Kyle Anderson likely will make the game

WHAT'S UP WITH CHRIS THOMAS?

Over the past three or so years, we’ve seen an increasing number of players change their high school classes in unique ways. While players taking a fifth year is a time-honored tradition spanning back more than a decade, recently some players actually have begun to move forward a class to get to college sooner. Those prospects typically are re-classing forward to catch up with their original classmates, but nevertheless it’s a relatively new phenomenon.

But the story to emerge this week was downright strange. Elite junior guard Chris Thomas left South Kent (CT) Prep — where he was expected to spend the next two years — and enrolled at Chipola (FL) Junior College. Read story.

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CLASS OF 2012: CONFERENCE SCORECARD

Now that the scorecard reflects all movement through the early signing period, we're unlikely to see many changes until spring. Obviously, everyone wants to know what No. 1 Shabazz Muhammad will do, and many analysts believe that Kentucky, UCLA and UNLV may hold the edge. The Wildcats and Runnin' Rebels (and several others) also are a player for No. 6 Anthony Bennett, who like Muhammad remains on course to make a final decision at some point following this season.

Given the struggles of the conference as a whole, the Pac-12 definitely needs for its various 2012 classes to pan out. The conference presently ranks No. 9 in Jeff Sagarin's empirical charting, several spots behind the Mountain West. Read story.

Rankings & School Lists Select Item - Class Of - 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2010 2009 2009JC 2008 2008JC 2007 2007JC 2006 2006JC 2005 2005JC 2004 2003 2003JC 2002 2002JC 2001 2001JC      Shabazz Muhammad is the ringleader of the 2012 class. Check out our top-10 player rankings from the past. You'll recognize these names. Program Profiles Select Item HotList U      TimeTravel: 1980 Top Recruiting Classes Parade of Programs: Conference breakdown from the Recruiter's Handbook Video Exclusives Select Item NCAA Calendar      Event Calendar: PrepStars.com features a comprehensive event calendar, courtesy of the NCAA

McDonald's Votes Are In: Who will make the team?

We don't like to tease, but now is a good time to report that the final ballots have been submitted to the McDonald's All-American organizers, and the results will be announced on February 7. We voted for the top 25 players (roughly by position) and though we aren't yet allowed to release our votes, principally we can say that most of the selections correspond with our current (winter) top 25 rankings.

However, there are some top prospects ineligible for the game (fifth-year preps, for example), and we did factor in the achievements made by players during their senior seasons. The game itself tends to be ugly (let's be honest), but the distinction is very important to prospects and thus we treat the vote with respect. Read story.

CARR, OTHERS MAKE NEWS

Seton Hall needed to make a statement in recruiting, and the Pirates certainly accomplished that by getting exciting Baltimore PG Aquille Carr. A junior who has become an internet sensation due to his ball-handling and passing wizardry, Carr is more than mere spectacle.

He’s a voracious competitor who, despite standing under 5-7, has the explosive quickness and leaping ability to make a few plays inside, though clearly his size is an issue against elite shotblockers. Nevertheless, he’s a major talent and gives the Pirates some all-important buzz. Read story.

CLASS OF 2015: EARLY WATCH LIST

As our long-time readers know, we at Prep Stars don't rank players at an inappropriately early age. We don't rank high school freshmen, either, but we have begun to compile a watch list that will expand greatly over time.

The key to making this early list is not so much that we're aiming to identify the very best prospects in the class, but rather we're attempting to merely note achievements made by freshmen against older competition. Some of these prospects will soar to lofty heights, no question, but others likely will fade as their peers catch them in terms of physical maturity. What players fall into which category remains to be seen! Click to check out the early list: 2015 Watch List.

WOOD REOPENS RECRUITMENT
January 6, 2012

The attrition at St. John’s continues to accumulate. The Red Storm first lost former commitment Ricardo Gathers, and now they’ve lost NJ WG Darrick Wood as well.

Wood insists that he’ll continue to consider the Red Storm while he explores other options, but obviously there’s a big concern about the dissolution of the Johnnies’ 2012 class. Having said that, reports surfaced that academic issues may play a role. Of course, getting coach Steve Lavin healthy and back on the sidelines will do wonders to restore stability, and already he has resumed some of his duties of head coach after prostate surgery this past fall. Read story.

HILL PLEDGES TO GATORS
January 2, 2012

Florida landed arguably the top junior prospect within the Sunshine State, getting the nod from Kasey Hill. Long considered a UF lean, Hill is a big-time scorer and overall athlete who continues to evolve as a playmaker. He has enjoyed some fine moments against national competition and is firmly in competition for the McDonald’s All-American Game as well as the top spot at point guard in the Class of 2013.

Looking more broadly, several junior commitments have trickled in. The Gators now join Duke (which has No. 9 Matt Jones) and North Carolina (No. 12 Nate Britt and No. 16 Isaiah Hicks) with top-25 pledges. Read story.

SIGNING PERIOD RANKINGS: FINAL UPDATE

The only shakeup in the top 10 was Kentucky, which added top-30 TN combo forward Alex Poythress and moved up to No.9, pushing Michigan and Villanova back one spot. The period is thus concluded, and now the unsigned seniors — only six of the national top 25 — will draw the headlines from now until the spring signing period in April.

