re: Arkansas Basketball Recruiting Thread *Muss Years Archive - do NOT delete*

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“Things seem to be lining up for Arkansas a bit, as I consider both Isaiah Elohim and Rakease Passmore to be Razorback leans that could commit in October if everything continues to trend in the current direction. Arkansas is also a player for other big names such as Jase Richardson and Annor Boateng, but Elohim and Passmore are the two I feel most comfortable calling strong leans. Either way, it certainly feels like the Razorbacks' class will have a much different feel by the time we hit Halloween.” – Cassidy

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Arkansas landed its first commit of the 2024 recruiting class last week after Jalen Shelley completed his official visit to Fayetteville. The 6-foot-8 wing is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 35 in the Rivals150 and he has a ton of upside.

Another top target in the 2024 class, in-state four-star Annor Boateng, announced Friday that he committed to Missouri.

The coaching staff is still aiming to fill out the class, potentially in the near future. The Razorbacks could finish with a three-man recruiting class, give or take.

Many of the top targets have official visits scheduled to Fayetteville in the near future or will be making their college decision in the coming weeks and months. After landing Shelly and Boateng going to Columbia, where do the Razorbacks turn now?

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Five-star prospect and Link Year Prep teammates with Arkansas commit Jalen Shelley, Tre Johnson recently scheduled an official visit to Fayetteville. The national No. 4 prospect plans to visit Arkansas on October 20th, and his recruitment will be a battle between some of the top programs in the country.

Arkansas will battle against Kansas, Kentucky, Baylor, Alabama, Texas and others for Johnson's talents.

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Another athletic wing prospect, Isaiah Elohim just completed an official visit to Arkansas over the weekend of September 15th. The electric guard also visited Villanova recently and Kansas in early 2023. He has visits scheduled to Providence and USC in the near future, as well.

The Razorbacks have considered Elohim a priority recruit for a while, and the long-game could be in their favor.

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Arkansas has landed a great deal of talent out of North Carolina under Eric Musselman, pretty much exclusively through the transfer portal. Passmore could change that.

The athletic, electrifying wing has not dropped a top list of schools yet, but has taken visits to Wake Forest, Oklahoma and Mississippi State, with plans to visit LSU and Arkansas.

The Razorbacks are in good shape with Passmore but his recruitment is not over yet.

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Jase Richardson has been on Arkansas fans' radars for a while now. The four-star point guard is the son of NBA legend Jason Richardson, but has quickly made a name for himself as one of the top point guards in the class.

There's a strong relationship between the Richardson family and the Arkansas coaching staff. Eric Musselman and Keith Smart both coached Jason Richardson at Golden State, and Smart's wife even planned the baby shower for when Jase Richardson was going to be born.

Arkansas is one of many schools in good standing, including Alabama, Michigan State, Florida and Cincinnati. Richardson and his family as a whole have kept things close to the vest regarding his recruitment and an open mind about each school.

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The No. 42 ranked player in the class of 2024, Isaiah Elohim is down to three.

On Monday, Elohim confirmed to 247Sports that the 6-foot-5 senior small forward at Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon cut his long list of suitors down to a final three of Arkansas, Kansas and Villanova.

Prior to cutting his list, Elohim had been planning official visits to Providence this weekend and USC during October but he'll be cancelling those visits and moving into the decision making stages of his recruitment.

One of the most sought after wing recruits in the senior class, Elohim has visited each of his three finalists officially. He saw Kansas during February, was at Villanova in early September and then visited Fayetteville two weekends ago.

Elohim broke down his thoughts on each of his finalists.

Arkansas: "Arkansas have also been recruiting me for a long time through thick and thin and even when I was hurt and I have a great relationship with the whole staff and had an amazing visit. They also fit my playing style and I respect the culture coach Musselman and that staff have set."

Kansas: "Kansas and Coach Townsend and Self have been recruiting me for a while and I had a great visit and relationship with the staff. They're a school with a great culture and history and I like the way they do things."

Villanova: "I had an amazing visit at Villanova and have been forming a great relationship with their staff as well. Their history and pedigree speaks for itself and they are also a school that fits my playing style."

While he has yet to receive any Crystal Ball picks, word behind the scenes is that Arkansas has been trending after a strong visit.

Elohim's scouting report on 247Sports reads as follows.

"A physically strong and tough wing, Isaiah Elohim burst onto the national scene early because of his ability to score from the mid range and around the rim.

At 6-foot-5 he has good length, a strong body and well above average instincts for getting to the rim and scoring around defenders and through contact. He is an effective pull-up jump shooter from 17 feet and in who just needs more reps on his shot to become a more consistent shooter from deep.

Elohim has battled injuries throughout his high school career but when he's available, his toughness, ability to get to the basket and penchant for putting up points in a hurry have always stood out. He's got a college ready frame and projects as an effective wing at the high major level."

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Karter Knox is one highest-ranked uncommitted prospects in the class of 2024. The 6-foot-6, Five-Star Plus+ small forward recently updated his college recruitment at Overtime Elite’s Pro Day in Atlanta, where Knox took home On3 MVP honors.

Knox, who is competing on scholarship at OTE, released a top eight in May. Auburn, Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, South Florida and the NBA’s G-League Ignite made the cut.

The five-star has taken official visits to two programs — Louisville and Kentucky (thought of as the top contenders). Knox says he’d like to make return trips to both schools, as well as visits to Arkansas and South Florida. He broke it all down with On3.

