The State of Minnesota has gotten used to anticipated recruiting announcements by many of its top high school basketball prospects. Put Kerwin Walton toward the top of that list.
But no recruitment processes may have been more tight lipped or have more uncertainty going down to the end that this one. Walton will choose one of six finalists on Saturday that consists in alphabetical order of Arizona, Creighton, Georgetown, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Currently, the Tar Heels own four of the five FutureCasts on Walton which includes two of our National Recruiting Analysts such as Eric Bossi and Dan McDonald throwing in their chips in that direction. Corey Evans casts the lone vote for Arizona although that is subject to change.
That might give the indication that this is a done deal, but there isn't a lot of confidence that this is an open and shut case for Carolina. Several who have made Futurecasts have admitted they are speculating and trying to piece together the paper trail.
One day before the announcement, we the writers from each team site plus Bossi and Evans join us to talk about their respective school's involvement or the overall recruitment vibe.
Matt Moreno (GOAZCATS) - "Kerwin Walton has done a good job of keeping some mystery around his commitment decision and it has felt like a rollercoaster at times for Arizona fans. He’s been a priority for Sean Miller’s program ever since the Wildcats first entered the recruitment. There is a built-in connection to Arizona through Zeke Nnaji who just had an impressive freshman season in Tucson and decided to move on after one year to enter the NBA Draft. Nnaji and Walton are former high school teammates and the Arizona power forward has been openly recruiting Walton to play for the Wildcats.
One reason the Wildcats have made Walton such a priority is their need for consistent shooting. Arizona has struggled most seasons under Miller with outside shooting and that was again the case this season. The Wildcats have two more open scholarship spots in the 2020 class and they absolutely want to have Walton as part of the group. Up until recently it felt like only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger on a commitment to Arizona, but once a roster spot opened up at North Carolina the momentum started to swing in a different direction. Everything is now building in favor of the Tar Heels, but I still don’t think you can completely close the door on Miller in this situation."
Tim Kreuger (BlueJay Banter) - "The Creighton Bluejays have been all in right from the start on the recruitment of four-star guard Kerwin Walton. Creighton pinpointed Walton as one of their main targets earlier on, even before many of the bluebloods of college hoops began showing interest. They assigned assistant coach Paul Lusk as the lead recruiter for Walton. Lusk, the former Purdue assistant and former head coach at Missouri State,has been a key recruiter for Creighton since joining the staff. Last fall Lusk won a recruiting battle as the Jays landed a commit from four-star big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. But coach McDermott has been very active in Kerwin Walton's recruitment as well, visiting several of his high school games this winter.The staff has kept in constant contact with Walton, and he took two unofficial visits to the Creighton campus as well.
Besides the facilities and the NBA style arena as his potential home court, the biggest factors in Kerwin Walton's interest in Creighton is the family atmosphere around the program and the Jays' style of play. These two items are mentioned the most any time Walton is asked about Creighton. From a Creighton perspective, they love Walton's overall game and the way he would immediately fit into Creighton's high powered, fast paced offense.
Early on Arizona was considered to be in the lead for Walton's services. North Carolina seemed to be in and out of the picture, depending on their scholarship situation. Very recently a scholarship became available at UNC and the Tar Heels seemed to be the future home for Kerwin Walton. The only thing holding back a possible commitment to Creighton was the fact the Jays have almost their entire team returning next season and Walton was in search of immediate playing time.
That changed in early April as Creighton's starting two guard, Ty-Shon Alexander, announced he would be entering his name in the NBA draft. It seemed at the time that no matter the outcome of the draft Alexander would not be returning to school. However, shortly after declaring Alexander gave an interview in which he very much left the door open for a return to Creighton. This seemed to push Walton more toward UNC as his announcement date of April 25th drew near.
Then another turn in this recruiting saga occurred on Tuesday, as Ty-Shon Alexander posted on social media that he would not be returning to Creighton for his senior season. This gave Walton a chance to view Creighton's offer one more time and it sounded like he was giving the Bluejay program another hard look. "Definitely",Walton said via text when asked if Alexander's declaration had given him reason to look at Creighton again. "Opens up an opportunity for me."
