Nation's No. 1 Power Forward Names Ole Miss in Top-8

Ole Miss basketball is hot in the streets on the recruiting trail. They currently hold the SEC's top-rated Class for 2021, and they're right in the mix to land the best power forward in the 2022 class.

A five-star recruit out of Scotland, Pa., Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is rated as the nation's No. 5 overall player by Rivals and is unanimously seen as the top power forward in the 2022 recruiting class.

On Friday, he named Ole Miss in a top-8 that also included Kansas, Louisville and others.

"These were the schools who have been in contact with me the most and the ones I felt the most comfortable with," Huntley-Hatfield said in a blog with the SI All-American team. "They’ve been hanging in there with me from the beginning and they’re all in the south and close to home. Plus, I feel like these eight schools are the ones that best compliment my game."

If he were to commit to Ole Miss, he would become the highest rated recruit in program history. Currently, that nod goes to current true freshman Matthew Murrell, who was the No. 42 overall player in the nation in the Class of 2020.

“Brandon has great size and length as a forward and his diverse skill set makes him a headache of a matchup problem," SI All-American Director of Basketball Recruiting Jason Jordan said. "He’s a legitimate threat from the perimeter and mid-range but also has the strength and repertoire to be dominant in the paint."

There's been some speculation that Huntley-Hatfield would reclassify to 2021, but he seemed to lay that to bed in his SI All-American interview.

"I’m still planning to stay in the 2022 class, so I don’t have to rush anything," Huntley-Hatfield said. "I’m looking at everything at this point, everything from who else they’re recruiting at my position and who they already have at my position and things like that. I don’t feel like I’ll make another cut; I think I’ll make a decision from this list."

Kermit Davis and Co. have had a ton of success recently recruiting guards. They currently have two four-star guards in the 2021 recruiting class that's ranked top in the SEC at this point.

Not only would landing Huntley-Hatfield be a show that Davis can also land the big boys, but it would be a monumental moment in Ole Miss basketball history.

More From The Grove Report:

Surprise! Ole Miss Basketball has the No. 1 Recruiting Class in the SEC

Four-star Shooting Guard James White Commits to Ole Miss

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