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Seven programs with the most on the line during July’s live period

Dana Altman

AP Photo

AP

Bruce Pearl, Jay Jacobs

AP photo

AP

The July evaluation period will kick off on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. We’ve already told you what the live period is and why it’s important. We’ve given you a list of 15 players to keep an eye on this month. And we’ve given you a full breakdown of what grassroots basketball is.

Today, we’ll break down seven programs with the most on the line heading into this month:

Auburn: “Auburn made huge news when it hired Bruce Pearl. Since then, the Tigers have landed commitments from Juco and graduate transfers, but Pearl’s show-cause penalty runs through late August. What that means is that he won’t be out on the recruiting trail this month. How does that hurt his Class of 2015? And if it does, will it hinder Pearl’s rebuild?” - Terrence Payne

Indiana: “Tom Crean had a lot of roster turnover this offseason, but in the past he could always rely on a stable base of in-state talent to come through as potential recruits. The Class of 2015 in Indiana doesn’t have as much to offer and the Hoosiers are in a lot of battles for marquee prospects. This will be an important July for Indiana.” - Scott Phillips

Missouri: “The biggest question when Missouri hired Kim Anderson to replace Frank Haith was going to be how the longtime Division II coach would be able to recruit. Well, he managed to keep Tim Fuller on staff and hired Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford as an assistant, meaning that he’ll have the pieces in place to land a big time recruiting class. How will they fare in their first summer on the road together?” - Rob Dauster

Syracuse v Marquette

Getty Images

Getty Images

Oregon: “The Ducks have three talented guards joining the program this season (JaQuan Lyle, Casey Benson and Ahmaad Rorie), and they’ve also landed 2015 guard Kendall Small. But with Joseph Young entering his senior year and the tumultuous offseason the program’s had to deal with, this will be an important month when it comes to Dana Altman and his staff placing the program back on solid ground.” - Raphielle Johnson

Virginia Tech: “Buzz Williams left a very successful program at Marquette, where he was a very successful recruiter, to join the ACC with Virginia Tech and it’ll be very interesting to see if he can pull in major recruits to the East Coast. How will new recruits respond to Virginia Tech? That’s one of the biggest questions entering July.” - SP

Wisconsin: “You don’t usually throw Bo Ryan’s ballclub in the mix of major recruiting battles, but coming off of a Final Four, Wisconsin needs to be in the mix for two in-state five-star big men in Henry Ellenson and Diamond Stone. If the Badgers can land one of those two big men, Bo Ryan and Wisconsin fans will be ecstatic. Skilled bigs thrive in Bo Ryan’s system, and Ellenson and Stone are both really skilled.” - SP

The entire Big East: “One of the reasons that Buzz Williams left Marquette had to do with the formation of the new Big East and the level at which that conference and the programs within that conference will be able to compete in the future. Will it maintain a status of being one of the marquee basketball leagues in the country, or will it fall into relative irrelevance without games on ESPN and without a high-major football league associated with it?” - RD

Five more teams that need a strong 2015 recruiting class:


  • Arizona: “Sean Miller could end up losing a lot of talent after next season. He’s been the king of west coast recruiting lately and initially had a back court of two, five-star guards, but saw Dorsey decommit last month.” - TP
  • California: “Unlike the one April evaluation weekend he’ll have an important assistant to rely on when it comes to further cultivating those relationships with in-state recruits: assistant Yanni Hufnagel. That’s a big deal, and one that will likely prove fruitful.” - RJ
  • Cincinnati: “Mick Cronin loses Sean Kilpatrick, Justin Jackson and Jermaine Lawrence and after getting an extension is looking at a possible NIT-caliber season. Can he reload with his 2015 class?” - RD
  • Houston: “Of the eight newcomers added by Kelvin Sampson and his staff this spring seven are either junior college or four-year transfers. This month will be important as they look to strengthen their relationships with the top grassroots program within Texas (especially in the Houston area).” - RJ
  • Rutgers: “How many Big Ten-caliber impact players does this program have? The hiring of Greg “Shoes” Vetrone should help them recruiting-wise, and given the overall strength of the Big Ten that will be necessary.” - RJ