Baylor and Gonzaga Bringing in Elite Talent Again Next Season
After Gonzaga's historical run reached the juggernaut that was Baylor, resulting in an 86-70 shellacking by the Bears on April 5, the prevailing question among college basketball enthusiasts was: Can the teams get back next season?
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As it stands, Gonzaga sits atop SI's Way Too Early Men's Top 25 and the Bears check in at No. 7 due in large part to the talented recruits they are or could potentially be bringing in next season.
As the Spring Signing Period looms on Wednesday, we take a deep dive into the recruiting classes of both teams to answer that question.
Baylor
The Bears have a trio signed on that is talented enough to earn them the No. 6 overall spot in the SI All-American team rankings for 2021, highlighted by Sunrise Christian (Bel Aire, Kan.) wing Kendall Brown, a do-it-all athlete who Drew will be able to run at multiple positions and also use to defend multiple positions.
Langston Love is a gritty scoring guard who overwhelms the opposition with his strength and athleticism. He’s particularly hard to stop because of his efficiency from the perimeter, and he’s coming from a winning program at Montverde (Fla.) Academy playing under legendary coach Kevin Boyle.
Last week, Love drained three three-pointers in the second half to help the Eagles win the GEICO Nationals title.
Orange Academy (Germany) forward Jeremy Sochan is a long and wiry athlete who plays fast, aggressive and above the rim. A tenacious rebounder, Sochan is a workhorse on both ends of the floor and a player whose motor will make him tough to keep off of the floor early.
Sochan burst onto the scene in 2019 when he won MVP of the FIBA U16 European Championship B.
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All three players embody the classic Baylor combination of toughness, motor and skill and will undoubtedly be instant impact players in Waco.
Gonzaga
The Bulldogs currently have a two-man class, which features Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) combo guard Hunter Sallis.
Hunter Sallis' diverse skill set should mesh well in Mark Few's system.
At 6-foot-5, Sallis has great size for a lead guard, but he’s at his best when he’s attacking and creating plays for himself and his teammates. Sallis will thrive alongside Andrew Nembhard and Julian Strawther, who should see an expanded role next season with Joel Ayayi declaring for the NBA Draft, in Mark Few’s motion offense.
More importantly, Sallis possesses the IQ that will allow Few to trust him early, much like he did with Jalen Suggs this season.
Battle Ground (Wash.) center Kaden Perry is a bouncy athlete with strength, agility and quickness which allow him to easily maneuver around opposing bigs.
Few and Co. also still have a strong iron in the fire for next season with Chet Holmgren, the SI All-American Player of the Year.
Holmgren earned the nickname “Unicorn” for his ability to legitimately dominate every position on the floor despite standing 7-1.
Last week, Holmgren told SI that he would focus on his recruitment after his state title run, which he ended up winning on Saturday.
At this point, the Bulldogs are the team to beat for the best two-way player in high school basketball.
It's unlikely that Drew Timme sticks around after his dominant showing this season, especially in the NCAA tournament, but if Few is able to reel in Holmgren to go along with Ben Gregg and Perry, the Bulldogs will certainly have the talent to warrant the top dog appointment.