There are still question marks in the class of ‘18, ones that likely won’t be resolved for several weeks. Still, Haase and his assistants are keeping busy planning for the future. In the last couple of days, they have offered three top sophomore recruits.

Nimari Burnett

Nimari Burnett tweeted that he has received an offer from Stanford. The four-star guard plays for Napa’s Prolific Prep, the same school as Stanford ‘18 target Jordan Brown. Burnett transferred to Prolific Prep from Chicago before last season after leading his school to an Illinois state title. He has been featured on the Lifetime show Bringing Up Ballers about young Chicago basketball players and their mothers.

Burnett is a highly skilled player, and has been on the recruiting radar before he really started growing. The combo guard, now 6’3”, is a knockdown shooter, excellent ball handler, gifted passer, and opportunistic defender. He holds offers from Illinois and DePaul, but many other schools have already shown interest. Sometimes being among the first to offer is a major leg up in the process.

Ethan Morton

The talented guard from Pennsylvania also announced his offer via Twitter. Morton was one of fifty-four attendees at last October’s USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team minicamp, which gave him the chance to compete against some of the very best in his class. He already holds several offers from Big 10 schools, as well as Virginia and West Virginia. He’s drawn interest from the likes of Kentucky, too.

Morton is one of the younger players in the EYBL, Nike’s elite AAU league. He is a good finisher, great ball handler, and just generally seems to have a feel for the game. His size and length at the guard position is undoubtedly something that caught Haase’s eye. The four-star recruit will be a good floor general wherever he lands.

Ben Carlson

Carlson announced via Twitter that he has received an offer from Stanford. The 6’9” forward unofficially visited Stanford in November, including attending a football game with Coach Haase. Carlson, a St. Paul native, included a picture of fellow Minnesotan Reid Travis in his tweet. He has received interest from a host of midwestern schools, but Stanford seems to be a strong contender for his services.

Carlson averaged 19 and 9 this year for his East Ridge High School. From his school highlights, Carlson appears to be very comfortable off the bounce, a capable outside shooter, and a quick jumper. In many ways his game has a Michael Humphrey feel to it. He is considered a three-star recruit and a top 20 PF nationally.

Reid Travis Update

The early entry date for college players is coming to a close, and I believe Friday is the day that combine invitation letters go out. This will be a big day for Reid Travis, as an invitation to the combine is a major step toward being drafted (roughly two-thirds), while a snubbing is basically a sign to return to school. Typically around 70 players receive combine invitations. Given evaluations I’ve read, Reid seems to be on the bubble.