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Early signing period for 2018 class ends Wednesday, Bol Bol could announce decision in next 48 hours

Oregon basketball awaits their future this week

2017 CIF Southern Section Boys Open Division Championship - Semifinals Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images

The early signing period for the 2018 class is set to expire on Wednesday. Since it commenced last week, Oregon had Miles Norris and Louis King both sign a National Letter of Intent. Now the Ducks play the waiting game, as five-star center Bol Bol could announce his college decision in the next 48 hours.

Oregon basketball entered the 2017 season with the No. 8 overall recruiting class. Highlighted by five-star Troy Brown, the Ducks are loaded with young, athletic talent. Yet, head coach Dana Altman is not satisfied with his recent results. He wants more.

The early signing period ends on Wednesday (Nov. 15). After that, recruits can only verbally commit to an institution. However, they must wait until the next signing period if they wish to ink an NLI with the school of their choice.

The No. 1 prospect in the ‘18 class, R.J. Barrett, snubbed Oregon for Duke. But, trust there is no shortage of talent on the Ducks’ radar.

After Norris and King signed the dotted line last week, UO received a boost to their 2018 recruiting rankings. Oregon will announce their NLI’s officially at a later date. Nevertheless, their rank would skyrocket with the commitment of a player like Bol Bol.

The four-star Norris is a 17-year-old clone of Chris Boucher. His offensive game is expanding but he’s known for his defensive presence and athleticism. He’s half the reason why Oregon already has the No. 20 ranked recruiting class for 2018.

Aside from only Malik Hairston in 2004 and Troy Brown from the 2017 class, King is the third highest-ranked commit in program history. You can watch the five-star prospect during his junior campaign at the bottom of this page.

The son of former NBA player Manute, Bol Bol may decide to only verbally commit and not sign an NLI with the program he chooses. This would leave him more flexibility should he change his mind before school starts next year.

Bol Bol has now spent time with two elite high school programs after transferring from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) to Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nevada) on Friday. The latter was the same prep school that Dillon Brooks attended before Oregon.

Currently, the 7-foot-1 center is weighing his options between Oregon and Kentucky. Regardless, a handful of elite programs were chasing the 225-pounder over the recruiting process. Kansas, Arizona, USC and Creighton highlighted his offers.

2017 CIF Southern Section Boys Open Division Championship
An offensive player driving the lane with Bol Bol trailing is at his mercy in a no-win situation. The havoc he creates in the paint is immeasurable. He would instantly improve the defense of the school he chooses.
Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images

He could make his announcement in the next 48 hours, giving the Ducks a leg-up on the early 2018 recruiting rankings.

With the possible addition of the best center in the country, on top of the defensive-minded combo of Norris and King, Oregon could be more lethal than they were with the likes of Jordan Bell and Chris Boucher patrolling the paint.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

In other recruiting news, what is going to happen with Emmitt Williams following his arrest last month? We’ll find out who is still pursuing him in the coming days. For right now, it has been nothing but silence surrounding his name since the October incident.

Will Richardson signed an NLI with his future school already and will make his public announcement on Thursday. The 6-foot-4 combo guard is the No. 3 ranked player at his position from the state of Georgia.

The 38th overall prospect according to ESPN, Richardson has been swarmed by the top programs in the country. Alabama, Butler, Florida, Ohio State, USC and VCU highlight his list of pursuers. The Oak Hill Academy product has narrowed his choices to Oregon, Georgia and Gonzaga.

This could be a monumental week in the history of Oregon hoops.

LOUIS KING GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Stay tuned, if you want to; Twitter @TheQuackFiend Gram @eugene_levys_eyebrows