Most Important College Hoops Signings for 2020

Back in November when USC coach Andy Enfield officially signed Evan Mobley as the showpiece of his 2020 recruiting haul, he used words like “special” and “incredible” to describe the 7-foot center.

Still, even those adjectives may undersell the importance of signing the player that could be first to shake hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver next year.

To that end, we examined the most important signings in this year’s class.

SI All-American First Team | Second Team | Third Team

Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), C

Signed to: USC

Why He’s Vital: The Trojans have spent most of the last decade in college hoops obscurity, making the addition of Mobley major. Not only will he help the Trojans win immediately, he brings the attention associated with the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in 2021. This could help USC for multiple years.

Greg Brown III, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas), F

Signed to: Texas

Why He’s Vital: The Longhorns won an intense battle against the NBA G League’s professional pathway program for Brown’s services, but now that he’s officially headed to Austin the Longhorns have a legitimate chance to win the Big 12. Brown is a hybrid scorer who checks off a multitude of other boxes on and off the stat sheet.

Cade Cunningham, Montverde (Fla.) Academy, PG

Signed to: Oklahoma State

Why He’s Vital: An SI All-American first teamer, Cunningham is the most high-profile recruit the Cowboys have ever landed. Though he won’t be there after his freshman season, Cunningham is talented enough to keep the Cowboys in the minds of the 2021 class and beyond.

Nimari Burnett, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), PG

Signed to: Texas Tech

Why He’s Vital: Burnett was arguably the best guard on his summer travel team that featured three SI All-American nominees, including the SI All-American Player of the Year Jalen Green. Burnett is an exceptional scoring guard who will make an immediate impact from day one with the loss of Jahmi’us Ramsey to the NBA Draft.

Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), PG

Signed to: Auburn

Why He’s Vital: The SI All-American first teamer is, arguably, the top scoring point guard in the country, with the innate ability to make everyone around him better. That’s pertinent to a team losing its top five scorers after a 25-win season. Cooper is a proven winner and his effectiveness could put the Tigers right back into contention in the SEC.

Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.), PG

Committed to: Gonzaga

Why He’s Vital: The SI All-American would solve the question mark at the point for the loaded Bulldogs. His addition makes them a potential Final Four team, but if he opts to go pro, which he’s consistently said is an option, the Bulldogs will have a major hole.

Scottie Barnes, Montverde (Fla.) Academy, F

Signed to: Florida State

Why He’s Vital: The Seminoles took home the ACC Tournament title by default due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the tournament in the quarterfinals, but with Barnes in the stable they should be able to win it the old-fashioned way. Barnes will thrive in a point-forward role for the Seminoles. His reputation as the most competitive player in the country should pay huge dividends in Tallahassee.

Caleb Love, Christian Brothers College (St. Louis, Mo.), PG

Signed to: North Carolina

Why He’s Vital: If the Tar Heels are going to erase the stench of a 19-loss season, they’ll need a playmaker/distributor to be at the controls. After losing Cole Anthony to the NBA Draft, having Love as the next man up eases concerns about the transition next season.

Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), PG

Signed to: Duke

Why He’s Vital: Tre Jones’ departure for the NBA Draft left a major hole at the point for the Blue Devils; good thing one of the best floor generals in the class is primed to step in and lead. Roach is just a year removed from an ACL tear and had been hitting his elite stride all year. His addition could mean a deep NCAA tournament run for the Blue Devils.

Cameron Thomas, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), SG

Signed to: LSU

Why He’s Vital: Tigers coach Will Wade called Thomas one of the “best scorers” he’s seen come out of high school or AAU since he’s been coaching. Seems dead on for the all-time leading scorer at a storied program like Oak Hill. Thomas’ scoring ability will be key for the Tigers.