Class of 2021: Top Five Recruiting Analysis

<p>As we get ready for the start of school across the state - which will be online in most cases - members of the upcoming senior Class of 2021 are looking at making decisions on their college futures. While a couple members of the top players in the PrepHoops Oregon rankings have made choices - both with football in the forefront - the majority have yet to make a selection.</p> <p>Here’s a quick look at where the top five ranked players in the Class of 2021 currently stand.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="606246" first="Nathan" last="Bittle"] (2021 Crater) - Ranked #1</strong></p> <p>Bittle recently announced that he’s whittled down his list to a Final Four and it will be a West Coast battle (in alphabetical order): Arizona, Gonzaga, Oregon, and UCLA. Incidentally those are all schools he has visited either officially (Arizona, Gonzaga, UCLA) or unofficially (Oregon). There is no question that Ducks head coach Dana Altman is working hard to keep the likely McDonald’s All-American close to home and it should be a fight until the end. From all indications it should be a fall decision for the 6-foot-11 post with the 7-foot-4 wingspan, who averaged a 5A-leading 25.6 points last season, as well as 11.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="606247" first="Ben" last="Gregg"] (2021 Clackamas) - Ranked #2</strong></p> <p>Gregg hasn’t officially pared down his list but recently indicated that it will also be mainly a West Coast battle for his services with Arizona, Oregon, and Oregon State among his leaders. The outlier with Gregg is Virginia, which has really been in close contact as of late. According to what Gregg told PrepHoops Oregon, they haven’t necessarily offered a scholarship but head coach Tony Bennett does things a bit differently than most programs. Also of note - Gonzaga, once Gregg’s dream school - appears to be fading from view having not offered a scholarship. Similar to Bittle, it does appear that Gregg will decide to sign early. The now 6-foot-9 versatile forward averaged 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists this past season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="606248" first="Nathan" last="Rawlins-Kibonge"] (2021 Jefferson) - Ranked #3</strong></p> <p>In mid-June, Rawlins-Kibonge announced in a press conference at Jefferson High School that he was committing to play football at Oklahoma. Previously a Washington State commit for basketball, the rugged 6-foot-7 post decided that the gridiron would be his main sport although he did note to PrepHoops Oregon that he’s had active conversations with Oklahoma hoops head coach Lon Kruger and his staff and that there’s a spot on the team for him which he plans to take. Rawlins-Kibonge was the 6A Player of the Year in 2019-20 and led all of 6A in rebounding (12.6 rpg) and blocks (4.8 bpg) while averaging 13.0 points per contest.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="606252" first="Kamron" last="Robinson"] (2021 Jefferson) - Ranked #4</strong></p> <p>There hasn’t been much movement recruiting wise for Robinson, who currently holds offers from Montana and Pacific. The 6-foot-9 post made an official visit to Montana last fall but largely has kept his recruitment on hold. Robinson played in a couple of showcases in Southern California this summer as well as a couple of tournaments with the Oregon Prospects and performed fairly well. He’s continued to keep his body trim and has impressed with his touch around the hoop and his footwork. Robinson averaged 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting almost 62 percent from the field last season. He will most likely be a spring signee.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="606254" first="Drew" last="Carter"] (2021 Tigard) - Ranked #5</strong></p> <p>Carter is the most recent commitment from the Class of 2021 as he announced on social media that he will be going to Colorado on football scholarship. The second-leading scorer in 6A last season at 24.4 points per game, the 6-foot-3 wing will be headed to Boulder as a quarterback but it appears that the opportunity to also complete in hoops did play into the decision as he committed not long after finding out from Colorado hoops head coach Tad Boyle that he would also have a spot on the team. A true scorer with a smooth shooting stroke, Carter could very well lead the state in scoring this year on a team with title aspirations.</p>