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Florida Man: FutureCast of the Week, Skyy Clark, Duke, more

Gradey Dick
Gradey Dick (Rivals.com)

Each week, Rivals' national basketball analyst and very own Florida Man, Rob Cassidy, takes readers around the hoops recruiting world, touching on news, notes and developments that relate to prospects and teams from coast to coast.

This week, he predicts Kansas will soon add to its 2022 class, explores the underclassmen that turned out at a recent event in Miami, predicts Kentucky commit Skyy Clark will likely play out his final year of high school basketball alongside other big-time recruits, and hopes for a thrilling end to the season-long Duke saga.

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RELATED: Ranking the Contenders for Gradey Dick

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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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FUTURECAST OF THE WEEK: Gradey Dick to Kansas 

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The clock on Gradey Dick’s recruitment is expiring, as the four-star forward is set to announce his college choice Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. On the surface, this seems like an open-and-shut case. A Kansas native, Dick grew up watching the Jayhawks and has watched his siblings attend the school. He’s been on campus multiple times and was a bit of a fixture at Kansas home games before the pandemic took hold.

Of the other schools on his list of finalists, Dick has visited only Baylor, and while the Bears certainly could shock everyone and steal Dick’s commitment on the back of their dominant season, sometimes the most obvious outcome is also the most likely.

Should Dick land in Lawrence, it would give Bill Self his second class-of-2022 pledge, adding to a class that already includes four-star Kyle Cuffe Jr., a hard-nosed guard from the East Coast. If another program is to pull a stunner here, it would be the Bears or Illinois. The rest of Dick’s finalists seem to be extreme long shots.

MORE: Ranking the contenders for Gradey Dick

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Underclassmen shine in Miami showcase 

You can find notes from the Pangos Elite 80 showcase in Miami here, but I wanted to expand a little on the young talent in the Miami area in this space. There were some impressive 2022 and 2021 players that turned up at the event, but the major takeaway from the day of games was that there’s some serious 2023 and 2024 talent in the South Florida area.

Freshman Marcus Allen might end up being the most in-demand prospect of the bunch when all is said and done. There’s a reason the class of 2024 wing already holds an offer from Florida State, and it won’t shock me if other high majors get involved in the months ahead. Allen projects as a long, lean slasher and already gets to the basket rather easily against older, more developed defenders. What he becomes at the next level will depend on how his body and jumper develop down the road. That said, the young prospect screams high-major talent, even as a freshman.

Then, there was Ray Allen III, son of the former NBA star. Allen III needs to add size, sure, but he boasts a smooth perimeter stroke. The 2023 combo guard is a name to monitor along with his high school teammate. Miami Norland High School sophomore point guard Carl Parrish III showed up at all of 6-foot-2 and was among the better distributors at the event and shot the ball well from the outside. Parrish is awaiting his first offer.

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Skyy Clark unlikely to enroll early 

Kentucky commit Skyy Clark was rumored to be mulling an early enrollment in Lexington, but that seems to be off the table these days. Instead, I expect the five-star point guard to play out his senior year at a major high school program alongside a handful of other elite prospects. Just which high school he’ll land with is yet to be revealed, but the situation should be settled and made public soon.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KENTUCKY FANS AT CATSILLUSTRATED.COM

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Parting thought ... 

Duke’s season-long arc has me absolutely hooked. At this point, I’m outwardly rooting for the Blue Devils to sneak into the NCAA Tournament field, whether it be as a true at-large team or a replacement program at the last minute.

From the preseason bit about everyone making the NCAAs, to the team’s slow start, to Mike Krzyzewski choosing to hold his squad out of its final non-conference game, to the Jalen Johnson saga, there hasn't been a dull moment in Durham since December. Obviously, Coach K and company will need to have an incredibly strong close and a bit of luck to make a tournament berth happen, but I’m totally captivated by the possibility.

A completely bonkers season played against the backdrop of a global pandemic has somehow turned Duke -- yes, that Duke -- into some kind of plucky underdog. What a time to be alive, right?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH DUKE FANS AT DEVILSILLUSTRATED.COM

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