Class of 2027 guard Elijah Paez is moving fast on the recruiting trail, and TCU is now in the mix for one of the fastest-rising names in the class.
Five days after the Horned Frogs offered, Paez locked in an official visit to Fort Worth for Sept. 18-20. He told ZAGSBLOG that the chance to stay close to home carries real weight for him.
“Texas is where I made a name for myself, I’m a Texas boy at heart,” Paez told ZAGSBLOG.
“I’m excited about visiting TCU. I have a solid opportunity to do something special there. Having friends and family nearby means a lot (in the collegiate experience).”
Paez has gone from under-the-radar sleeper to a heavily pursued recruit after a strong run leading Drive Nation during Peach Jam. The versatile defender and creative scorer averaged 14 points, seven boards, two steals and 1.5 during Peach Jam, and he has since transferred to Iowa United Prep.
His rise has also brought UCONN deeper into the picture. Paez was originally set to visit the Huskies Oct. 15-17, though he and the staff have discussed moving that trip up to an earlier date. He is also scheduled to take an official visit to DePaul on Sept. 24-26th.
The Huskies’ offer mattered because of what it represented: another sign of how quickly Paez has climbed the Division-I board. UCONN has won two national championships in the last four years and has played in the title game in three of the last four years.
Paez said the fit with Danny Hurley stands out to him.
“Coach Hurley’s coaching style is what I’m used to,” Paez told ZAGSBLOG upon receiving the offer.
“Growing up, my father was always hard on me when it came to sports. He always put me in a ‘eat what you kill’ environment.
I’ve always been pushed to my limits and I’ve always found a way to succeed. Coach Hurley’s coaching style is in line with my upbringing.”
At Iowa United’s state-of-the-art facility, Paez has been sharpening his outside shot, with the 3-pointer becoming a bigger part of his game.
Another 2027 guard making noise is Javion Tyndale, who spent last season at Montverde Academy (FL) as a steady hand in the backcourt and a scoring threat when his number was called. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound guard flashed that upside several times, including an 18-point outing in Montverde’s 76-71 win over Brewster Academy (NH) at the St.
James tournament in Virginia. He also had a handful of games with three 3-pointers or more.
Playing in a loaded offense with then-senior Dhani Miller, now at Kent State, and Joe Philon, now at UCLA, Tyndale often filled more of a pass-first role. But this summer, he became the focal point for UPlay Canada and showed he could carry much more of the scoring load.
He averaged 22.3 points during EYBL Session I, hitting movement 3s and slicing into the lane for crafty finishes. He kept that pace going all summer.
Tyndale also played a major role in Team Canada’s first-ever gold medal at the U18 Americup. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.0 assists in the event, then delivered 19 points, six assists and three steals against Team USA in the gold medal game.
His recruiting list is down to UNLV, Seton Hall, Providence, West Virginia, Loyola-Chicago and St. Bonaventure, and he recently finished a visit to St. Bonaventure.
In Other News...
TCU Landed In A Blue-Chip Guard Battle That Just Got Tense
Malik Olajuwon has put himself right in the middle of a crowded late-summer recruiting race, trimming his list to six schools as he heads into his senior season at IMG Academy. The four-star shooting guard, son of Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, is trying to carve out his own name on the hardwood while weighing a group that includes TCU, SMU, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Virginia Tech and Minnesota.
The tricky part for the Horned Frogs is that five of those programs already have official visits lined up, while TCU is still waiting on a date to be set. In a battle this tight, timing can matter almost as much as interest, and the longer the wait goes on the more important that eventual visit becomes for a program hoping to stay firmly in the mix. [Read more 🡒]