Every year, we see the recruiting landscape determine which prospects are “supposed” to be coveted. Without fail, there are seemingly always guys who slip through the cracks and earn the label of “under-recruited.” While some people might look at the examples below and push back that “any offer is a privilege,” so let’s avoid any potential misunderstanding. First, let’s all collectively agree kids can be overlooked or under-recruited. Number of offers extended do not always correlate with actual ability. Some kids can get 20+ offers and flame out immediately in college whereas others might not have any traction and ultimately end up as a star. While there is no exact science to projecting forward, each of the following players were guys who we begged college coaches to recruit harder. We’ve also attached specific articles addressing each player (punctuation marks have been altered due to updated website). Let’s see how they’ve fared…
6’5 Chase Lowe (William & Mary)
Interesting. After only receiving offers from Army, Navy, and Elon, Lowe made the decision to attend William & Mary. Now in his sophomore season, the 6-foot-5 wing’s production has officially begun to take off. In 14 games (including 9 starts), Lowe is averaging 12.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 0.9 SPG while shooting 57.8% from the floor and 72.9% from the line. It didn’t matter that he was a pure winner, incredible teammate, and genuine leader, so many coaches simply couldn’t get over his lack of three-point shooting. Guess what? He’s attempted a whole two three-pointers in two college seasons. It wasn’t a problem then and it’s not a problem now. Kudos to the Pride for not overthinking things and embracing the leading scorer in Weddington’s history.
“What More Do Coaches Want from Chase Lowe” (3/7/22): https://phenomhoopreport.com/what-more-do-coaches-want-from-chase-lowe/…
6’5 Bryce Cash (Queens)
Although his recruitment saw a slight uptick after the start of his senior season, Cash was another guy who simply didn’t receive an appropriate amount of attention from college coaches. Excluding Liberty (who offered during his freshman year), the 6-foot-5 wing only collected five offers (Coastal Carolina, Siena, Navy, Hampton, and Citadel) before ultimately deciding to further his career at Queens. Now, he’s started 14 of 15 games for the Royals and already stands out as a foundational building block. This season, Cash is averaging 7.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG with 46/28/65 shooting splits. Given the fact that he’s still only a freshman, it seems like he’s going to enjoy a very long, productive career for this group.
“The Ultimate Teammate: Bryce Cash” (5/24/22): https://phenomhoopreport.com/the-ultimate-teammate-bryce-cash/…
6’7 Nick Dorn (Elon)
Now, before diving into this situation, it’s worth noting that Dorn did have more offers than anyone listed. However, let’s go back to the intro paragraph where we noted that the number of offers extended do not necessarily correlate with actual ability. That’s exactly the case with Dorn. Sure, he ended his high school career with nine total offers (seven Division I and two Division II), but the fact that we were pleading with programs is what made his circumstances so unusual. Dorn ultimately committed to Elon and giving the Phoenix an immediate contributor the moment he stepped on campus. In eight games (including five starts), Dorn is averaging 12.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 0.5 SPG with impressive 51/41/67 shooting splits. Given his high-level flashes for this group, expect him to generate a lot of buzz going forward.
“Five Available Offer-Worthy Seniors” (3/7/23): https://phenomhoopreport.com/five-available-offer-worthy-seniors/…
7’0 Micah Handlogten (Marshall/Florida)
In looking at Handlogten, we have yet another situation where it’s unclear if the player’s lack of recruitment was actually perplexing or just plain annoying. So, you’re telling me that a long, fluid seven-footer who rebounds, finishes, spaces the floor, and protects the rim was only appealing enough to warrant four Division I offers? It makes zero sense. Handlogten would eventually commit to Marshall, where he would emerge as one of the top rim-protectors across the entire country as a freshman. In his lone season with the Herd, he averaged 7.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG, and 1.3 SPG while shooting 66% from the floor. As anticipated, Handlogten was now coveted throughout the country and was guaranteed to go to a high-major program. Some would consider this quite a far cry from his recruitment not even a full year prior. He committed to Florida, suffered an early injury, and is beginning to hit his stride for the Gators. In 17.8 MPG, Handlogten is currently averaging 6.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.0 BPG while shooting 65% from the floor.
“The Mold of a Modern Big Man: Micah Handlogten” (8/10/21): https://phenomhoopreport.com/the-mold-of-a-modern-big-man-micah-handlogten/…
6’6 Josh Scovens (Army)
Arguably the most impressive of all the guys listed, Scovens had a single Division I offer (from Army) and bet on himself. It’s always easy to look back and object, but this was another situation that didn’t make sense while it was happening. As a 6-foot-6 wing with IQ, skill, athleticism, and a versatile identity, there was no explanation for his lack of recruitment. Scovens was consistently dominant as a focal point for Page and the NC Gaters. Regardless, he committed to Army, redshirted his first year, and is now putting up impressive numbers for the Black Knights. Scovens has started all 14 games this season and is averaging 13.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.1 BPG and 0.7 SPG with 44/32/68 shooting splits. Like the others, don’t be surprised if his name starts generating a lot of buzz.
“More Than Deserving: 6’6 2022 Josh Scovens” (5/18/21): https://phenomhoopreport.com/more-than-deserving-66-2022-josh-scovens/…
