Last weekend was somewhat slow for official visits due to the start of the recruiting period, but there were still several worth noting -- and four-star frontcourt players Steve Enoch (Connecticut) and Chance Comanche (Arizona) both ended up committing on their visits. This weekend has some heavy-hitters taking official trips, although there is a ways to go in each of the recruitments.
Michigan State welcomes Henry Ellenson, Matt McQuaid
Of the several big men near the top of the national rankings, Henry Ellenson might be the furthest along. He narrowed his list to three schools last month -- Marquette, Michigan State and Kentucky -- and conducted in-home visits with the three last week, but Michigan State and Kentucky are playing catch up to Marquette right now. Ellenson's brother transferred from Minnesota to Marquette during the spring, and the Golden Eagles moved into pole position for Ellenson. He trips to East Lansing this weekend, and the Spartans have a chance to make up some ground for the 10th-ranked player in the 247Sports Composite.
Ellenson will be joined by former SMU commit Matt McQuaid, one of the best 3-point shooters in the class of 2015. With the Spartans missing out on scoring guard Eric Davis, McQuaid is the next perimeter target for Michigan State. The four-star prospect visited Creighton last weekend, and the Bluejays have made a good impression on the Texas native. Michigan State is up this weekend; can the Spartans make their move on the shooter?
Cheick Diallo begins visit tour
Ranked No. 4 in the 247Sports Composite, Cheick Diallo is one of the more intriguing prospects in the class of 2015. His recruitment has been played pretty close to the vest, as there haven't been too many interviews with him or his camp. Kansas, Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Kentucky were all expected to visit him at his Long Island in the past couple of weeks. So far, Diallo has taken two official visits: to Pittsburgh, in January, and to Kentucky, during the summer. This weekend, Kansas gets its shot at the high-motor big man. The Jayhawks have been considered the favorite or among the favorites for most of the recruitment. Iowa State will receive an official visit next week, and Diallo is expected to trip to St. John's for the Red Storm's Midnight Madness.
Kentucky is up next for Skal Labissiere
A surprise official visit to North Carolina got things started for Skal Labissiere, who then took a trip to Georgetown last weekend. A visit to Lexington is next on the agenda for the supremely talented frontcourt prospect. Kentucky is in the mix with many of the remaining top-10 prospects, but it's tough to get a read on who the Wildcats are poised to land. The favorite Labissiere is considered to be Memphis, but it doesn't seem likely to end anytime soon. Kentucky can make its pitch this weekend, and the Wildcats have been heavily involved in his recruitment for a long time. Tennessee, Baylor and Memphis are still on the visit list going forward.
Syracuse plays host to five-star big man
After helping lead USA Basketball to the FIBA World Cup, Jim Boeheim is back on American soil and one of his first orders of business will be the official visit of five-star big man Thomas Bryant. Syracuse was long considered the favorite for Bryant, but it has opened up a bit over the last few months. The Orange have a chance to regain some of their momentum this weeked, though. Missouri has an official visit on the books for October 11, while Indiana is also in the mix. The Hoosiers could get a visit in early October. Bryant is a high-motor power forward who is now at Huntington Prep (W.Va.).
Brandon Sampson makes short trip to LSU
After playing well during the spring and summer, four-star guard Brandon Sampson saw his recruiting pick up a bit. UCLA looked to be in solid shape in July, but the Bruins got commitments from Aaron Holiday and Prince Ali and appear to be set in the backcourt. Sampson has had several in-home visits recently, with St. John's, California and USC all making an appearance. This weekend, Sampson -- a Madison Prep (La.) product -- will take his official visit to Baton Rouge to check out LSU. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers make a strong move on Sampson, especially with the news of Antonio Blakeney's decommitment earlier this week. Could a commitment scare away Blakeney? Or could the thought of Blakeney potentially committing get Sampson to make an early decision? Sampson is expected to make trips to California and St. John's in the coming weeks.
Process continues for Elijah Thomas, and winds down for Jalen Coleman
Borderline five-star big man Elijah Thomas has seen his name in this column for the past two weeks, and that certainly won't change this week. After taking trips to LSU and Oklahoma State earlier this month, Thomas will travel to Illinois this weekend. It's very difficult to get a read on Thomas' recruitment, but the Fighting Illini have been strongly in the mix. Moreover, Thomas and 2015 point guard Jawun Evans are very close and have talked about playing in college together. Illinois is among the favorites for Evans, and that could only help the Illini's quest to land Thomas. Visits to SMU and Texas A&M remain for Thomas.
Meanwhile, things could be coming to a close for four-star guard Jalen Coleman. Notre Dame, UNLV and Illinois were the prime contenders, then Rex Pflueger committed to the Fighting Irish a couple weeks ago. Coleman visited UNLV last weekend, and moved his Illinois visit from Sept. 26 to this weekend. The Fighting Illini and Runnin' Rebels remain standing -- which will win out?
Notes:
-- While this isn't a visit, there is a notable decision coming on Friday afternoon. Three-star forward Chris Silva is set to announce his choice, and he is considering Seton Hall, Rhode Island and South Carolina.
-- Talented guard Tyler Dorsey makes his official visit to Colorado this weekend. Dorsey had an in-home visit with Kansas earlier this week, and has an official trip planned there for October. He also visited Oregon earlier this month.
-- Schools continue to fall out of the face for Brewster Academy (N.H.) power forward Alex Illikainen. Oregon dropped out after getting a commitment from Trevor Manuel, while Minnesota is out of scholarships with the addition of Jarvis Johnson. Iowa and Wisconsin remain -- and Illikainen visits the Badgers this weekend. They are likely the favorite.
-- One of the more consistently players from the summer was Chris Clarke, a guard from Virginia. Virginia Tech was considered the favorite early on, but Connecticut became involved and the Huskies are now squarely in the mix. This weekend, Clarke visits Creighton. Tennessee is also on his list.
-- Other noteworthy visits: Admon Gilder and Kerry Blackshear (SMU); Ted Kapita and Miles Bridges (West Virginia); Ernest Aflakpui and Markis McDuffie (VCU); Malik Dime (Arkansas); John Crosby (Dayton); Josh Sharma (Boston College); Tacko Fall (Wake Forest).
