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At last, we have one deadline date for commitment. Caleb Swanigan has set a decision date: April 11th, in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit. The California Golden Bears have been an underdog in the fight for most of the battle, but they are coming in hot and heavy at the eleventh hour.
I will announce which college I will be going to at the Nike Hoop Summit next week.
— Big Sauce (@Biggs_Swanigan) April 1, 2015
California trending, Michigan State leading in #Crystalball for Caleb Swanigan http://t.co/P8xpS5dGdm @SeanScherer247
— Jerry Meyer (@jerrymeyer247) April 3, 2015
Caleb Swanigan Set To Announce Decision http://t.co/KMIJe8me8H
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 3, 2015
A lot of dominoes could fall based on what Swanigan's deicsion is. If he picks Cal, you have to feel it almost guarantees Ivan Rabb will commit to Cal sometime soon after, if not very near there. No way Rabb doesn't come to Cal if Swanigan does. And if Rabb and Swanigan both commit, who's to say that Jaylen Brown isn't on board either?
On the flip side, Swanigan picking another school still isn't necessarily the worst thing, as he has always been considered the toughest pull away from the Midwest powerhouses--pulling Rabb and Brown is still a decent possibility. His top seven is filled with bluebloods. Michigan State (the favorites for awhile) just made the Final Four and definitely have a very compelling pitch. Duke and Kentucky also made the Final Four and are perennial title contenders. Purdue is local. The only disaster for Cal would be if Swanigan picked Arizona, since that could sway Rabb on the Tucson styles. However, the Wildcats are considered the remotest of the possibilities at this point, so this not a huge worry right now.
For those who enjoy tea leaves for breakfast, here are Swanigan and Rabb at Easter brunch (I believe at the Hoop Summit in Portland).