The Recruiting Guy

Oak Hill Academy center likes Hogs

McCallie's Junior Clay (4) goes up for a shot against Oak Hill Academy's BJ Mack (31) during the third annual Dr Pepper TEN basketball showcase at the Walker Forum on the campus of the McCallie School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
McCallie's Junior Clay (4) goes up for a shot against Oak Hill Academy's BJ Mack (31) during the third annual Dr Pepper TEN basketball showcase at the Walker Forum on the campus of the McCallie School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Arkansas is expected to receive an official visit this fall from one of the more versatile big men in the nation.

Center B.J. Mack, 6-8, 250 pounds, of Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill Academy, narrowed his list of schools to Arkansas, Ole Miss, South Florida, James Madison, East Carolina, DePaul and Appalachian State on Friday.

He has an inside-outside game along with a nice basketball IQ, excellent hands and nimble feet.

"I felt that I had a good connection with the coaching staff and that they can help me get to my future goal of being in the NBA," Mack said of the Hogs.

Mack plans to make an official visit to Fayetteville on Oct. 19-21. A Charlotte native, Mack was a first-team All-Charlotte Observer as a sophomore at Charlotte Christian while averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds before transferring to Oak Hill for his junior season.

He averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field and 33 percent beyond the three-point line as a junior for the deep Warriors, who went 36-4 and made it to the semifinals of the Geico High School National Tournament

Mack, who's being recruited by assistant Scotty Thurman, said an official scholarship offer from Arkansas is coming.

"They have told me they offered me, but it won't be official until I step on campus," he said.

Arkansas' strong basketball tradition and the Razorbacks fans are pluses.

"I like that the program has tradition and they are on the rise and have a great fan base," Mack said.

Mack, whose father played basketball at North Carolina Central, likes how the Hogs give their big men freedom.

"I like the way they play and how they feed the bigs and space out the floor," Mack said in an earlier interview.

ESPN rates Mack a three-star prospect and the No. 47 center for the 2019 class. He also plans to officially visit South Florida on Sept. 3, East Carolina on Sept. 7 and Appalachian State on Sept. 15.

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