Virginia Tech Makes the Cut for Pair of Elite 2020 In-State Basketball Targets

Editor

August 05, 2019, 03:00 AM

Virginia Tech basketball has lots of momentum recruiting in Virginia largely due to the commitment of four-star SG Joe Bamisile in late July. Now, the Hokies are in the running for two more of the state's top 2020 basketball talents: four-star C Mark Williams and four-star SF Henry Coleman III. Williams kicked it off yesterday when he released his top 7. https://twitter.com/MarkWi1liams/status/1157788378856861696?s=20 The Hokies made the top 7 for Williams alongside ACC rivals Duke and NC State, Ohio State, Georgetown, UCLA, and Stanford. For the Hokies to make the top 7 after a coaching change this offseason and do so for a recruit in Williams who has 24 offers, all of which are from the 6 power conferences, AAC, or Atlantic 10; is a statement about the recruiting job Mike Young and his staff has done. Williams also seemed to credit Young and his coaching staff as a big reason for the Hokies making his top 7 in an interview with Stock Risers. According to 247 Sports, Williams already has official visits scheduled to Duke, Ohio State, and UCLA with the Hokies competing with those four other schools for the two other official visits. Clearly, the Hokies will need to get Williams on campus for an official visit if they are to have any chance at landing the talented center from Norfolk. Given the fact that Williams already has 3 official visits set, it's hard not to consider those 3 schools the favorites for Williams. However, the Hokies do have that in-state advantage that could give VT an opening as a potential sleeper in Williams' recruitment though there's no doubt that it will be an uphill climb. Coleman followed up his fellow elite Commonwealth recruit by releasing his final 5 today. https://twitter.com/hencoleman3/status/1158151563539550209?s=20 The Hokies were one of four teams to also make the cut for Williams and Coleman along with Duke, NC State, and Ohio State while Michigan also made the cut for Coleman only. Like Williams, this was another case of the Hokies making the cut for a recruit with an impressive offer list as all but 2 of Coleman's 24 offers came from schools from the 6 power conferences, AAC, and Atlantic 10. Coleman's recruitment seems much more wide open with no official visits set yet though it wouldn't be surprising if those five schools all receive official visits. The fascinating thing about Coleman's recruitment may be the fact that he included a pair of schools with new head coaches in Virginia Tech and Michigan. Virginia Tech may have Bamisile on board, but the Hokies could use a combo forward and a big man with Coleman fitting the combo forward mold as a potential small forward and power forward at the collegiate level though at 6'6'', small forward looks like the more common position for him. Virginia Tech is making a big move in recruiting Virginia's top basketball talent with the Hokies right in the hunt for Mark Williams and Henry Coleman III after landing Joe Bamisile less than 2 weeks ago.