The Recruiting Guy

National basketball analyst high on Hogs' targets

Arkansas basketball coach Mike Anderson speaks to reporters during a press conference, Monday, May 21, 2018 at Shadow Valley Country Club in Rogers.
Arkansas basketball coach Mike Anderson speaks to reporters during a press conference, Monday, May 21, 2018 at Shadow Valley Country Club in Rogers.

Arkansas basketball Coach Mike Anderson and his staff are hot on the trail of several of the top prospects in the nation for the 2019 class.

Center Will Baker, 7-0, 240 pounds, of Austin (Texas) Westlake has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Texas, UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, Stanford, Virginia, Texas A&M and several others. His sister Amy is a junior business major at Arkansas.

ESPN rates Baker a 4-star prospect, the No. 8 center and the No. 28 overall prospect in the nation. ESPN National Director of Recruiting Paul Biancardi said Baker is very skilled, including being a great passer.

"One of the more skilled bigs in the class in terms of really can read the game offensively in the low post," Biancardi said. "That's unusual today because most bigs don't want to play with their back to the basket. He can play with his back to the basket, and he can face up. He has a beautiful touch, and he has good low post moves, and he knows how to get guys off their feet with the shot fake. When he's not open, he recognizes it ,and when others are open, he recognizes it."

Forward CJ Walker, 6-8, 183 pounds, of Orlando (Florida) Christian Prep, is another Arkansas target with more than 40 scholarship offers, including the Razorbacks, Florida, Ole Miss, Texas, Florida State, Texas A&M, Georgetown, LSU and Louisville.

"He's becoming one of the most improved players in the class," Biancardi said. "He always had elite athleticism and developing skill. He started out as a high-level prospect, and now he's developing as a high-level player. The scoring instincts have improved and the athleticism is coming out all the time now because he's utilizing his athleticism because his work ethic has really jumped."

ESPN rates Walker a 4-star prospect and the No. 10 power forward the No. 45 overall prospect in the nation.

"I tell you what makes him stand out: He can take one dribble from anywhere on the court and cover so much ground," Biancardi said.

Center-forward Kai Jones, 6-10, 192 pounds, of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire is an ESPN 4-star prospect and the No. 25 center nationally.

He has offers from Arkansas, Stanford, Florida State, Arizona, Georgetown, Kansas, Oregon, Texas and several others.

"I saw him a year ago, and his only offer was Buffalo," Biancardi said. "He has emerged — elite athlete, elite shot blocker. He can really run ... and defensively, he's looking to change your shot. He just rebounds, runs and finishes. He's become a high major recruit."

Baker, Walker and Jones said in late July that they expected to narrow their list of schools in the near future.

Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Sports on 08/14/2018

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