Oregon Ducks basketball hosting three elite prospects this weekend

Oregon Oregon State Basketball

Oregon head coach Dana Altman and the bench watch as the Oregon State take a double-digit lead during an NCAA men's basketball game at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014. Oregon lost 80-72 to Oregon State. (AP Photo/The Register-Guard, Brian Davies)

(Brian Davies)

The Oregon Ducks men's basketball program is hosting a huge recruiting weekend during Saturday's football game against Georgia State, and while the list is short on numbers, it packs plenty of punch.

Malik Monk, the nation's No. 1 shooting guard, four-star big man M.J. Cage, son of NBA star Michael Cage, and four-star point guard Payton Pritchard, who committed in late August and might be the state's top point guard prospect in decades, are all scheduled to be in Eugene this weekend.

Malik Monk, who is rated by ESPN as the No. 5 player in the country, scheduled his official visit to Oregon after narrowing his list to Arkansas, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and the Ducks earlier this summer, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound prospect, out of Bentonville, Arkansas, also has visits set to Kansas, Kentucky and Arkansas, but the Wildcats and Razorbacks are largely viewed as the favorites to land his services.

As part of its recruiting pitch, Arkansas sent its entire basketball program to one of Monk's games last season, according to reports.

And there's little doubt about whether he's worth it.

Monk was a MaxPreps Junior First-Team All-American last season after averaging 26.9 points per game and earning Arkansas Online All-State Player of the Year

Oregon has a shot to enter the mix permanently if the Ducks blow Monk away during his visit.

M.J. Cage is rated by 247Sports as the No. 68 player in the country and holds offers from Arizona, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State and others.

The 6-foot-9, 215-pound power forward, out of Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California), has grown increasingly interested in Oregon the past few weeks, stemming from a visit from coach Dana Altman.

"Dana came down last week, met with us and saw M.J. practice," M.J.'s father, Michael Cage, said. "We all talked after practice - me, him and his mom. It was very positive. I was very impressed with his presentation about his program, the players that are coming in, the school, what it has to offer."

Michael Cage, a 14-year NBA veteran who primarily played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle Supersonics, has a job working for the Oklahoma City Thunder and said he will spend his last free weekend before work begins in Eugene with his son.

"Let me put it this way, this is my last free weekend in California before I have to get out to Oklahoma City for training camp. It's an extremely tough time for me, time-wise... I'm on this trip with him," he explained. "It's his decision, but I certainly want to give him as much input as I can about the program - what it offers academically, which is important to him, what it offers athletically, what it offers socially."

Cage once had a top three of Arizona, Kentucky and San Diego State, but both the Ducks and Oregon State Beavers have entered the mix.

"Oregon and Oregon State have jumped into the picture," Cage explained. "I think he's cooled his jets on Kentucky. They're not out of the picture, but I think he's thinking more West Coast now."

Payton Pritchard, a two-time state player of the year and three-time 6A state champion, committed to Oregon in late August after opening up his recruitment in the summer.

In November, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard chose Oklahoma as his future home, but changed his mind as the Ducks' program improved and his relationship with Altman grew.

"They were in a rough spot at the time. They were in a rough spot," Pritchard told The Oregonian. "They'd tell you that too. Now with Coach Altman, they did great last year and are back on the map."

As a junior, Pritchard led West Linn to its third consecutive 6A state championship, averaging 22.1 points, 5.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game.

The West Linn senior, who is rated as the No. 43 player in the country by ESPN, is one of two known pledges in Oregon's class of 2016, along with Rainier Beach small forward Keith Smith, who is rated the No. 35 prospect nationally by Scout.

Oregon may not have a huge list of recruits coming to Eugene in terms of numbers, but few programs in the country can boast the talent level the Ducks expect to visit this weekend.

-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec

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