There was a time not long ago where securing a JUCO commitment was one of the only ways to get an older more experienced player who presumably would be more ready from day one than many high school recruit. Fans often scoured the JUCO rankings 10 years ago for players that could immediately help, where as today it’s all about the portal.
While its prominence may not echo that of yesteryears, following the advent of 5th-year Prep schools, JUCO recruiting remains a resource of talent. Notably, the landscape has shifted with the newfound freedom for players to transfer at will, diminishing the trend of D1 athletes descending to JUCO ranks to circumvent mandatory sit-outs or preserve transfer eligibility, a practice prevalent over the past decade or so.
Players like Chad Baker-Mazara, last years #1 JUCO, who has navigated multiple transfers, or Kasean Pryor, who utilized JUCO as a strategic stepping stone, may perceive such strategies as less imperative in the current milieu. Consequently, the influx of D1 transfers into JUCO programs might dwindle now that you can transfer as many times as you like. However, this potential void could be offset by a surge in high school prospects who find themselves increasingly overlooked in D1 recruitment circles.
We’ve embarked on a retrospective examination of the top-ranked JUCOs in our recent rankings over the past two seasons and their subsequent performances. It appears that a significant portion of these players have transitioned into rotational roles, with the common observation being that it often takes a season for them to fully acclimate to the demands of higher-level competition.
A closer scrutiny reveals a higher rate of success among the 2022 JUCO class, which aligns logically with their additional year of maturity and many with at least one season of D1 experience under their belts. Many of these individuals have pursued further opportunities through transfers again, strategically seeking environments where they can showcase their abilities. Take, for instance, Tyrone Williams, the top-ranked player in the Class, who boasted an impressive 27 points per game average in JUCO. While his stint at Oregon didn’t afford him much court time, he has since found his stride at Old Dominion, carving out a respectable career with an average of 13 points per game.
Indeed, the past two years have seen the emergence of several talented players from JUCO programs, yet the transition to higher levels of competition appears to yield mixed results. Unlike transfers from low-major or D2 institutions, projecting success from JUCO recruits seems to pose greater challenges. The certainty of success often associated with transfers from these backgrounds contrasts with the more unpredictable outcomes accompanying JUCO standouts, even those with impressive scoring records like averaging 20 points per game.
In our ongoing efforts to refine our ranking system, we’ve placed emphasis on identifying JUCOs competing in tougher conferences. These conferences tend to feature teams boasting numerous future D1 and D2 players. However, it’s worth noting that D2 teams often benefit from the presence of older, fourth and fifth-year players, which contributes to a balanced level of play. Despite JUCOs potentially harboring higher-level D1 talent, their rosters typically skew younger, introducing an additional dynamic to consider when evaluating their overall competitiveness.
