Ranking the Contenders: Aminu Mohammed
Five-star wing Aminu Mohammed could be closing in on a decision and possibly an early enrollment. His recruitment has been unpredictable at times over the last year, as both his target date for enrollment and list of favorites have been ever-changing. Recently, Mohammed told the website Stockrisers.com that he plans to have a decision on or around Dec. 15. Officially a fist full of schools remain involved with the talented wing. Rivals.com takes a look at only the serious players, however, as we rank the contenders to land Mohammed’s commitment.
1. Georgia
The Bulldogs’ top remaining target in the 2021 class, Mohammed seems incredibly high on Georgia as he heads down the back stretch of his recruitment. The fact that the five-star prospect watched former Georgia star Anthony Edwards go first overall in the NBA Draft early this month certainly helps Tom Crean exponentially here, but UGA’s perceived lead is based on more than just one factor.
UGA offered Mohammed back in May and have been a player in this sweepstakes ever since. Crean may have pushed the Bulldogs over the edge with Zoom calls over the course of the last month. According to Mohammed’s guardian Shawn Harmon, the touted wing hopes to enroll in at semester, though a final decision on that has not been made. Georgia would certainly allow him to do so.
2. Indiana
The Hoosiers have had some costly misses in this cycle, and landing Mohammed would dull the pain of some of them. IU sits in second here, but the program is impossible to rule out. The Springfield (Mo.)-based star has visited Bloomington and feels comfortable with the staff. The Hoosiers were seen as the leader not so long ago, but the Bulldogs have closed the gap in recent weeks.
Indiana has had some tough breaks in close battles over the last few months and now find themselves in yet another recruiting dog fight. If Archie Miller and company miss out here it will, once again, not be by much.
3. Georgetown
The Hoyas sit in a solid third here but seem to be working furiously to close the gap. Patrick Ewing and staff hosted Mohammed for a zoom meeting a couple weeks back. And while Mohammed plays at Springfield’s Greenwood Laboratory School, he’s originally from Washington DC. The allure of home is stronger in pandemic times, and the desire to join the hometown school’s loaded 2021 class has to be strong. So while the Bulldogs and Hoosiers seem to have a lead, logic suggests ruling out the Hoyas would be irresponsible.
4. Kansas State
The Wildcats seemed poised to be a player a month or two ago but seem to have faded a bit for whatever reason. Bruce Weber’s team remains on the periphery of the mix, but Mohammed announcing for K-State seems like a long shot at this juncture. Nevertheless, the dynamic star was able to visit campus pre-pandemic and the program has the ability to take him at semester. The Wildcats can’t be left off this list or totally dismissed just yet.