<
>

Summer Recruiting Bible: Cincinnati seeks to fill numerous holes

Mick Cronin will be back on the floor this season, but will first have to hit the trail hard this summer. Frank Victores/USA TODAY Sports

Throughout June and heading into the all-important July recruiting period, Jeff Goodman and Jeff Borzello will take a look at the summer checklists for the top 50 programs in college basketball, as revealed in Goodman's preseason ballot published in late May. Goodman and Borzello will show you each roster the way the coaches are looking at it, projecting graduation/NBA casualties and areas of need ahead of 2016-17. Below is the summer guide for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

An index and schedule for the Summer Recruiting Bible series is located HERE.


Scholarship chart

Seniors (4): SG Farad Cobb, SF Shaquille Thomas, PF Octavius Ellis, C Coreontae DeBerry

Juniors (2): PG Troy Caupain, SG Kevin Johnson

Sophomores (2): PF Gary Clark, C Quadri Moore

Freshmen (3): PG Justin Jenifer, SF Jacob Evans, SF Tre Scott

Possible early-entry losses after next season: None

Available scholarships for 2016: Six

Committed prospects for 2016 and beyond: None

Biggest needs for 2016-17: Combo guard, point guard, multiple big men, 5-man

Must-haves: SG Xavier Green (Team Loaded VA)

Targets: SG Xavier Green (Team Loaded VA), SG Jarron Cumberland (King James Shooting Stars), PF Brison Gresham (Elfrid Payton Elite), PF Javin Montgomery-DeLaurier (Team Loaded VA), PG Maliek White (River City Reign), C Nysier Brooks (We R 1), PF Cameron Lard, SG Lindy Waters (Oklahoma Wizards), Bashir Ahmed (JUCO), G Myles Powell (NJ Playaz), SG Alston Davis (Charlotte Aces), SG Richard Washington (Team Loaded VA)

Summer scenario

Right now, Cincinnati has essentially a blank slate for the 2016 class -- and the Bearcats' offer list highlights that. The Bearcats have six available scholarships for the class, and they've cast a wide net in their hunt for players. Xavier Green is probably their biggest target, but he's likely to end his recruitment soon. Mick Cronin and his staff could probably use a player at every position, but it would seem a perimeter scorer and a big man are at the top of the wish list. Farad Cobb and Shaq Thomas are gone after this season from the wings, while Octavius Ellis and Coreontae DeBerry leave the paint. Also, Cincinnati always seems to find diamonds in the rough during the recruiting process, usually from the Midwest or New York-New Jersey area.