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After initial reports that Duke transfer Chase Jeter would be completing an on-campus visit at Gonzaga next weekend, it appears that the Zags are hosting the Bishop Gorman grad this weekend.
Duke transfer Chase Jeter is currently on a visit to Gonzaga, he says. Plans to visit Arizona next week.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) April 29, 2017
Gonzaga seems like a natural fit for Jeter as he looks to reboot his collegiate career after two disappointing seasons in Durham. Coming off a herniated disc that required surgery halfway through his sophomore campaign, Jeter will use his mandatory season sitting out to rehab his back and develop his game.
As he takes his visit, the coaching staff is surely laying out a detailed plan for Jeter that could help him get his body back to a high level and get his NBA aspirations back on track. The Zags deservedly have a strong reputation for improving players who sit out during redshirt/transfer years. Coupled with Przemek Karnowski’s own recovery from back surgery just last year, Jeter should find a lot to like about the support program in Spokane.
Jeter was a 5-star recruit (ranked #11 in ESPN’s Top 100 for the 2015 class) and McDonald’s All-American coming out of Bishop Gorman where he shared a frontcourt with Zach Collins and Stephen Zimmerman. Despite being a dynamic two-way weapon in high school, things never really got going for Jeter under Coach K and he quickly found himself in a bit-part role. He averaged 1.9ppg and 1.9 rpg in a shade under 8 minutes per game as a freshman, and his production only went up slightly during his sophomore season before he was shut down after 16 games due to the back injury.
A host of West Coast programs are chasing Jeter who prefers a return to his home time zone, and he just completed visits with San Diego State and Cal in the last week according to a report from Jon Rothstein. Jeter also has a visit scheduled with Arizona and remains in the mix with several other programs.
Duke transfer Chase Jeter visited both Cal and San Diego State last week, per sources. Arizona, UCLA, USC, UNLV, Washington, Gonzaga in mix.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 27, 2017
The competition for Jeter is obviously thick, and it may be too optimistic to believe that the Zags are a frontrunner at this point in his recruitment. However, considering Gonzaga’s track record of development, the wealth of ascending talent still on the roster, a host of suddenly available scholarships, and perhaps a ringing endorsement from his former teammate in Collins, Jeter could find that he and the Zags are a match made in heaven.