For Tony Bennett and his staff, the task of starting to identify prospects in the class of 2026 has begun in earnest. Among them is guard Josh Manchester, who was recently on Grounds. It was a big visit for the Wisconsin native, currently a sophomore at Mount Horeb.

“The visit was amazing,” he told CavsCorner. “I was blown away by just everything there. The coaches, the facilities, and just everything was amazing.”

As is often the case for players from Wisconsin, there are some ties between Manchester’s family and Bennett.

“My godfather knew Tony Bennett and we were able to talk a little bit this summer,” Manchester explained, “and then we set up a visit that took place a few weeks ago. Ever since then we have just been building a relationship.”

Given that Manchester has heard a lot about Bennett, he was happy to finally meet him.

“Him and his dad are obviously huge names in Wisconsin, so I have heard nothing but great things about the Bennett family,” Manchester said. “Everything I have heard from people in Wisconsin talking about Coach Bennett is true, which I really loved. I love how faith based he is and just how kind he is to all of his players.”

During the visit, he said he was able to watch this year's current team practice and he spoke highly of the Cavaliers defense and the team in general.

“Watching them practice was incredible,” Manchester recalled. “The way they play defense is just amazing. It is certainly a different level of defense and a type of defense that I have never seen before.

“I really liked seeing how close everyone was with each other on the team, as you can tell they all really bond well together,” he added. “All of the players came up to me too, which was cool. I know that is not an easy thing to do but I really appreciated that and respected them for that. They took a lot of time out of their schedule to help me have a great day.”

Manchester has some familiarity with the pack-line defense since that’s what his high school plays.

“At my high school we play the same type of defense as Virginia and I love how hard every single player plays because I do the same,” he said. “I feel like I fit in perfectly with their system because of my shooting, my defense and just the way I compete. I could definitely see myself there.”

When asked to describe his game when he is at his best, Manchester pointed to his versatility on offense.

“I think I am at my best when my shot is falling,” he said. “I also feel like my ability to drive to the basket has really improved which helps my overall offensive game. I also think I can distribute the ball well to my teammates.”

At this point in his young recruitment, Manchester is still waiting to pick up his first offer but mentioned that he has also been in contact with coaches from both Minnesota and Wisconsin.