Jonathan Kuminga is the number one player in the 2021 class. He is 6’8 small forward who is very long and athletic. He can guard multiple positions and is projected to be top ten pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. JoKuminga recently announced his top five options. He is down to Auburn, Duke, Kentucky, Texas Tech, and the G League. Jonathan Kuminga is also a top candidate to reclassify to the class of 2020. What do these options bring for Kuminga? Where do I think he ends up? Lets find out.
Auburn Tigers
Bruce Pearl has built a very impressive program at Auburn and top recruits are taking notice. Auburn currently has the number seven recruiting class in the country, including a commitment from five star point guard Sharife Cooper. If Jonathan Kuminga were to reclassify, this would give Auburn a top five recruiting class and they also be one of the top four to five teams in the SEC. After missing out on five star guard Jalen Green to the G League, Kuminga is the top recruiting priority for Bruce Pearl and his staff right now. I like Auburn’s chances in this recruitment but I would not call them the leader as of right now.
Duke Blue Devils
Coach K and his staff are very used to landing top talent. They have top three recruiting class in the country and adding Jonathan Kuminga could likely give them the number one class. Early on in Kuminga’s recruitment, Duke was seen as the favorite to land the talented forward. After many months, the Duke buzz has died down quiet a bit. If Kuminga reclassifies to the 2020 class, I do not see Kuminga committing to Duke. With all the talent coming to Durham this season, I do not see Jonathan Kuminga in the cards for the Blue Devils right now.
Kentucky Wildcats
Landing top talent is normal for John Calipari and his staff. Kentucky has the number one recruiting class and there has been some talk the Coach Calipari would like to add atleast one more piece to this class. Could it be Jonathan Kuminga? I would not bet on it right now. If Kentucky were to add one more piece, it would likely be a front court addition. Kuminga likes to play out on the perimeter. With Coach Calipari already bringing in two talented wing players in five stars Brandon Boston Jr and Terrence Clarke, landing Kuminga seems like a long shot right now.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech- Chris Beard is building a great program at Texas Tech. After leading Texas Tech all the way to the national championship in 2019, top recruits have been taking a serious look at Texas Tech. Texas Tech has the number nine recruiting class. If Kuminga does decide to attend college next season, I believe Texas Tech has the best shot right now. Kuminga’s brother Joel Ntambwe is currently on the roster. Turning down family is never easy to do. Landing Kuminga would be a MASSIVE win for not only for Chris Beard, but also for the Texas Tech program.
NBA G League
The G League is starting to become a new trend in the recruiting world. Current five stars Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, Daishen Nix have all decided to bypass college and join the G League. Could Kuminga be the next five star talent to join the G League? It is very possible. The G League is paying players are very high salary that could be hard to turn down. This option should be watched very closely.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I believe Kuminga will make the jump to the 2020 class. For his recruitment, I believe Texas Tech and the G League have the best shot at landing Kuminga right now. If he goes to college my prediction is he will join his brother and commit to Chris Beard and Texas Tech but I would not count the G League out.
