With Griffin and Hutcherson (and Tev too), we're pretty well set at wing. I can see the case for adding another, but it's bordering on the department of redundancy department. Not to mention a 3 year schollie commitment. Maybe the staff knows something (the hoi polloi doesn't), maybe Grandison is a big sleeper. But this courtship seems like a big meh to me.
I think the staff is trying to plan for the worst case scenario where our 2020 class does not include a ready-to-play player like (Miller/Steward/Curbelo/Kalkbrenner). If we strike out on all 3 of those and can only recruit guys with potential to contribute real minutes come 2021-22 we're in a tough spot:
Our current 2020-21 Roster and the positions they can each play (bold means the player will or may leave before 2021-22):
PG:
Trent Frazier, ?Austin Hutcherson?
SG: Alan Griffin, Austin Hutcherson,
Da'Monte Williams
SF:
Da'Monte Williams, Tevian Jones, Alan Griffin, Austin Hutcherson
PF: Giorgi Bezhanishvili, Ben Bosmans-Verdonk, ?Tevian Jones?
C:
Kofi Cockburn, Bernard Kouma, Giorgi Bezhanishvili
The staff would be forced to play something like:
PG: Trent (28min) + Austin (8min) + Freshman (4min)
SG: Griffin (25min) + Austin (7min) + Da'Monte (6min) + Freshman (2min)
SF: Tevian (25min) + Da'Monte (12min) + Austin (3min)
PF: Giorgi (27min) + Verdonk (13min)
C: Kofi (26min) + Kouma (14min)
The other thing to keep in mind is that even if Kouma gets to Illinois, he may not be ready to contribute 14 minutes in 2020. It's not uncommon for bigs to take a few years to develop. In that scenario, combined with striking out on top 2020 freshmen recruits, adding a ready to contribute 2020 wing in the form of 6'-6" Jacob Grandison the staff could do something like:
PG: Trent (28min) + Austin (8min) + Freshman (4min)
SG: Griffin (25min) + Austin (7min) + Da'Monte (6min) + Freshman (2min)
SF: Tevian (17min) + Da'Monte (11min) +
Jacob (12min)
PF: Giorgi (19min) + Verdonk (13min) + Tevian (8min)
C: Kofi (26min) + Kouma (6min) + Giorgi (8min)
I get that this is a nightmare scenario where Kouma isn't ready by 2020 AND we don't land Miller/Steward OR Kalkbrenner... but it's something that makes sense for the staff to plan for.
Keep in mind that this scholarship isn't going to be used in 2019 otherwise and Jacob would at a minimum be another body on the practice floor which could result in a better 2019-20 season.