As we sit just a few days away from Kerwin Walton's decision it is very difficult to see which way he is leaning. He has played this whole process very close to the vest. Arizona is still there although they have not been mentioned as much recently. One would think the opportunity to go to North Carolina is still at the fore front of his mind. However, with the roster spot opening at Creighton, the Bluejays are in a great spot to nab Walton."
Ron Bailey (Hoya Report) - "Georgetown's pursuit of Kerwin Walton was more or less of the stealth variety: Head coach Pat Ewing and staff entered the derby relatively late, but made ground nonetheless.
Ultimately it may be for naught, as despite their deligent effort, Covid-19 struck, eliminating any chance of a physical visit for Walton. This unoffcial tour - which would have occurred despite Walton exhausting his official visit limit- was exchanged for a virtual one. Walton acknowledged that electronic session was helpful, and he loves Ewing and staff, but didn't provide the connection one needs in such an important decision. In sum the Hoyas impressed him, but the lack of a physical visit may doom them."
David Sisk (The Gopher Report) - "The vibe around the Minnesota program has been that they think they have a shot, and they are in that top tiered group. From there it is a guessing game. It seems like they have made a strong case along with Arizona, Creighton, and North Carolina.
There are some reasons to hope he could be a Gopher next season. The lure of staying home was already important, but with COVID-19 we have already seen examples this spring of players bucking the trend, not going with the perceived favorite, and signing with their hometown or in-state school. Walton also has close family ties inside the Twin Cities. Although some of the competition makes strong cases and the Gophers are not the outright favorite, there are also reasons to hang to the hopes that he could stay in Minnesota."
Clint Jackson (Tar Heel Illustrated) - "Carolina engaged with him earlier in his recruitment and then reengaged over the last few months when they felt another spot may open up. I know Roy Williams wasn’t happy with the way that this season’s team shot the ball, so he’s looking for guys who can knock down open, long range jumpers. I think the way that Kerwin waited this long is a good sign for UNC. I think the Heels have a strong chance here but we will see on Saturday."
David Sisk (VandySports.com) - "For much of this recruitment Vanderbilt has had the same thoughts as some of the other programs. They didn't think they were the favorite, but they believed that had as much of a shot as anyone else. That has seemed to fade over the past few weeks. They have not been mentored with the same fervor with the National Recruiting Analysts as Arizona, Creighton, Minnesota, or North Carolina.
The Commodores also have made a recent addition into an already stacked backcourt. Scotty Pippen Jr. will return at point guard along with Maxwell Evans. The roster will also see additions of Tyrin Lawrence and Issac McBride. Saben Lee has also left the door open to return to do no more than test the NBA Draft waters then return."
Eric Bossi (Rivals National Recruiting Analyst) - "Normally when a recruit like Kerwin Walton has set a time to decide like the 6-foot-5 shooter has done, the rumors start flying. For me, it's been the exact opposite. All channels have gone quiet and as of Thursday morning I couldn't even get anybody to tell me what time or how Walton would be announcing on Thursday.
My current prediction is for North Carolina based on information I got this winter suggesting that Walton had been waiting for a scholarship to open up in Chapel Hill and that he'd been indicating to the UNC staff he wants in if that scholarship opened. Well, there are two available now. It's not the most confident prediction I've ever made and I don't think anybody recruiting him is feeling particularly confident on this one."
Corey Evans (Rivals National Analyst) - "It is a complete guessing game at this point. Kerwin Walton a four-star wing, is set to commit Saturday. He has been mum on his recruitment up until this point and selecting a clear favorite heading into his decision remains difficult.
His finalists remain Arizona, Creighton, Georgetown, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Vanderbilt. Back in the fall, I was fairly confident in my FutureCast in which it had Walton picking Arizona. That confidence has waned in recent weeks which has coincided with another scholarship opening up at UNC. Walton cut his school list and set a commitment date around the same time as UNC entered the picture.
Maybe it was just random timing, but if not, it would align with Walton picking UNC and recent whispers surrounding his recruitment have said just that. However, with how big of a mystery he has been, I wouldn’t be surprised if he picked Arizona, or even Creighton or Minnesota. For now, his recruitment remains a guessing game leading up to his commitment on Saturday."
