The latest edition of the Rivals150 for the 2022 class has been released, and though Tommy Lloyd has kept his recruiting efforts on a focused group Arizona targets are well represented on the new list. One of the program's summer visitors moved up into the top spot in the rankings while another of Arizona's top targets made a major move jumping up nearly 60 spots in the latest update.
Here's a quick look at the prospects on the Wildcats' recruiting board who secured their spot on the latest Rivals150 list.
Canadian wing Shaedon Sharpe visited Arizona earlier in the summer on just his second visit of the process. Sharpe now lives in Arizona as he attends Dream City Christian in Glendale making the trip to Tucson an easy one for the versatile prospect. The five-star recruit moved up 10 spots in the latest rankings to claim the No. 1 position on the list for the first time.
The move to the top spot is part of a steady climb for Sharpe who made a huge jump in the winter when he moved up 70 spots from No. 90 to No. 20 on the list.
"Sharpe averaged 24 points, 6.6 rebounds and three assists during the final week of Peach Jam, putting an exclamation point on a massive grassroots season," Rivals.com's Rob Cassidy wrote today about how Sharpe earned his position in the top spot this summer. "He boasts a tight handle, a quick jumper and defends relatively well positionally. But it’s his explosiveness and ability to get to the bucket that makes him special."
Arizona is part of his recently-released top five along with Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma State plus he has left the NBA G League as an option with an offer on the table from G League Ignite team. Kentucky has jumped out as the favorite for Sharpe, but UA has remained in the picture.
Another recruit UA head coach Tommy Lloyd previously had on campus for a summer visit is point guard Jaden Bradley. The North Carolina native, who currently attends IMG Academy in Florida, was busy early in the summer making visits across the country to some of the top programs on his list. UA is among the programs he has remained focused on over the last several months.
There has been quite a bit of movement at the top of the rankings, and for Bradley that has led to a move outside of five-star range. The 6-foot-3 guard now sits at No. 25 on the list after dropping seven spots in the updated rankings.
Alabama has emerged as a top competitor for Arizona in Bradley's recruitment, but he continues to work on setting up more visits.
Prep schools in Arizona have become a big destination for some of the top prospects, and AZ Compass Prep in Chandler is one of the schools that continues to add talent. The Wildcats are targeting several players from the school, and big man Sadraque Nganga is one of the recruits who has kept a close watch on the program throughout his process.
The four-star power forward was one of the prospects who had a significant drop in the latest rankings as he moved from being a five-star recruit inside the top 20 to No. 49 in the latest update.
Nganga released a list of top schools late in the spring that included Arizona as well as Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Arizona State, Illinois, Memphis and others.
Utah-based point guard Collin Chandler has emerged as one of the top targets in the class for Arizona in recent months. He shined at numerous events in the spring and summer helping him rise up the rankings. Chandler moved up 59 spots in the latest update making him one of the top risers in the class this time around.
"I think he’ll climb even higher than where we’ve placed him this time around by the time all is said and done," Cassidy wrote earlier this week. "Chandler shined against top-flight competition at the NBPA Top 100 camp last month and is starting to feel like a player that finds his way into an All-American game of some sort after the season."
Arizona has become fully invested in bringing the big point guard to Tucson, and he has already made one trip out to UA to see things in person earlier in the summer. He is expected to be on campus again for the Red-Blue Game in October while he continues to evaluate his options.
“Their history is awesome," he previously said about the Wildcats. "They have obviously produced a lot of pros and their program has a history of winning. They got a new coaching staff, and that staff is working really hard to put Arizona back on the map and they want me to be there for that.”
Stanford, Utah, Gonzaga, Oregon and BYU are the other programs on his short list that was released just over a week ago.
Arizona's lone commit in the 2022 class at this point is in-state big man Dylan Anderson who has been a bit quiet on the travel scene this summer. He did get an opportunity to perform in front of Lloyd and his future coaches this summer at the Section 7 events in Phoenix. Anderson is comfortable in his role at Perry High School, and that event allowed him to work alongside his high school teammates in front of college coaches.
The 7-footer continues to be a multi-faceted threat on the floor with his ability to pass and shoot to go along with his work around the basket. Anderson dropped a bit in the latest update falling five spots down to No. 83.
"Just a lot of energy," he previously said about how he believes he can impact Arizona's team in the future. "I'm looking to bring in a point scorer if you need me. I play defense. That's what I'm looking forward to."
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