Basketball recruiting: No. 10 recruit Ivan Rabb can't make wrong pick

OAKLAND, Calif. — Of the many positive traits that Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) senior Ivan Rabb possesses, absorbing information is one of his best, says his coach Lou Richie.

"He's a very good listener," Richie said. "You only have to tell him things once and he gets it."

That should come in handy during the recruiting process, which with the season just two weeks away, is hitting the 6-foot-10 senior full tilt.

He's narrowed his choices to five — Arizona, Cal, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA — and is not in a particular hurry to make up his mind.

Rabb plans to take official visits to all of them (he already took one to Kentucky this month), but if a program hits all his criteria before making all five trips, he'll announce immediately.

"If I know, I'll just do it," he said. "There will be no point to prolong things. More than likely I'll wait and then just make a list of all the pros and cons.

"To be honest, I can't make a bad decision."

So what is he looking for exactly?

"A place that will prepare me best for the NBA," said the young man who plans to major in business. "A place that will provide me with a good education. I want to be at a place that my family can watch me play."

Ding.

That surely appears to provide an advantage to Cal. Unless his family has the ability to relocate. Or simply be comfortable watching him play on TV.

Rabb is likely and one-year-and-done college player anyway. He's tabbed the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by NBAdraftroom.com, with a skill set comparable to Kevin Garnett, who is Rabb's favorite player.

West coast scout Gerry Freitas, a former college coach, said Rabb's versatility is what makes him so attractive.

"He's a multi-talented elite level player who can impact the game in a number of ways," he said. "His combination of athleticism and skills are truly unique. … His biggest need at this point is to develop his all-around offensive skills more consistently and make sure he comes to play every time he steps on the court.

"He will make a lot of money playing basketball for a long time before he hangs his sneakers up."

He had to hang them up for at least a month this summer while nursing a severely sprained left ankle that he first tweaked the week of the CIF State Open Division championship, a 71-61 loss to Mater Dei. Rabb scored just two points through three quarters and finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Rabb reinjured the ankle in July while practicing for the USA U-17 team. He missed the team's first game of the World Championships in Dubai and played only sparingly during the team's gold-medal-winning run.

That inactivity led him to fall to sixth (ESPN) and 10th (247Sports) in the national recruiting rankings. He started the summer first and fifth, respectively.

"It was a little frustrating (in Dubai)," Rabb said. "I was playing real well before the injury. I was grateful just to make the trip and be with my teammates."

Rabb said last week his ankle is still only about 80 percent, but by the start of the season is should be at 100 percent.

As far as dropping in the player rankings, it doesn't drive or discourage him. "I don't listen to critics, just the people who love and support me," he said.

They will be the ones who ultimately helps him make his college choice.

"Mostly I'll talk with my mom," he said.

Richie, a former ACC guard who has been a mentor to Rabb for years, said "I won't push him in any direction. My job is to just give him all the information so he can make the most informed decision possible."

Rabb was impressed with Kentucky, where he connected with former Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) post Marcus Lee.

"It went really well. I can see why it's earned such a great reputation. Those guys not only go hard every day, but they take the time to have fun too."

It might not be much fun for Rabb opening the year against No. 7 Bishop Gorman, which features Duke verbal commit Chase Jeter and Stephen Zimmerman – both five-star senior prospects – along with junior Zach Collins. All fall somewhere between 6-10 and 7-feet, depending on the source.

The teams will square off in the NorCal Classic at Newark Memorial two days after Thanksgiving. Zimmerman and Rabb played together on the Oakland Soldiers AAU squad.

"I can't wait for the season to start," Rabb said. "It's what I love to do."