Class of ’15 Recruiting Update

Nate Fowler

The spring AAU season has come to an end, leading to a frantic month of high school team camps, player development camps, exposure events and most notably, recruiting updates. As Division I colleges focus in on their top targets in the class of 2015, before one last look at them on the AAU circuit in July, several Ohio prospects are attracting the interest of high-major programs. Here’s an update on seven rising seniors from the Buckeye State who are fielding a steady collection of phone calls from top college programs all around the country…..

• Nate Fowler – ’15 C Cincinnati Moeller: Fowler committed to Butler on Tuesday night, becoming the fifth Ohio prospect from the 2015 class to verbal to a Division I college. The skilled and wide 6’9 post chose the Butler Bulldogs over Davidson, Dayton, Iowa, Wisconsin and likely runner-up Purdue. One of the top post prospects in the entire Midwest due to his combination of size, shooting ability and low-post skill, Fowler became the next piece in a potential Moeller to Butler pipeline, as current Bulldogs guard Alex Barlow is also a Moeller alum.

• Craig Randall – ’15 PG Medina: We’ve always known that Randall is an elite scorer from the lead-guard position. However, the Medina product has earned high praise playing with Ohio Basketball Club in the Adidas Gauntlet, as he has played more of a balanced role and racked up some gaudy assist numbers. Conversely, Randall is seeing his recruitment take a boost, as St. Joe’s, Akron, Toledo, Kent State, Drexel and Cleveland State highlight his offer list. Additionally, Randall told TDP that Minnesota, Richmond, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, Wichita State and Florida Gulf Coast are all showing more and more interest in him of late.

• Kyle Ahrens – ’15 SG Versailles: Ahrens listed Michigan State, Xavier, Dayton and Tennessee as the four schools recruiting him the hardest in a recent conversation with TDP. The 6’5 wing plans on taking a visit to Michigan State in the month of June, and could trim down his official list before the month ends as well.

• Carlton Bragg – ’15 PF Cleveland VASJ: In a recent interview from the Adidas Gauntlet in Orlando, Bragg told reporters that Ohio State, Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas and UCLA are among the schools showing him the most interest right now. Ohio’s top 2015 prospect, and a consensus top-15 prospect nationally; Bragg has offers from all of the previously mentioned schools, as well as the majority of the rest of the top high-major programs in the nation.

• Esa Ahmad – ’15 PF Cleveland Shaker Heights: One of the hottest prospects in the Midwest right now, Ahmad recently took unofficial visits to both Maryland and West Virginia, and still has many schools recruiting him heading into the summer. Next up, Ahmad plans to visit most of the Big Ten schools in June; with the trip potentially including Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State.

• Derek Pardon – ’15 PF/C Cleveland VASJ: The 6’9 combo post out of Cleveland has gained a lot of exposure recently between playing alongside Carlton Bragg in the winter, and then in the Nike EYBL with King James in the spring. Recruiting has been on the up and up for Pardon, as Xavier, Dayton, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and several mid-major programs have extended offers his way. With his size and rebounding/shot-blocking ability, look for Pardon to be even more heavily recruited by the end of the summer.

• Kipper Nichols – ’15 SF Cleveland St. Edward: Like Pardon, Ahmad and several of the other 2015’s out of the Cleveland area, the later part of the winter and the entire spring have been good to Nichols. The versatile combo forward has attracted new offers from Penn State, Xavier, Northwestern and Clemson, as well as interest from Ohio State, Wisconsin and Cincinnati. With several mid-major offers already on his plate, look for Nichols to attract more offers at the upper mid-major and high-major levels throughout July.