. At 6-foot-8, can play either forward spot and he has the ability to be a weapon from beyond the arc.There aren’t many prospects who have the combination of skill, basketball IQ, size, and athleticism. Has gotten significantly better off the dribble, and it is easy to see why he is one of the premier prospects in the class of 2021. From an NBA perspective he has not only significant 3 and D potential as a forward, but his athleticism is getting better - which could mean future star status if everything continues to come together. Add in that he is a son of a coach who has been around the game his whole life, and Baldwin checks nearly every box you could want out of a prospect. Looks like he will develop into an NBA lottery pick. – 247Sports National Basketball Analyst Brian Snow

NBA Draft projection: First Round

Player comparison: Klay Thompson | SG | Golden State Warriors

Duke basketball sees new competitor emerge for Patrick Baldwin Jr. | BALLDURHAM

Fresh off a Big East Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, head coach Patrick Ewing is trying to keep the positive momentum in Washington D.C. by landing the biggest recruit of his tenure. Patrick Baldwin Jr. did trim his list of landing spots down to 10 in Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Michigan, Milwaukee, Northwestern, UCLA, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin. But he has not made any further cuts, and he will not make any cuts to his list prior to his commitment. Tipton Edits said that Baldwin Jr. will not have a date set for his decision. Rather, he will just divulge the information and move on. The 6-foot-9, 190-pound small forward is still a heavy favorite to Milwaukee, according to the 247 Sports and Rivals predictions.

College basketball coaching changes: Grading the best and worst hires from 2017 after a full recruiting cycle | CBSSPORTS

A magical Big East championship run this year has, for the short term, salvaged what’s been an underwhelming go of things in Washington, D.C. Ewing’s record is 62-59 (.512) with three eighth-place finishes and one third-place finish in the league ledger. Winning the 2021 Big East bracket was one of the best stories this past March ... and then Georgetown got blasted in the first round of the NCAAs by Colorado. The Hoyas have also had serious roster defection issues the last two years, including Qudus Wahab leaving for Maryland, of all places, earlier this month. Ewing needs to be better in recruiting to stabilize the program going forward. GRADE: C-minus.

Five most impactful men’s college basketball transfers so far in wild offseason | USATODAY

Qudus Wahab, Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon was busy bringing in top-tier talent via the transfer portal to mesh with an already seasoned roster. His biggest pick-up is Wahab, a 6-11 big man who will give the Terrapins the size they’re needing to compete for a Big Ten title. Wahab averaged 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds a game last season and was a key part of Georgetown’s Big East tournament title and NCAA Tournament team last year. Turgeon also hauled in Rhode Island guard Fatts Russell, another veteran who can make an immediate impact in College Park.

Mac McClung looking for a school that will take him to the NBA | Kentucky Sports Radio | KENTUCKYSPORTSRADIO

So what kind of fit is McClung looking for? According to his high school coach, there are two big factors that stick out: coaches holding players accountable and their ability to produce NBA players. “What we saw at Texas Tech, there’s a fit,” Vermillion said. “There was some structure to where he’s learning to play a style of game that will translate to the next level. Somewhere where he’s preparing himself for the NBA. The kid wants to be coached. Coach Beard would take him out, coach him, and put him back in–that was how it worked. Some places didn’t do that. Some places take players out and don’t put them back in.”

The 15 best players in the transfer portal: Version 5.0 | Kentucky Sports Radio | KENTUCKYSPORTSRADIO

The question now, is what’s next for Akinjo? He did put his name into the draft process, but according to Arizona reporter Jason Scheer didn’t get a ton of positive feedback. Which is probably more due to his size (5’10 might be generous) than his skill-set. He could also return to Arizona, although it’s worth noting that he was the only returnee who didn’t show up to new coach Tommy Lloyd’s first workout. And finally, because he already transferred once (ironically, like McClung, he began his career at Georgetown) it’s still not actually known if he will be eligible next season. Still, this is a tough, fearless point guard that anyone in college hoops could use. As I said when he entered the portal, he would be my first call if I were Kentucky.