1) Tae Davis SF 6’6 170lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: Tae is the younger brother of freshman wing Dre Davis and, in my opinion, his potential is even higher than his older brother’s. He has very long limbs for being 6’6 and he’s a great athlete that’s shown flashes of skill. His main calling card at first will be defense and scoring in transition, but he could soon blossom into a very well rounded player that gets NBA scouts’ attention.
2) Paul McMillan PG 6’1 170lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: McMillan is a super smooth guard out of Cincinnati who has a pretty lengthy relationship with Coach Mack. McMillan’s sister used to play basketball for Mack’s wife and they’ve been in touch for awhile now. McMillan won’t blow you out of the water with his athleticism or physical attributes, but he is extremely skilled and well rounded on the offensive end and he could be an absolute bucket-getter at the college level.
3) De’Ante Green PF 6’9 205lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: De’Ante Green is an extremely talented forward out of NC who I think is a 2 year player at the most with his skillset. Not only can he hold his own down low and score effectively in the post, but he’s also able to slide out past the 3-point line and stroke it. What’s surprising to me about his game is his patience down low and his ability to get his defender up in the air and either get the easy dunk or draw the foul. Also worth nothing is he played AAU basketball with Bobby Pettiford Jr so that might be something to watch out for!
4) Rodney Rice SG 6’4 185lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: Rice is a true marksman and a surprisingly good all-around scorer out of the prestigious DeMatha Catholic. He has the ability to both create his own shot and also play off the ball and catch and shoot at an elite level. Not only is he a great shooter, but he also can hold his own in regards to ball handling and creating for others when necessary. Also worth noting is Coach Mack is the lead recruiter for Rice so its fair to assume he’s a player the staff is very high on and rightly so in my opinion.
5) Isaac Traudt PF 6’9 205lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: Another highly skilled forward, Traudt can pretty much do it all on the offensive side. He’s even a pretty good ball handler for a 6’9 PF. He doesn’t seem to be a great athlete, but with his shooting touch and overall feel for the game he could very easily be a high level scorer at the next level. Having somebody like Traudt on your side opens things up tremendously offensively. We’ve seen Mack pull similar type players in Slazinski and Heidjen, but I think Traudt is on another level as far as where he’s at talent-wise compared to those 2.
6) Isaac McKneely CG 6’4 170lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: McKneely says he hears that he plays like Tyler Herro and honestly, I agree. He’s a knockdown shooter with sneaky athleticism and plenty of swag to go with it all. He has a surprisingly clean handle and he’s more than capable of running PG when needed. He also has a gritty attitude to him that makes the flare to his game exciting and not come off as showboating. It could be a challenge to get him out of his home state of West Virginia, but I think a player like McKneely is worth the time and resources.
7) Mark Armstrong CG 6’2 160lbs
Hives’ Evaluation: Armstrong is the type of lead guard that UL fans have grown accustomed to over the past couple of decades. He’s gritty, fearless, plays the passing lanes extremely well, and he can score from just about anywhere. However, he really excels at getting in the lane and creating havoc for the opposing defense. He will probably have to get a little stronger before making a significant impact, but he has sophomore breakout written all over him. Wherever he lands they will be getting a very tough and exciting player. Mack and the staff offered less than a month ago so here’s to hoping their relationship blossoms and takes off!
8) Favour Aire C 6’11 215
Hives’ Evaluation: The only true center on this list, Favour is a shot blocking and rebounding machine. Nothing gets past him down low whether its an opposing player’s shot or a board. I’m not expecting Aire to ever really stretch the floor or be a legit offensive option, but he does appear to have some touch on his jumper in the mid-range and he has shown a somewhat effective post hook. I think he could really benefit in a system like Coach Mack’s where he won’t be asked to do much offensively and he will be mainly relied on to be the anchor on defense.
