Each of Arizona's fall signees has moved within the top 90 prospects in the 2021 class according to Rivals.com as the updated Rivals150 rankings for the senior group were released Monday. Sean Miller and his staff signed three prospects in the fall with all three on the rise when they joined the program.
That has now been reflected with each member of the group making a move up the latest rankings. Here is how the class is looking now that the latest updates have been made.
Movement: Up 3 spots
Rundown: The recruitment for the New Jersey native didn't even last a week. Within days of being offered by his dream school, the 6-foot-5 guard decided to commit to the program without ever having an opportunity to see it in person Dezonie is impressive recruit who was building some strong buzz before picking UA. His ability to play on both ends is going to make him a valuable piece to the roster, and he will certainly bring an edge to the floor with his East Coast roots. He moved up a few spots to No. 81 on the updated list.
Miller says: "Everybody talks about his motor and what a great competitor he is. Again, someone who loves the game of basketball and can play both offense and defense. We’re lucky right now because he’s at a prep school, Brewster Academy, where there’s been a ton of great talent that’s developed. He’s in kind of a highly-competitive environment right now, which is really unique because there’s a lot of high schools as we know that aren’t even having a high school season. So he’s practicing every day, which I think really helped him. A lot like Shane Nowell, you can’t pigeonhole Shane at just one position. He could play multiple positions. We love the fact that he can play defense and offense and again a great competitor from the East that we’re excited to have.”
Movement: Up 31 spots
Rundown: The younger brother of former Pac-12 Player of the Year, Jaylen Nowell, the four-star shooting guard has seen his stock rise and fall at different moments. He is on the rise once again as he has had the opportunity to play in some events over the last several months while continuing to develop his game. Nowell is a solid player on both ends of the court, and he has the type of length and shooting ability that programs covet. There was a belief that it would be difficult to pull him away from Washington as the expectation was that he would follow in his brother's footsteps and play for the hometown Huskies. However, Miller and his staff made a strong push in the summer and fall to get him onboard with the Wildcats. He is an excellent mid-range jump shooter and has the ability to score from a variety of areas on the floor. Nowell is the biggest mover this time around for the Wildcats as he received a bump of 31 spots on the list moving him from outside the top 100 to No. 86 overall in the class.
Miller says: “I think Shane is, in many ways, a diamond in the rough as we evaluated him. ... Somebody that has the ability to dribble the ball, pass the ball, play in transition. Again, back to that two-way player, a guy that can play our version of defense, and somebody who doesn’t like the game of basketball but really loves it. That wants to do great things."
Movement: Up 4 spots
Rundown: Because he is from California the four-star guard has not been able to begin his senior season at this point and there is a chance that it might not happen still. However, he has continued to train and showcase his game in various events over the last several months. Simpson is someone who fits into what the Wildcats are trying to accomplish at this time in Miller's career with his ability to handle the ball but also play elsewhere on the perimeter. Like the other members of the class he has good size and can handle playing on both ends of the floor without being limited to playing or guarding one spot. He will be just the latest player from the West Coast Elite travel program to join the Wildcats with some alums of the program including Nico Mannion, Josh Green, Ira Lee and Jemarl Baker Jr. Simpson moved up four spots in the latest rankings to No. 89 overall in the 2021 class while also making a move up the point guard rankings to No. 16.
Miller says: “He loves the game. He’s not just a point guard. I mean we could play him in a three-guard lineup as a combo guard with another point guard, or I think he could be the one and only guy out there to handle the ball. Very athletic, can be a two way player. I would say that’s the other thing. Guys that understand that defense is important and have the ability to play our man-to-man. I think those guys enjoy our program perhaps more than somebody that struggles on that side of the ball. So we want to get a balanced type of player. He comes from an incredible family, played for some really good high school coaches, and a high school program that people really respect. And, we’re excited to have him. We really are.”
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