Bear Down Wildcats

Sean Miller all-in on top prospect Rabb
August, 5, 2014

Recruiting is a little bit like playing cards. You have to consider both your hand and your competition's before deciding how much you want to wager.

For high-profile college coaches, a scholarship offer is sometimes no more than a minimum wager to test the waters. Sean Miller is one head coach who tends to use his offers liberally, having extended 21 of them in the current 2015 class.

What’s undeniable is that once he decides he wants to go all-in, there aren’t many coaches who win more big hands. In fact, with Allonzo Trier becoming the latest ESPN 100 prospect to make an early commitment to Miller, you could argue that he has yet to miss on one of his top 2015 targets.

If the Wildcats get a commitment from Ivan Rabb, they might end up with the best class in the country.The Arizona Wildcats hold additional verbal commitments from two other five-star prospects in Justin Simon and Ray Smith. They also held a commitment from Tyler Dorsey up until last June, and while the origin of that split is debatable, the bottom line for Arizona was that they thought they could get better, and they did. They never stopped recruiting Trier and Isaiah Briscoe, even after Dorsey committed, and so ultimately they had a good hand but chose to double down and ended up winning big.

Now, that’s not to say that Arizona has their pick of all the best prospects in the country. Not at all. Only that Miller plays his hands especially well, analyzing not only the talent of the player but also his ties to the situation and those of his competition before deciding how much time and resources he wants to invest.

Chase Jeter is the perfect example. The five-star big man from Las Vegas committed to Duke on Monday night. Sure, Arizona would have loved to have him. They offered, actively recruited him, and even made his final six. But make no mistake about it, they were never all-in. They knew they weren’t getting him long before he went on national TV and had prioritized another big man much earlier in the process -- namely Ivan Rabb.

Rabb was not only the top-ranked prospect in the ESPN 100 heading into the July evaluation period, he was also a product of the same AAU program, the Oakland Soldiers, that has supplied Arizona with arguably the biggest recent pipeline in all of college basketball recruiting in recent years with Nick Johnson, Brandon Ashley, Aaron Gordon, and Stanley Johnson among others.

Now, Rabb is the last remaining target left on Arizona’s big board and the exclamation point that could punctuate what could ultimately be the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class.

Oakland Soldiers program director Mark Olivier doesn’t know where Rabb will ultimately decide to go to college. Rabb is currently in Dubai with Team USA's U17 team and hasn’t given indication of any favorites or time frames. In fact, Rabb’s high school coach at Bishop O’Dowd, Lou Richie, is far more involved in his recruitment. One thing Olivier does expect though is that Rabb will make his own decision.

“I look at Ivan and I don’t think he’s that type of kid in that he’s going to go there because somebody else went there,” Olivier said.

Nevertheless, it would be only natural for the player who first began wearing a Soldiers uniform when he was in the 7th grade to want to follow so many of the players that he grew up admiring, especially Johnson, who took Rabb under his wing during last year’s EYBL season.

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“It could be,” Olivier conceded, “but Stanley will also tell him to do what he thinks is right because that’s the way he was. He didn’t go there because Aaron was there. He went there because that’s what was best for him.”

Rabb will have no shortage of options in the coming months. He’s being pursued by a variety of programs including California, USC, UCLA, Georgetown, Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky -- which is making a hard push to get him on campus in October for their Big Blue Madness.

For Sean Miller, the bottom line is this: He’s won every hand he's played so far this year. He has the scoring guard, athletic combo-forward, and big point guard he wanted -- but they’ve all led up to this.

The stakes are high, he's all-in, going for broke, and across the table from the best recruiters the nation has to offer. The prize isn't just one celebrated prospect but perhaps the nation's best recruiting class ... or maybe even a new contender for the nation's top recruiter.

Chicat wrote:Before reading that I was going to say something snarky about it probably being a recap of what is posted on Arizona message boards, but that was a damn fine article.

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

Chicat wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

Think of how awesome it would have been to see Shabazz in an Arizona uniform pouting because he didn't get to take the game winning shot . . . .

Olsondogg wrote:

Chicat wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

Think of how awesome it would have been to see Shabazz in an Arizona uniform pouting because he didn't get to take the game winning shot . . . .

Brings up a question of mine...did dad breed him to pout?

Chicat wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:

Chicat wrote:
Think of how awesome it would have been to see Shabazz in an Arizona uniform pouting because he didn't get to take the game winning shot . . . .

Brings up a question of mine...did dad breed him to pout?

No, I think people in their late 30s are just naturally grumpy.

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

AZCatGirl wrote:Have we ever had the No. 1 ranked recruiting class before?

ASUHATER! wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

for the team itself? no. for arizona's exposure, hype and publicity nationwide (which will help further down the road with more recruiting), yes it does. if we actually go to the final 4 or beyond this year and then sign the #1 class going into 2015 with 3-4 top 20 guys and with the renovations mckale is getting...we might actually get paid attention to by the national media.

midnightx wrote:

AZCatGirl wrote:Have we ever had the No. 1 ranked recruiting class before?

The Ashley/Tarc/Grant/York class was ranked #1 for quite some time until the spring when Shabazz went with UCLA and KY moved up a spot. Didn't AZ end up at 3? Regardless, that AZ class continues to pay dividends.

Olsondogg wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

for the team itself? no. for arizona's exposure, hype and publicity nationwide (which will help further down the road with more recruiting), yes it does. if we actually go to the final 4 or beyond this year and then sign the #1 class going into 2015 with 3-4 top 20 guys and with the renovations mckale is getting...we might actually get paid attention to by the national media.

