Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner’s plan for recruiting in his first three years was one of progression. The first class was to be solid. The second had to advance to “good.”
“And we need a great class in ’19,” Pastner said.
It’s Pastner’s hope that that class will come together over the next several weeks. No high-school seniors have committed to playing for Pastner and the Yellow Jackets, which is common, but not ideal. He has three scholarships available.
“I think we’re on some really good prospects, but then there’s also gettability,” Pastner said, invoking a word he often uses in recruiting conversations.
The test, as always, will be if he can bring them in. Pastner and his staff swung for the fences in the first year, going after but falling short on the likes of Wendell Carter and Collin Sexton, local products who chose Duke and Alabama, respectively, and became one-and-done lottery picks. The one who got away last cycle was Nassir Little, who Tech spotted ahead of the competition but who caught fire in the summer before his senior year, and eventually signed with North Carolina. Tech still ended up with a class rated No. 46 overall (all ratings 247 Sports composite), headed by guard Michael Devoe.
Now in his third cycle at Tech, Pastner is learning more how tough it can be to recruit at Tech. Beyond the school’s academic rigor that eliminates many prospects, he shared the story of a prospect who was highly qualified academically, but was not interested in Tech’s field of majors.
“It’s not easy here,” he said. “I mean, this is a hard school. Which is a great thing. There’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s no complaining about that. So that’s why it’s very important that we get the right fit for Georgia Tech.”
At least two prospects have announced official visits to Tech ahead of the November signing period. Orlando Robinson, a 6-foot-9 center from Los Angeles, is scheduled to visit Tech on Sept. 28. He also has visits planned for Boise State, Fresno State, Louisville and Oregon State, a rather diverse set of finalists. Robinson is a four-star prospect rated the No. 145 player in his class.
Ismael Massoud, a 6-foot-9 small forward from the Bronx, N.Y., is scheduled to visit to Tech the same weekend as Robinson. Rated the No. 93 prospect, he also has visits lined up with Auburn, Harvard, Rutgers and Wake Forest.
Perhaps the most sought-after prospect for Pastner and his staff is Buford High guard Marcus Watson. While rated the No. 65 prospect in the country, Watson may be the sort of player Pastner said will be imperative for Tech to find in order to succeed – a player who is underrated, but whom Tech coaches spot and value appropriately.
Further, as a metro Atlanta player, Watson could be a landmark win for Pastner. Of the seven players to sign with Tech out of high school in Pastner’s tenure, six have been from out of state, and the lone in-state signee was sophomore forward Evan Cole of Cumming, whom Tech secured in the spring of 2017 after he was released from his letter of intent with UNC-Wilmington.
Watson is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard with a scoring knack who is the sort of player that the Jackets need to ascend in the ACC standings. In two seasons in the conference, Pastner has experienced a steady dose of talented scorers at the guard and wing positions. After losing Josh Okogie to the NBA, he needs his own.
“I do know that we need to get guys who can score and/or shoot,” Pastner said. “Put the ball in the basket.”
Tech coaches have targeted Watson and worked at cultivating a relationship with him, but will have to beat out the likes of Georgia, Florida, N.C. State and Oregon for him.
Another local prospect is point guard Kyle Sturdivant from Norcross High, the No. 135 prospect. He’s another that seems “gettable” for Pastner, although there were reports earlier this week (later provide inaccurate) that he had committed to Georgia.
A third local prospect is Jamir Chaplin, a shooting guard from Meadowcreek High, who is the No. 130 prospect.
Other targets include Robbie Beran (power forward, Richmond, Va., No. 45), Majok Deng (small forward, Tucson, Ariz., No. 240), Damian Dunn (shooting guard, Kinston, N.C., not rated), Boogie Ellis (point guard, San Diego, No. 72), Balsa Koprivica (center, Serbia, No. 55) and Chandler Lawson (power forward, Memphis, Tenn., No. 73).
Pastner typically groups similarly skilled players into pools and will award a scholarship to the first player or players to accept offers. With others, they may be on a holding pattern until other prospects make decisions.
“What the hard thing is, there are some high-level guys we’re involved with, they may wait until October, late October, early November (to decide), and are you willing to risk losing somebody else waiting for them, where they can really move your needle,” Pastner said. “That comes to me as a head coach. Do I take a guy if he’s ready to pull the trigger in mid-September, or do I tell him ‘Forget it’ and then wait for the player, but he could tell me ‘No,’ and then you’re waiting till spring.”
Having more than one spot available in the spring probably will not be beneficial, as the demand heats up for the handful of uncommitted prospects, and typically the best players already have signed. It could prove useful in the transfer market, but Tech already has two transfers (guard Shembari Phillips and center James Banks) on the roster.
For a great class, those are decisions Pastner will have to make in coming weeks.
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