Recruiting Notebook: Significant Happenings in the DMV

As we approach mid-November and the early signing period, which occurs from Nov. 12-19, we're beginning to read some tea leaves having to do with the recruitment of some of the more heralded prospects in the DMV. Two of the top-5 prospects in the 2026 MD/DC rankings remain on the market. Baba Oladotun and [player_tooltip player_id='1782660' first='Qayden' last='Samuels'] are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Over the last week, there's some intel leading to where they may end up. Another top-10 prospect in MD/DC, [player_tooltip player_id='1782591' first='Jasiah' last='Cannady'], completed an official visit. Where do things stand with the Mt. Zion floor general?   What about in Virginia with the top-ranking point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2252287' first='Darius' last='Bivins']?   Let's dive in on the latest.   A program capitalizing off the latest visit with MD's No. 1 prospect   The recruitment of Baba Oladotun has been a fascinating one. The 6-foot-10 versatile wing maintained his five-star status among the industry even after his decision to reclass up from 2027. There have been rumors swirling for some time as the group of schools involved with the Montgomery County standout and who truly has a chance of landing his services. Oladotun announced his final four programs last week consisting of Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, and Maryland.   He completed official visits to all of the programs who made the cut and it seems that now will be the time he enters decision mode. A timeframe for any announcement hasn't been made public, but the most recent visit he's taken to Arkansas with head coach John Calipari seems to have the buzz right now. The local programs in Georgetown and Maryland are still in the mix and will fight tooth and nail until the minute up to his announcement. I'd crown Maryland as having more of an edge than the Hoyas when discussion the two. There's reason to believe that a decision from Oladotun could come in the next two weeks. A lot can happen in that timeframe, but Arkansas is carrying the recent momentum it seems while Maryland looks to gain ground.   One program emerging for Samuels   [player_tooltip player_id='1782660' first='Qayden' last='Samuels'] spent his summer proving himself as one of the more naturally gifted scorers in the country. His combination of size, tough shotmaking, and his ability to generate offense when things break down are aspects that high major programs are attracted to. Similar to Oladotun, Samuels' recruitment didn't dominate headlines. He and his circle have kept things close to the vest for today's day and age. With that being said, the two programs that have has the most momentum for the last month or so have been Alabama and Georgetown.   Dating back to when Kenny Johnson was on staff for the Hoyas, they were the heavy favorites to land the Bishop McNamara and [program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'] product. It seemed like anyone else was just making their case for second place. Fast forward to November and Johnson is now on staff at Indiana, who sniffed around with Samuels, but eventually fizzled out for both sides. Georgetown remains in the thick of things and has history as head coach Ed Cooley has laid some groundwork with Samuels since Johnson's departure. On the other side of things, Alabama head coach Nate Oats and his staff have come on strong since hosting him for his official visit in early October.   The Tide's up-tempo, three-point happy style of play fits Samuels' game well and could be a system that he'd thrive in. Like Oladotun, we are on commitment date watch, but if there was an announcement this afternoon, I'd put my chips on Samuels heading to the SEC.   Cannady completes visit with UMass Lowell   Mt. Zion Prep and [program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant'] point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1782591' first='Jasiah' last='Cannady'] took an official visit to UMass Lowell earlier this week and from what I'm told, the visit was a big success. The River Hawks have been a presence in the DMV for some time now thanks to a few assistant coaches that have been on staff and since left for bigger programs. Now, Tee Johnson is the guy who could put a real stranglehold on things wit his deep ties in the area coming from being the head coach at Jackson Reed and [program_tooltip program_id='2078457' first='Team' last='Durant'] over the years.   Cannady's recruitment has been somewhat up and down, as most prospects that fall in the LM/MM projection have been dealing with in this new landscape of college basketball recruiting. Similar to many other DMV prospects who have went and proven themselves with the American East program, Cannady seems to be in a position to be the next in line. There's no telling of when he'll eye an announcement date or potentially take another visit or two, but his recent time with Johnson and company left quite the impression.   Massive weekend for Bivins   Bivins is a prospect whose game is easy to fall in love with. He brings an old school approach as a point guard that makes it his first priority to put his teammates in situations they can thrive in. If we learned anything this summer about his scoring, it's that he's one of the most valuable and dependable prospects in the DMV when it comes to answering the call in crunch time. On countless occasions throughout the summer months, Bivins' highlights invaded timelines and it seemed like in various settings, he was icing the game with a floater or knocking down a jumper as the time expired to lift his team to a win. Now onto where things stand with his recruitment.   He'll head to Lubbock this weekend and visit Texas Tech, a program who has been viewed as the favorites with Bivins for some time. As consistent as the floor general was late in games, the same could be said for when you scanned the college coaches sitting court side to see Texas Tech representation front and center. Coming off last year's Elite Eight appearance and the roster makeup to manufacture a run toward a national title, the buzz around the program is at an all-time high. That should also reflect their chances with Bivins if they decide to really make a push during his time on campus this weekend.   Not to be ignored is Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights hosted Bivins in early October and have kept themselves in striking distance. Some would argue that today that their in the driver's seat. We know how quickly things can change in this era of recruiting, so keep eyes on others involved like VCU, but right now this looks like a two-horse race between the Red Raiders and Scarlet Knights.

As we approach mid-November and the early signing period, which occurs from Nov. 12-19, we're beginning to read some tea leaves having to do with the recruitment of some of the more heralded prospects in the DMV. Two of the top-5 prospects in the 2026 MD/DC rankings remain on the market. Baba Oladotun and Qayden Samuels Qayden Samuels 6'5" | SF Bishop McNamara | 2026 State #34 Nation MD are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Over the last week, there's some intel leading to where they may end up. Another top-10 prospect in MD/DC, Jasiah Cannady Jasiah Cannady 6'2" | PG Mt. Zion Prep | 2026 State MD , completed an official visit. Where do things stand with the Mt. Zion floor general?