Big Win for Cincinnati: Tari Eason Commits as Part of Exciting 2020 Class

Cincinnati men’s basketball got a huge win on Saturday night. Despite losing 77-70 to Iowa in Chicago on the hardwood, coach John Brannen was able to secure a 2020 commitment from a key target - Tari Eason.

Eason is the #1 ranked player in Washington (Seattle is a basketball hotbed). He is the 23rd ranked power forward in the country and, according to 247Sports, is ranked just outside the top 100 nationally. His final three came down to Cincinnati, Colorado, and USC.

He currently plays at Garfield High School in Seattle, WA. You may have heard of his head coach before - Brandon Roy, former star of the Portland Trail Blazers. Who better to help a kid like Eason grow, than a guy whose been through it all.

Among Eason’s notable teammates include Jaylen Nowell (Washington), J’Raan Brooks (Washington), PJ Fuller (TCU), and Daejon Davis (Stanford). Last season, Eason led the North Puget Sound league in rebounding (11 rpg) and averaged 17.8 ppg.

Eason, a 4-star prospect, joins fellow 4-stars Mike Saunders Jr and Gabe Madsen as part of the #33 recruiting class (per Rivals) for 2020. The fourth member of that class, is sharp shooter Mason Madsen, twin brother of Gabe.

Remember, because of the timing of Mick Cronin’s departure and John Brannen’s arrival, Brannen didn’t have a whole lot of time to put together a recruiting class for 2019. This was especially challenging given the holes on the roster left by outgoing transfers. But given the circumstances, Brannen added several transfers of his own and three freshman.

You keep hearing and reading about “the fit in the system” and “learning the new system” and there’s no doubt that these four guys were recruited for a specific reason. They should all play a big role in the lineup sooner than later for the Bearcats.

Recruiting has been an issue the last few years, so hopefully this is a turning point and the Bearcats can continue to bring in talented players.

There are still several available scholarships for 2020 and coach Brannen may hold onto those and wait for a veteran transfer to add depth and experience.