Checking in with three of the top uncommitted prospects in the Class of 2021

Although no prospects in the Class of 2021 have had any “live” eyes of college coaches on them for months, the oral commitments have nonetheless been trickling in.

With Waubonsie Valley’s Ben Schwieger and DePaul Prep’s TY Johnson both committing to Loyola last month, nine of the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top prospects in the class have committed. They will sign in mid-November and then keep their fingers crossed their season won’t be interrupted this winter.

Currently there are 12 players committed to Division I schools in the class. The projection here is there are roughly 30 Division I prospects in the class in Illinois.

With nine of the better prospects in the state off the board, here is a look at where the recruitment of the next wave of prospects sit, starting with the top uncommitted prospect remaining, Notre Dame guard Anthony Sayles, the No. 10 ranked prospect in the Class of 2021.

Sayles has been a fixture on the high school basketball scene since his arrival as a freshman. He entered high school as a top 10 prospect and remains there today as a strong, physical lead guard who brings all the intangibles and a college-ready body.

While his two high-profile teammates and fellow top 10 in-state prospects, Louis Lesmond and Troy D’Amico, have committed to Harvard and Southern Illinois, respectively, Sayles continues to sort out his options. While he admits he’s taken notice of seeing both his high school and Illinois Wolves club program teammates commit, he’s not in a rush.

“I want to take my time, because these are the next four years of my life,” said Sayles, who averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.

Comfort level is what he’s looking for when he makes his decision.

“I want to be comfortable with the coaching staff and the players,” Sayles said. “I want to go somewhere and contribute right away, and I want to go where I’m not just wanted but needed.”

Southern Illinois has made a big push, while Grand Canyon, Miami-Ohio and Wisconsin-Milwaukee have been involved. Virginia Tech has also shown some interest.

“With Covid and everything that’s going on, I really don’t have a set time of when I will decide,” Sayles said. “My family and I will continue talking about it and figure it out together.”

Sayles believes he’s made significant strides since college coaches last saw him live. A quarterback and a legit prospect in football, Sayles has been splitting time over his high school career between the two sports. He’s put in time to improve his individual game during the COVID-19 layoff.

“I think I’m a totally different player,” Sayles said. “I have put time in the gym during this time to improve and add to my game. My shot has definitely improved, and my ball handling is tighter.”

Sayles was the point guard of a team that had state title aspirations this past season. The Dons won 29 games and were one of the favorites in Class 3A when the season shut down in March. But Notre Dame coach Kevin Clancy has been able to see the value of Sayles over the past three years that go beyond the physical makeup and talent he offers.

“He’s a natural leader,” Clancy said. “He communicates and leads by example. When it’s needed, he picks guys up. Those are the types of things that go beyond even his obvious basketball abilities.”

John Poulakidas still open

Neuqua Valley’s John Poulakidas broke out last summer and secured a whole bunch of scholarship offers heading into his junior season. He then went out and averaged 17.5 points and 4.4 rebounds while knocking down 76 three-pointers.

A gifted scorer with three-point shooting accuracy and an advanced mid-range game, Poulakidas broke the school’s single-game scoring record with 49 points against Bolingbrook this past season. He has scored 1,291 career points heading into his senior season.

With an initial dozen-plus offers on the table, the 6-5 Poulakidas says he has a wide variety of offers and interest that remain. Yale, George Washington, Minnesota and TCU have been very active, he says, while Iowa State, Arizona State and DePaul have been keeping tabs on him.

Poulakidas admits it’s been a struggle to narrow it down and make a decision, particularly because of the circumstances brought on by COVID-19.

“It’s been pretty tough to be comfortable with any one place, on and off the court, and to get a true feeling about the environment of any school or program,” Poulakidas said. “You hear stories about players in the past who fall in love with a place on their official visit when they step on campus and say ‘they just know.’ I’m not able to do that, so it’s tough to get a true feel for a school.”

The other aggravating part of it all is not being able to showcase his abilities over the past four months. Like all top prospects, Poulakidas was set to play out the spring on the club basketball scene and with his high school team during the two live periods in June. All of it was canceled.

“It’s been difficult that coaches have not been able to see me,” Poulakidas said. “You put in all the work and not being able to show that improvement? That’s tough. I was excited to show the work I put in and to show the improvement I’ve made as a player. But you have to make sure you stay ready, so I’ve been lifting and working on my game and playing in open gyms.”

Poulakidas says he doesn’t have a specific timetable and continues to take it “day by day.” He does say he doesn’t want it to linger on too long and wants to make a decision well before his senior season begins.

He continues to do his homework on the recruiting front, even while going through a recruiting process no prospect has ever had to go through before.

“It’s important for me to ask as many questions as possible,” Poulakidas said. “I want to make sure I am making the best, informed decision that I can. Doing it this way, through zooms and phone calls, is much more challenging and difficult. But I’m not going to be able to get that time on campus and be around the players and see the program up close. I just have to keep asking questions and learn as much as I can under the circumstances that we are in.”

Grant Newell remains overlooked prospect

Grant Newell remains arguably the most overlooked talent in the class. The 6-7 senior figures to become the key cog for a Young team that graduates Duke-bound DJ Steward and Georgetown recruit Tyler Beard.

The recruitment has been slow, though Cornell, Tulsa, Howard and Wisconsin-Milwaukee have been involved.

“I feel like I have a long way to go in my recruitment,” Newell said. “It’s been a little frustrating because I was looking forward to playing on the circuit. I am in no rush and don’t see myself committing before late 2020 or early 2021.”

While Newell, a 4-man who showcases athleticism and an ability to step away from the basket, remains patient on the recruiting front, he believes he’s greatly improved and matured as a player.

“It’s been a time for me to work on my game and improve,” Newell said. “I feel different as a player. Everyone used to tell me how versatile I was as a player. Now I feel like I am versatile. I have gained 15 pounds and, as a result, one area I know I’ve improved is finishing at the basket. I am more confident in finishing. I am stronger. I run now and get in mile runs. I am lifting and stretching and working on flexibility. I think this has given me the time to do those things.”