But no recruitment processes may have been more tight lipped or have more uncertainty going down to the end that this one. Walton will choose one of six finalists on Saturday that consists in alphabetical order of Arizona, Creighton, Georgetown, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Currently, the Tar Heels own four of the five FutureCasts on Walton which includes two of our National Recruiting Analysts such as Eric Bossi and Dan McDonald throwing in their chips in that direction. Corey Evans casts the lone vote for Arizona although that is subject to change.
That might give the indication that this is a done deal, but there isn't a lot of confidence that this is an open and shut case for Carolina. Several who have made Futurecasts have admitted they are speculating and trying to piece together the paper trail.
One day before the announcement, we the writers from each team site plus Bossi and Evans join us to talk about their respective school's involvement or the overall recruitment vibe.
Matt Moreno (GOAZCATS) - "Kerwin Walton has done a good job of keeping some mystery around his commitment decision and it has felt like a rollercoaster at times for Arizona fans. He’s been a priority for Sean Miller’s program ever since the Wildcats first entered the recruitment. There is a built-in connection to Arizona through Zeke Nnaji who just had an impressive freshman season in Tucson and decided to move on after one year to enter the NBA Draft. Nnaji and Walton are former high school teammates and the Arizona power forward has been openly recruiting Walton to play for the Wildcats.
One reason the Wildcats have made Walton such a priority is their need for consistent shooting. Arizona has struggled most seasons under Miller with outside shooting and that was again the case this season. The Wildcats have two more open scholarship spots in the 2020 class and they absolutely want to have Walton as part of the group. Up until recently it felt like only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger on a commitment to Arizona, but once a roster spot opened up at North Carolina the momentum started to swing in a different direction. Everything is now building in favor of the Tar Heels, but I still don’t think you can completely close the door on Miller in this situation."
Tim Kreuger (BlueJay Banter) - "The Creighton Bluejays have been all in right from the start on the recruitment of four-star guard Kerwin Walton. Creighton pinpointed Walton as one of their main targets earlier on, even before many of the bluebloods of college hoops began showing interest. They assigned assistant coach Paul Lusk as the lead recruiter for Walton. Lusk, the former Purdue assistant and former head coach at Missouri State,has been a key recruiter for Creighton since joining the staff. Last fall Lusk won a recruiting battle as the Jays landed a commit from four-star big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. But coach McDermott has been very active in Kerwin Walton's recruitment as well, visiting several of his high school games this winter.The staff has kept in constant contact with Walton, and he took two unofficial visits to the Creighton campus as well.
Besides the facilities and the NBA style arena as his potential home court, the biggest factors in Kerwin Walton's interest in Creighton is the family atmosphere around the program and the Jays' style of play. These two items are mentioned the most any time Walton is asked about Creighton. From a Creighton perspective, they love Walton's overall game and the way he would immediately fit into Creighton's high powered, fast paced offense.
Early on Arizona was considered to be in the lead for Walton's services. North Carolina seemed to be in and out of the picture, depending on their scholarship situation. Very recently a scholarship became available at UNC and the Tar Heels seemed to be the future home for Kerwin Walton. The only thing holding back a possible commitment to Creighton was the fact the Jays have almost their entire team returning next season and Walton was in search of immediate playing time.
That changed in early April as Creighton's starting two guard, Ty-Shon Alexander, announced he would be entering his name in the NBA draft. It seemed at the time that no matter the outcome of the draft Alexander would not be returning to school. However, shortly after declaring Alexander gave an interview in which he very much left the door open for a return to Creighton. This seemed to push Walton more toward UNC as his announcement date of April 25th drew near.
Then another turn in this recruiting saga occurred on Tuesday, as Ty-Shon Alexander posted on social media that he would not be returning to Creighton for his senior season. This gave Walton a chance to view Creighton's offer one more time and it sounded like he was giving the Bluejay program another hard look. "Definitely",Walton said via text when asked if Alexander's declaration had given him reason to look at Creighton again. "Opens up an opportunity for me."
