text: Why Memphis' recruiting class is coming together much more slowly this year - The Athletic
  Why Memphis' recruiting class is coming together much more slowly this year
  MEMPHIS — This time a year ago, Memphis was preparing to sign the No. 1 player in the country, James Wiseman, to go along with another five-star prospect, D.J. Jeffries. Four-star Malcolm Dandridge rounded out the Tigers' early signing period crop of 2019 recruits in a class that would become No. 1 in the nation.
  A year later, the expectation now — barring a surprise — is that the Tigers won't sign anyone in the early signing period.
  This is not a terribly unexpected development. Last fall, Memphis could sell the fact the program was losing its leading scorer in Jeremiah Martin and all five starters after the season. There would be a totally clean slate for any incoming freshman to come in and earn playing time.
  Hardaway and his staff can't say the same this time around. Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa are locks to leave after this season, but after those two, who knows? Damion Baugh has been rock-solid as the starting point guard, but he isn't quite flying up the draft boards as some thought he would. The same is mostly true of the other freshmen; solid, but not yet spectacular.
  Hardaway and his staff won't truly know who's coming or going until after the season. Without that clarity, it's made recruiting a bit tougher to navigate. Depending on how everything shakes out, they could have anywhere from three to five scholarships available.
  Two of the major priorities, Jalen Green and Greg Brown, won't be deciding until the late period. But the Tigers did hope to have at least one prospect sign with the team this week: Chris Moore, a 6-7 forward from West Memphis, Ark. Moore has attended several home games this season and, as a pseudo-local, seemed very much like a Memphis lean. Hardaway visited Moore at his high school last Friday night. The next day, however, Moore committed to Auburn.
  Moore choosing the other Tigers on his list might sting today, given that Memphis was certainly pursuing him, but it won't really matter if the Tigers land Green and Brown.
  Here's how the potential Memphis 2020 class shakes out.
  Jalen Green, guard, 6-5, 170, Prolific Prep (Calif.) — Once set to make his college decision on Christmas, the five-star guard last week pushed his announcement back to the end of the season. Green "wants to further study the playing styles of his top choices and monitor which college players declare early for the 2020 NBA Draft before deciding his collegiate destination," according to Yahoo.
  Memphis' pursuit of Green, who is No. 13 in The Athletic 40, has been consistent since the moment Hardaway assembled his staff. He took his first official visit to Memphis in September 2018 as a junior (alongside R.J. Hampton) and visited again for Memphis Madness this year. He's considering the Tigers along with Auburn, Oregon and Fresno State.
  Green also has been mentioned as a prime candidate to skip college and play overseas. Green's stepfather, Marcus Greene, told me in September there's a 97 percent chance the Fresno native goes to college.
  Greg Brown, forward, 6-9, 195, Vandegrift (Texas) — The five-star Austin native is scheduled to take an official visit to Memphis the weekend of the Tigers' game against Georgia on Jan. 4. The prevailing thought is that this one comes down to Texas and Memphis. The Memphis staff has a great relationship with Brown and his family, but Shaka Smart entered this season on the hot seat and could desperately use a feather in his cap such as Brown, from right in his backyard, to cement another year with the Longhorns (though Texas is undefeated and now ranked in the Top 25). Brown is No. 16 in The Athletic 40.
  Dawson Garcia, forward, 6-11, 225, Prior Lake (Minn.) — The day after Moore committed to Auburn, the Memphis staff flew to Minnesota for an in-home visit with Garcia, a four-star power forward. He is down to Memphis, Marquette, Indiana and Minnesota. He officially visited Memphis the week of its pro day in October and told me afterward: "I think (Memphis) could be looking at a Final Four or national championship run." Garcia is set to announce his decision on CBS Sports HQ on Wednesday; Memphis should be considered a long shot.