Really interesting article by Corey Evans on how the virus could place more importance on regional recruiting.
‘“The big difference was the coronavirus. Once it hit, it kind of gave him a real meaning of what distance really is,” Omoruyi’s guardian Mohamed Oliver said. “Once all that stuff started to happen and everyone started to be quarantined, the first thing that was said was what would happen if this thing happened if he was out in Arizona. It all just started to make more sense to him with what he wanted.”’
Cliff Omoruyi just committed to Rutgers, 30 minutes from his house.
Evans also suggests recruiting budgets may also be slashed going forward due to the economic downturn, preventing coaches from seeing and wooing faraway players.
And then transfers looking for homes now are obviously impacted:
“ This is all forcing transfers to pick their next school sight unseen. I get Seth Towns to Ohio State, Rodney Howard to Georgia Tech and Brycen Goodine to Providence; each are returning home and had visited the school’s campus during their high school days. For all others, they’re going to be out of luck during a time that they need to make it work with it being their second and likely last go around for where they will complete their college careers.
That has also brought hesitancy on colleges' part, too. Do they really want someone that they haven’t developed the proper relationship with? There is only so much that can be learned over the phone compared to having the transfer around its program for a weekend’s worth of time. Mistakes now could be exasperated further during the season.”
https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/...on-winners