As we sit just a few days away from Kerwin Walton's decision it is very difficult to see which way he is leaning. He has played this whole process very close to the vest. Arizona is still there although they have not been mentioned as much recently. One would think the opportunity to go to North Carolina is still at the fore front of his mind. However, with the roster spot opening at Creighton, the Bluejays are in a great spot to nab Walton."
Ron Bailey (Hoya Report) - "Georgetown's pursuit of Kerwin Walton was more or less of the stealth variety: Head coach Pat Ewing and staff entered the derby relatively late, but made ground nonetheless.
Ultimately it may be for naught, as despite their deligent effort, Covid-19 struck, eliminating any chance of a physical visit for Walton. This unoffcial tour - which would have occurred despite Walton exhausting his official visit limit- was exchanged for a virtual one. Walton acknowledged that electronic session was helpful, and he loves Ewing and staff, but didn't provide the connection one needs in such an important decision. In sum the Hoyas impressed him, but the lack of a physical visit may doom them."
David Sisk (The Gopher Report) - "The vibe around the Minnesota program has been that they think they have a shot, and they are in that top tiered group. From there it is a guessing game. It seems like they have made a strong case along with Arizona, Creighton, and North Carolina.
There are some reasons to hope he could be a Gopher next season. The lure of staying home was already important, but with COVID-19 we have already seen examples this spring of players bucking the trend, not going with the perceived favorite, and signing with their hometown or in-state school. Walton also has close family ties inside the Twin Cities. Although some of the competition makes strong cases and the Gophers are not the outright favorite, there are also reasons to hang to the hopes that he could stay in Minnesota."
Clint Jackson (Tar Heel Illustrated) - "Carolina engaged with him earlier in his recruitment and then reengaged over the last few months when they felt another spot may open up. I know Roy Williams wasn’t happy with the way that this season’s team shot the ball, so he’s looking for guys who can knock down open, long range jumpers. I think the way that Kerwin waited this long is a good sign for UNC. I think the Heels have a strong chance here but we will see on Saturday."
David Sisk (VandySports.com) - "For much of this recruitment Vanderbilt has had the same thoughts as some of the other programs. They didn't think they were the favorite, but they believed that had as much of a shot as anyone else. That has seemed to fade over the past few weeks. They have not been mentored with the same fervor with the National Recruiting Analysts as Arizona, Creighton, Minnesota, or North Carolina.
The Commodores also have made a recent addition into an already stacked backcourt. Scotty Pippen Jr. will return at point guard along with Maxwell Evans. The roster will also see additions of Tyrin Lawrence and Issac McBride. Saben Lee has also left the door open to return to do no more than test the NBA Draft waters then return."
Eric Bossi (Rivals National Recruiting Analyst) - "Normally when a recruit like Kerwin Walton has set a time to decide like the 6-foot-5 shooter has done, the rumors start flying. For me, it's been the exact opposite. All channels have gone quiet and as of Thursday morning I couldn't even get anybody to tell me what time or how Walton would be announcing on Thursday.
My current prediction is for North Carolina based on information I got this winter suggesting that Walton had been waiting for a scholarship to open up in Chapel Hill and that he'd been indicating to the UNC staff he wants in if that scholarship opened. Well, there are two available now. It's not the most confident prediction I've ever made and I don't think anybody recruiting him is feeling particularly confident on this one."
Corey Evans (Rivals National Analyst) - "It is a complete guessing game at this point. Kerwin Walton a four-star wing, is set to commit Saturday. He has been mum on his recruitment up until this point and selecting a clear favorite heading into his decision remains difficult.
His finalists remain Arizona, Creighton, Georgetown, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Vanderbilt. Back in the fall, I was fairly confident in my FutureCast in which it had Walton picking Arizona. That confidence has waned in recent weeks which has coincided with another scholarship opening up at UNC. Walton cut his school list and set a commitment date around the same time as UNC entered the picture.
Maybe it was just random timing, but if not, it would align with Walton picking UNC and recent whispers surrounding his recruitment have said just that. However, with how big of a mystery he has been, I wouldn’t be surprised if he picked Arizona, or even Creighton or Minnesota. For now, his recruitment remains a guessing game leading up to his commitment on Saturday."
