2017 five-star wing Kris Wilkes down to five

While other 2017 talents are cutting their lists to 9-to-10 schools, 2017 five-star wing Kris Wilkes is down to five.

Illinois, Indiana, UCLA, UConn and Xavier are the five colleges in the mix for the 11th best player in the class of 2017, according to ESPN.

The 6’7″ small forward from Indianapolis, IN is the top prospect in the state of Indiana and is the fourth best player at his position in the class of 2017.

In addition to the five schools mentioned above, Wilkes had offers from Butler, Arizona, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina (he previously scheduled an official with the Heels, according to Inside The Hall) and Ohio State, amongst others. He was also considering the Kentucky Wildcats, but John Calipari and company have not extended an offer at this time.

The long, versatile forward can score from all three levels, is elite in transition, and creates major mismatch problems in half court settings. Because of his size, wingspan, skill in the mid-range, and feel for the game, Wilkes has high upside as a potential pro down the road.

The Indiana native doesn’t have great strength and needs to develop some consistency from long range, but a player with Wilkes’ combination of physical tools is hard to come by. Wilkes is known for his offensive game, however, he could find a niche defensively, especially in terms of guarding the pick-and-roll and matching up against all players 1-through-5.

The forward played his summer AAU basketball with the Indy Hoosiers on the Under Armour Circuit. He plays his high school ball at North Central, as he averaged 22.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during his junior campaign.

Wilkes is considering three colleges that are close to his hometown; Indiana is obviously the best program of the bunch, while Illinois and Xavier also have their share of positives. UCLA and UConn are national programs that love versatile players – just take a look at former Huskie Daniel Hamilton and current UCLA Bruin Isaac Hamilton – and are capable of landing top tier talents.

Ultimately, one high major program is going to land a player that has one-and-done potential and high upside if he stays for his sophomore season. Any of these schools would be pleased to land a quality talent like Wilkes.