Gonzaga, LSU, Auburn, etc. Where is 4-star Wesley Yates leaning?
Wesley Yates is the 2023 On3 Consensus No. 41 ranked player. The 6-foot-4 guard has averaged 15.3 points per game through three EYBL stops.
“I can score at will,” Yates told On3. “I’m a team player and make plays for others. I make the right plays and knock down open shots; I’m a playmaker. I watch a lot of Kyrie Irving, how he can create his shot, and how he can get his stuff off the bounce.”
Even before this summer’s play with the LivOn Fleur de Lis program, college coaches followed him. On3 caught up with Wesley Yates to see which schools prioritized him and get a visit schedule.
“I’ve taken official visits to Washington, Auburn, and Stanford,” Yates said. “I’m going to visit Gonzaga, but we haven’t set a date yet, and I want to visit Arkansas.”
Yates talks recruitment
Auburn: “I liked the atmosphere a lot; it was crazy. And I loved how connected the team was; they didn’t care who scored. In the locker room, someone had a good could, and no one was mad; they were happy for each other. Auburn was a guard school, but they didn’t try to do too much. You can tell the team is not selfish at all.”
Stanford: “It is calm out there. The weather is great, the education is great, and the 40-year plan. Everybody is well-spoken, and there is a lot of positive energy. If you go to Stanford, you’ll love it because it’s really positive out there.”
Washington: They started showing interest. Then, like 15-minutes later, we found out Quincy Pondexter was my cousin, so they offered me on the spot. Knowing that he’s family, he’s been in the league; he won’t let me fail. He played against some of the greats and was in the league for a long time; he’d show me the ropes. They let their guards play and get up a lot of shots.”
Gonzaga: “There is nothing out there really but basketball. If I go out there, I feel I can focus on just basketball and be the best version of myself. Their development is good, too; most of their guys get to the league. Like Jalen Suggs and Andrew Nembhard, they let them play. The coaching staff is great; they always get to the big dance and always get to the end. They got a winning culture.”
Arkansas: “Coach Muss (Eric Musselman), I mean, I talk to all the coaches there, almost daily. Just the consistency of them hitting me up, letting me know they want me to go to their school. With the recruits they’re getting, you know you’ll be surrounded by players who can play. The atmosphere is crazy at Arkansas. You get a lot of shots, and they let you play freely.”
Fall visits
“I’ll probably try to take visits to LSU and Baylor in the fall, which will probably wrap up my recruitment,” Yates said.
LSU: “I have a great relationship with their staff. I talk to Coach (Casey) Long a lot. Coach (Matt) McMahon came in for a home visit. He developed Ja Morant at Murray State. It’s crazy to think he came in, not even being recruited in high school to be one of the league’s better players today. Maybe I can be in that position, where they develop me like that. And being on a bigger stage, in the SEC, just take those traits and add them to my game.”
Baylor: “I love the staff. Coach Scott (Drew) is so positive, and Coach (Alvin) Brooks, I love all the staff. When I went on an unofficial, it felt like home. I know most of the players on the team, LJ Cryer and Langston Love, played with the Houston Hoops. Talking with them, they told me really what it was there. I enjoyed what they told me, and I could potentially see myself going there.”
Yate’s take
“When I go on these visits, I’m going to be looking for a fit,” Wesley Yates said, “If I can see myself staying there for all four years and being comfortable staying there. I want to play for a coach who will let me play early, often, and through mistakes, and play for a college that will allow me to be me and feel really comfortable.”