Rivals150 update: Arizona commit KJ Simpson moves up in new 2021 rankings

Rivals.com released its updated Rivals150 for the 2021 class Monday and there was plenty of movement for Arizona targets. The Wildcats have one commit for the class, California guard KJ Simpson, and he was the lone UA target on the list to move up the rankings this time around.

This year's rankings process is certainly different considering all the challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, some states have had events allowing the Rivals.com staff a chance to evaluate many members of the class. Typically this time of year recruits would begin separating themselves from one another but with some prospects not being able to play this summer it has turned into a unique time for evaluation.

Here's a look at the post-summer changes for Arizona targets.

The most significant move that concerns Arizona is the bump up that Simpson received this time around. The California combo guard committed to the program almost exactly a month ago helping to raise his profile on the national scene some more. He was already due for a bump before his commitment coming off an impressive junior season at Chaminade High School in West Hills.

Simpson ultimately moved up nine spots in the updated Rivals.com rankings this week and he is now inside the top 100 in the class. The move up to No. 93 overall in the class also helped him move up to No. 18 in the point guard rankings.

The 6-foot-2 guard is an important piece of the class as the lone member of the group. The Wildcats certainly want to have a versatile playmaker as part of the class and Simpson will be able to help the team either as a point guard or wing player adding to the perimeter group Sean Miller and his staff are building for the future.

Arizona remains involved with a handful of five-star recruits in the 2021 class and two of them also made moves in the updated rankings. Top-five guard Jaden Hardy remained put at the No. 5 spot, but reclassified wing Caleb Houstan and Oregon big man Nathan Bittle dropped just a bit this time around.

Houstan, a Canadian wing who was previously in the 2022 class, dropped a couple spots down to No. 11 yet he remains one of the mostly highly-targeted prospects in the group. Arizona is among the schools showing considerable interest in the No. 3 small forward after offering him this summer.

Bittle has been a longtime target for UA and he is set to make his commitment decision this week. The versatile center recruit dropped one spot to No. 19 on the new list and he still is ranked as the second-best center in the class behind Chet Holmgren.

The in-state prospect who is going to play his final season in Florida has been a big priority for the Wildcats in the class. Holmes has been ranked as high as 26th in the class but he was most recently the 30th-ranked prospect for 2021. This time around he dropped a bit down to No. 36 but his spot on the power forward list improved as he moved up to No. 9 among the prospects at his position. Arizona currently holds a Rivals FutureCast selection from Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Corey Evans.

One of the big stories of the spring and early summer was the rise of the former Marana High standout now living in North Carolina. Dunn became a national recruit after an impressive undefeated season at Westover in Fayetteville. He recently narrowed down his focus to seven schools and Arizona is the lone school out west on the list. Dunn shot up from being an unranked player to No. 77 on the list in previous rankings but he dropped this time around down to No. 91. North Carolina is being viewed as the favorite to land the four-star shooting guard.

Arizona has emerged as a leader for the four-star Seattle guard after offering him earlier in the year. The Wildcats are still on the hunt for some more perimeter help and Nowell is a lefty guard who can help provide the team with more scoring and toughness on the perimeter. He is another prospect who had a sizable drop in the latest rankings as he fell 36 spots down to No. 117 overall. That drop will not impact Arizona's thoughts on the 6-foot-4 wing and he should remain a priority for the staff in this class.

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