Coach Hop gets 1st New Recruit

Coach Hopkins secured a commitment from Michael Carter III today, making him the 1st new player to join the team since he took over for Lorenzo Romar. Carter had previously been committed to the University of San Francisco. He’s a local recruit who went to O’Dea high school, graduating in 2016. This past year was spent at the Elite Sports Academy which is why he is part of the recruiting class of 2017. He’s a 6’5 170 lb shooting guard that presumably will take the place of Daejon Davis in this class who committed last week to Stanford.

Carter interviewed with the folks at Dawgman and spoke about the commitment and the opportunity at length. The chance to stay close to family was a huge factor in the commitment. “At San Francisco they wouldn’t be able to see me play as much. Sometimes on TV. Someone I really wanted to see me play is my grandmother because she was a big part of my life and she doesn’t really get out as much when it comes to sports. Staying really made my family excited.”

Michael Carter III was unranked by the major recruiting services but in the interview he claims he has grown several inches in the last year and now stands at 6’5.5. He specifically mentioned Coach Hop’s energy and passion as the the thing that stood out the most. He also mentioned that Conroy is someone that will push you as far as you can go and that’s why people love him.

This represents a clear step down in the level of prospect that had been a part of the class under Romar but has several appealing parts. The fact that he seems to have grown both physically and in maturity over the last year hopefully means that he can be a sleeper. This is a piece of good news on a day when Noah Dickerson is reportedly visiting ex-Cougars coach Tony Bennett at Virginia. While obviously the allure of staying home wasn’t enough to keep Daejon home over other Pac-12 offers, it’s at least good enough to beat out WCC schools. Now that the first new commit is in the fold, the priorities become keeping Jaylen Nowell committed, keeping Noah Dickerson from transferring, and finding an impact big man or two available either in the recruiting class or the transfer market. You can view Michael’s Hudl page with highlights here.