Question of the Week: Does the Kansas State game vs USC move the recruiting needle?

DY: Honestly, it is a fantastic question and one that I have pondered for a few weeks. It was announced about a month ago by Jon Rothstein of CBS that Kansas State would face USC in the first game of the season.

The contest will take place on November 6 in Las Vegas and will be the first college career game of Trojans’ signee Bronny James. Obviously, he was an On3 five-star and the son of Los Angeles Laker LeBron James.

Of course, USC also has Isaiah Collier and is considered a potential top 10 team by some national outlets. In addition to that, the K-State schedule also consists of Villanova and potentially Miami. Most have the Hurricanes in the top seven and Villanova in the top 20.

Kansas State is facing a pretty tough non-conference slate, to say the least. That doesn’t include contests with Providence and LSU, and two other significant contests versus Nebraska and Wichita State. It may also not be the last of it.

The announcement of the matchup with USC came after K-State added Tylor Perry but not long before Arthur Kaluma committed to the Wildcats. Did it have an affect? I can’t say for certain, but I’d be shocked if the coaching staff in Manhattan didn’t use it to their advantage.

After all, all eyes will be on Kansas State and USC when they meet in November to begin the college basketball season in Las Vegas. The appetite for hoops won’t yet be robust, but many will want to tune in to see the first glimpse of James.

Everyone wants more eyeballs and exposure, and it won’t ever be greater than a standalone game in a memorable neutral site against the five-star son of perhaps the best player in NBA history. The hype will be enormous, the atmosphere will be electric and the ratings will likely be tempered just a bit since it will compete with Monday Night Football.

At the end of the day, is it a recruiting tool for K-State? Absolutely. Does it move the needle? I think it has to at least a little bit. It is a nice carrot for transfer targets they are pursuing, and it gives them a national presence and audience for future recruiting chases.

It was a wise move by Jerome Tang and the Wildcats to lock it into the schedule.

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