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Kentucky: “They really just want me. They think they can make me a one-and-done, and go to the pros. They think they can really develop my game and they think I fit in their style of play. Cal really loves me and the coaching staff really loves me. When I went there (to Lexington), it was really like a basketball city. Kentucky, that’s really all they got. The fans are crazy for Kentucky and the stadium will be packed damn near every game.”

Louisville: “We talk pretty frequently (with Kenny Payne). He really tells me the same thing. He thinks I can go to the league, turn the Louisville team around, and be a one-and-done. He thinks since he got my brother to the league (Kevin Knox) then he can get me to the league also.”

Arkansas: “Musselman is a really good coach. He told me he wants me to be positionless. He wants to put me on the court and play anywhere. So that’s really what he told me. He thinks he can really develop my game.”

South Florida: “That’s hometown. I’m really familiar with the coach (Amir Abdur-Rahim) and he coached Anthony Edwards (at Georgia) who is one of my favorite players. He really developed him into being a dog. My brother (Kobe Knox) goes there too.”

The early signing period is steally approaching (opening on Nov. 8), but Knox, a native of Riverview, Fla., is in no rush to make a decision. He says he will likely make his commitment sometime in the spring.

Scouting Report
“Karter Knox is a lengthy and explosive wing. His frame is very projectable and already physically developed, and he has broad shoulders with arms that flow down; should add good weight relatively easily once he gets to a college strength and conditioning program. He is a straight-line driver off the bounce. Gets into the paint and violently attacks the rim, playing way above it. He plays well out of the dunker spot, is an apt back door cutter, and attacks the offensive boards. Would like to see him develop the jump shot more, at least become average in the catch and shoot. The form and release are ok, balance points and trajectory are inconsistent. He is a strong straight-line driver, needs to develop a counter or two if he gets his path cut off. There is a lot of upside defensively. He has great length with quick twitch and explosion. Can switch down a line up and guard fours also the athleticism to run with twos and threes. Will need to continue tightening the mechanics and keeping a consistent motor. Is the younger brother of NBAer Kevin Knox.” – On3’s Jamie Shaw

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Knox is the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle. He’s also the No. 3 small forward prospect and the No. 2 player in Georgia. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

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THREE THINGS I KNOW

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1. I KNOW ARKANSAS IS THE TEAM TO BEAT FOR ISAIAH ELOHIM.

Monday saw the four-star guard announce a top three of Kansas, Arkansas and Villanova, but it has seemed clear for some time now that the Razorbacks are the frontrunner. The nature of recruiting dictates that no staff or fan base should get too comfortable before papers are signed, but there’s reason for Razorbacks fans to be optimistic in the wake of Elohim’s Sept. 16 visit to Fayetteville.

No announcement date has been set, but people close to Elohim expect an October commitment. And while there is plenty of time for Kansas or Villanova to close the gap between now and decision day, Arkansas feels like the clear frontrunner as things stand.

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Lincolnton (N.C.) Combine Academy 2024 four-star small forward Rakease Passmore is down to four schools, Moving forward, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound Palatka, Fla. native will consider Arkansas, Kansas, LSU, and Oklahoma.

LSU and Oklahoma have each hosted him on official visits. Arkansas is set to host him next week, October 4-6 and a visit to Kansas is also in the works. He does not yet have a commitment date.

Along with his finalists, Passmore also received offers from Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Oregon, Indiana, NC State, and others.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Passmore is the No. 43 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle. He’s also the No. 16 small forward prospect and the No. 5 player in North Carolina. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

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Passmore talks final four schools
LSU: “I really like the coaching staff and have a great relationship with those guys. I’ve had a relationship with since my freshman year when they were still at Murray State and were my first offer. Really like their style of play & their pace. The environment at LSU is crazy also. Coach McMahon has a plan in place for me to come in and make an impact early.”

Arkansas: “They have a great coaching staff and I’ve been able to talk to all of them pretty often. The fact that they play their freshman early and help them get prepared for the next level is important to me. What Coach Muss has done with freshmen kind of speaks for itself. They spend a lot of time on details and break down your whole game. I’m looking forward to seeing the campus and environment there.”

Oklahoma: “They had a really good environment when I went out there on the visit. I’ve been able to form a good relationship with the staff and Coach Moser. I feel like they have a good plan for me if I were to come there to be an impact player as a freshman and a big piece of building their program overall.”

Kansas: “Coach Self is one of the best college coaches of all time. I have a solid connection with the staff and they have a good plan drawn out for me if I were to come there. They have a history of getting guys to the next level and they feel like I can be one of those guys with my athleticism and shooting. They’ve been able to show me other guys with similar playing styles that they’ve helped become pros.”

Scouting Report
“Rakease Passmore is a lengthy and highly explosive wing. At 6-foot-5, there is talk of him having a 46-inch max vertical jump. When he gets a head of steam, he attacks the rim with bad intentions. Passmore is much developed as a shooter. The release is high and consistent. He needs to develop creating off the bounce and building consistency, getting the ball into his shot pocket off the live dribble. Passmore has a high-level work ethic, which is evident by his rapid improvement over a short amount of time. He averaged 21 points playing with the Garner Road program on the Adidas 3SSB 16u Circuit. There is a massive upside here, and the work is showing to reach his vast ceiling.” – On3’s Jamie Shaw

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