This "no respect" card is getting old. We are paid attention to by the national media.

I know that some of you wanna always play the Dangerfield role, but with each passing day and each signing that happens, it frankly is tired. Arizona Basketball is a brand, and one that is on the national scene.

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

ASUHATER! wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

agree to disagree. it's pretty easy to figure out that schools like kentucky and duke and kansas get more pub than arizona. doesn't take a rocket scientist.

ASUHATER! wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

agree to disagree. it's pretty easy to figure out that schools like kentucky and duke and kansas get more pub than arizona. doesn't take a rocket scientist.

ElGatoBlanco wrote:It's seriously way too early to say a class of Rabb, Comanche, Trier, Simon, and Smith would even be the #1 class when there's a ridiculous amounts of highly rated players yet to make their decisions. Not that it would matter at all regardless anyways.

Olsondogg wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

agree to disagree. it's pretty easy to figure out that schools like kentucky and duke and kansas get more pub than arizona. doesn't take a rocket scientist.

You narrowed that field to 2 pretty quickly...

Also your post on the classes over the years is littered with inaccuracy...

Back to Rabb...which this thread is about. He would likely make the class #1, and if that matters to someone--great!

thenewazcats wrote:UCLA gets flooded with attention. UNC never fails to make news.

azcat49 wrote:New Cal coach Martin just signed his first kid, a top 75 guy in the class of 16 I think. That kid is from the bay area. Have to wonder if Rabb will want spend a year in his home area and be featured.

If we get 5, 5 star kids who cares where we rank. Can't be lower then 3 probably. Besides that baseline level is very high( I like that analogy spaceman)

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

EVCat wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

Just had an incident the other day that made me realize how little respect we get compared to our competition. I saw that Duke signed Chase Jeter on MSN (the front portal), ESPN (front page) and one other site. Front page stuff.

We signed four players in the top 26 (ESPN), let one go because they weren't, frankly, good enough, and got very little mention other than the obligatory top 100 signing crawl on ESPNNEWS and inside the various sites' college basketball pages.

Chase Jeter? Yeah, he has climbed all the way up to #13 on ESPN's top 100 (anyone think his climb isn't partially based on who he was favoring?), but Trier, Smith, Simon, even Dorsey have been step for step with him in the rankings.

But DOOK!!!!! signs Chase Jeter, and MSN runs it on the cover.

It is what it is, to use an infuriating phrase. I am not saying I do not understand it, or think MSN or ESPN is doing something wrong. But it is very indicitive of the respect we get, vs Duke, in a national setting. And we are, and have been, every bit their equal or superior over the last news cycle unless we want to extend back to current player's grade school years.

No sense complaining about it...but it is very real. And it is straight up disrespect, or lack of respect/knowledge. And always will be. People in many states see Arizona, and automatically react with political revulsion (I do when I see South Carolina or Mississippi), or indifference. They know we are good. But they have no idea how good/how consistent/how loaded for the future. And they won't unless we hammer everyone for a couple of years straight.

EVCat wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:Um...I disagree with your last two posts. Heavily.

Just had an incident the other day that made me realize how little respect we get compared to our competition. I saw that Duke signed Chase Jeter on MSN (the front portal), ESPN (front page) and one other site. Front page stuff.

We signed four players in the top 26 (ESPN), let one go because they weren't, frankly, good enough, and got very little mention other than the obligatory top 100 signing crawl on ESPNNEWS and inside the various sites' college basketball pages.

Chase Jeter? Yeah, he has climbed all the way up to #13 on ESPN's top 100 (anyone think his climb isn't partially based on who he was favoring?), but Trier, Smith, Simon, even Dorsey have been step for step with him in the rankings.

But DOOK!!!!! signs Chase Jeter, and MSN runs it on the cover.

It is what it is, to use an infuriating phrase. I am not saying I do not understand it, or think MSN or ESPN is doing something wrong. But it is very indicitive of the respect we get, vs Duke, in a national setting. And we are, and have been, every bit their equal or superior over the last news cycle unless we want to extend back to current player's grade school years.

No sense complaining about it...but it is very real. And it is straight up disrespect, or lack of respect/knowledge. And always will be. People in many states see Arizona, and automatically react with political revulsion (I do when I see South Carolina or Mississippi), or indifference. They know we are good. But they have no idea how good/how consistent/how loaded for the future. And they won't unless we hammer everyone for a couple of years straight.

Olsondogg wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:

Olsondogg wrote:As long as we get the guys we want to get, does anyone really care what arbitrary number they put next to the class?

I mean, if we had pulled Shabazz instead of someone else into that class and it made us #1, would it have been worth it?

for the team itself? no. for arizona's exposure, hype and publicity nationwide (which will help further down the road with more recruiting), yes it does. if we actually go to the final 4 or beyond this year and then sign the #1 class going into 2015 with 3-4 top 20 guys and with the renovations mckale is getting...we might actually get paid attention to by the national media.

This "no respect" card is getting old. We are paid attention to by the national media.

I know that some of you wanna always play the Dangerfield role, but with each passing day and each signing that happens, it frankly is tired. Arizona Basketball is a brand, and one that is on the national scene.

AZCatGirl wrote:We need some more final 4s and titles if we want the kind of attention Duke gets.

A few years from now things should be a bit more even. Especially since we're nearing the end of the Coach K era.