In other big news from the period, All-American TX C Cameron Ridley opted not to sign with Texas despite making a commitments many months ago. He still may ink with the Longhorns in the spring and we're still considering him a commitment, but obviously there's no guarantee. Read story

AROUND THE NATION: HOLIDAY EVENTS
December 29, 2011

The post-Christmas week of high school basketball always is a significant one. While events do occur at various points in the season, the sheer number and high concentration of top tournaments makes this week and weekend especially important.

That said, there always are a few surprise to emerge as well as big names living up to their elite status. Perhaps the most signature performance delivered so far was by elite sophomore Jahlil Okafor. The 6-10 C from Chicago mesmerized the crowd at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach during his first outing, going for 36 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 14-16 from the field. Read story.

POWER FLASHBACK
December 27, 2011

Today we’re taking another look into our vault to examine the high school performances of a pair of elite big men, players now performing on the highest level of the sport and either achieving or nearly achieving stardom.

The first guy on our list is Andrew Bynum, who actually had attracted his share of skeptics back during his prep career. Everyone recognized his talent, but some questioned whether he truly loved the game. Bynum now is a fixture for the L.A. Lakers, however, and when healthy has been one of NBA’s best young centers. Read story.

STOKES PICKS VOLS, SET TO ENROLL EARLY
December 23, 2011

Tennessee roped in big-time Memphis BF Jarnell Stokes just in time for the holidays. Stokes will enroll at UT at the beginning of the second semester and, if all goes well, will be eligible to suit up for the Vols for the remainder of this season.

Cuonzo Martin is getting one of the nation’s strongest, most rugged and skilled big men. While not as big as some of his frontcourt peers, Stokes legitimately has developed into a face-up scorer while also possessing the power and tenacity to punish defenders at the rim. Athletically, he’s at least above-average, and now the question is how quickly he can adjust to the competitiveness and speed of the college game. Read story.

PRE-CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY HITS FRENZY
December 22, 2011

The week before Christmas typically doesn’t bring a lot of action on the recruiting front, but 2011 didn’t intend to go out with a whimper. The latter portion of the week became genuinely crazy, with NC WG Torian Graham re-committing to N.C. State — or not?

The story broke and the one-time Wolfpack pledge appeared to be back in the fold, but then a few hours later there was a hold up and his future in Raleigh now appears extremely doubtful. What happened? Well, that story will unfold in time, but suffice it to say no one will feel comfortable predicting where Graham ultimately will land. Read story.

KANSAS GETS ACE PERIMETER SHOOTER
December 20, 2011

Over the past month we’ve seen several talented junior perimeter players make early commitments, with UNC and Duke leading the way, and now Kansas has gotten in on the act. The Jayhawks landed sharpshooting GA swingman Brannen Greene to lock up one of the top three-point marksman in the Class of 2013.

Greene didn’t spend much time against the 17-unders when we observed him last summer, but he possesses a very good stroke, has a nice frame and possesses impressive ball skills for a young wing. He doesn’t jump out of the gym or impress as an elite slasher, but we’re definitely interested to see him this year to examine his game for improvements. Read story.

UPDATED WINTER RANKINGS

While not a lot of changes have occurred to our rankings so far for the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014, we've updated a multitude of school lists, commitments and additions of new players. All of those lists will expand dramatically between now and spring, and this winter edition is our first big step in that direction.

In the senior class, Las Vegas native Shabazz Muhammad continues to hold the top spot. He also happens to be uncommitted, and his recruitment will continue to gain momentum — and increase drama — as the winter and spring unfold. Click on the links to see the latest: 2012 List, 2013 List, 2014 List.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: DWIGHT HOWARD

In addition to the NBA trade drama surrounding Chris Paul from last week (and that continues), another marquee name in the present and from the past is Dwight Howard. The Orlando Magic center also has been mentioned in numerous trade rumors, though nothing is official yet and conflicting reports continue to surface.

In the meantime, check out our link on Howard back in the Class of 2004. We rated him the top prospect in his class that year, one that also included studs such as Josh Smith and LaMarcus Aldridge. But by the end of his senior year, he took control of the class and stood as the main man, ultimately going No. 1 in the 2004 draft. Read story.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: CHRIS PAUL

With the NBA's rejection of the three-team trade that would have sent superstar guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, it's an appropriate time to take a look back at Paul during his high school career. An elite talent who emerged relatively late, the conventional wisdom around Paul wasn't exactly correct. Though he was widely regarded as a top-10 talent, he didn't have a great summer of 2002 and thus wasn't considered on par with some of the elite prospects from a year earlier.

Upon his arrival to Wake Forest, however, Paul exploded and never looked back. He's now one of the very best players in the world. Click on the link to see Paul as he was nearly a decade ago. Read story.

WHITE BECOMES A JAYHAWK
December 5, 2011

Kansas added a much needed shooter to its 2012 class, getting the nod from big-time VA wing Andrew White, who chose the Jayhawks over Texas, N.C. State, Louisville and other high-majors. White re-classified from the 2011 class to 2012, and that move benefited him handsomely. Now an ace mid-range shooter who has three-point range and enough athleticism to score in the open court, he should be a very important contributor to the program.

Though this doesn’t appear to be one of the true vintage classes at KU, the Jayhawks now boast a couple top-100 commitments — including one from big-time KS BF Perry Ellis. Read story.

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