Bennett: To bring back UNLV hoops?

BLUE DEVILS SPEAR JEFFERSON

Amile Jefferson struggled mightily to make a final college decision, but the combo forward finally arrived at one: Duke. With a list that included N.C. State, Villanova and others, Jefferson opted to spend his career in Durham under the tutelage of Mike Krzyzewski. While not an elite athlete and though something of a tweener, Jefferson is a very skilled and intelligent performer who has earned national accolades for the past two years.

Jefferson is very long and thus is able to play taller than his actual height. He also is a pretty good handler and knocks in medium-range jump shots with admirable consistency. Duke now has commitments from Jefferson and All-American guard Rasheed Sulaimon. Read story

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BENNETT PICKS RUNNIN' REBS

UNLV couldn’t snag No. 1 senior and hometown boy Shabazz Muhammad, but the Rebels enjoyed a triumphant spring nevertheless. UNLV was able to sign top-five forward Anthony Bennett, a native of Canada who prepped this year in Las Vegas.

Bennett arguably is the best jumbo athlete in the Class of 2012. He also considered, Kentucky, Florida, Washington and co-finalist Oregon, but ultimately UNLV was able to pitch him on being an immediate star and utilized his familiarity with the city to offer a high comfort level as well. 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

HUSKIES LOOK ABROAD FOR DEPTH

UConn fans won’t remember this spring fondly. The Huskies lost Andre Drummond and Jeremy Lamb to the NBA draft, and the NCAA shot down the program’s request to gain eligibility for the 2013 tournament. At that point the exodus began in earnest, as Alex Orikahi, Roscoe Smith and Michael Bradley all exited the program.

And now the Huskies resourcefully have sought depth. After recently getting Milwaukee forward Phil Nolan, Jim Calhoun now has added Leon Tolksdorf, a 6-8 BF from Germany. Though largely unknown in the United States, Tolksdorf purportedly is a face-up big man who plays with the classical European style. Read story

NIKE EYBL: HAMPTON REPORT

We attended the second leg of the Nike EYBL circuit last weekend in Hampton, Va., and the event formerly known as the Boo Williams Invitational remains a vital cog in the grassroots framework. What made both Hampton and the prior Minneapolis stop so unique was the presence of college coaches: They hadn’t been allowed to attend travel events during April since 2008.

And in Hampton, due in part to the absence of Jabari Parker, who didn’t travel with the Mac Irvin Fire, an underclassman stood out as the most impressive player at the event. Read story

NIKE EYBL: MINNEAPOLIS REPORT

We evaluated the first leg of the Nike EYBL last weekend in Minneapolis, and clearly the guys behind the swoosh once again have stockpiled much of America’s best talent. There are some missing pieces, of course — notably including the Harrison twins out of Texas — but many other blue-chippers are suiting up for Nike-backed clubs this spring and summer.

We’ll be covering all of these guys on numerous occasions during the next several months, but here are some standouts from the weekend who made a strong first impression at the onset of the evaluation period. Read story

REBIRTH OF THE APRIL LIVE PERIOD

For the first time since 2008, college coaches will be allowed to watch travel team events this April. Previously a fixture on the grassroots circuit, the NCAA determined that abolishing the spring period would lessen the pressure on high school players to ship out during weekends while the academic year continued to proceed.

But the move enraged many coaches as being wrongheaded — that was our view as well — and proved to cause deleterious effects while not resolving any of the issues it was intended to address. For three consecutive recruiting cycles, coaches did not get to watch prospects competing together at major events until July. The delay harmed both teams looking to make bold decision and players whose exposure became very limited. Read story

BRUINS & CATS SCORE BIG: NOW WHAT?

Neither decision could be considered a surprise, but when the nation’s top two seniors announce on the same night, of course the recruiting world stands at attention. No. 1 senior Shabazz Muhammad went first, delivering his immense talent to UCLA over finalists Kentucky and Duke. Muhammad had been considered a Bruins lean early during his recruitment, but UCLA’s turbulent season amplified speculation that he would more closely explore other options.

Nerlens Noel went next, and he picked John Calipari’s Wildcats over Georgetown and Syracuse. Noel formerly was a candidate for No. 1 in the 2013 class, but he re-classed forward and instead will make his way onto a college court next fall. Read story

RECRUITING EXCLUSIVE:
LIFE AFTER MARCH MADNESS

With the headlines and high drama of the Final Four waning, it's time for our annual report: Life After March Madness. We’ve once again examined each of the final 16 teams in this year’s tournament while providing insight with our Recruiting Power Index, which projects their chances of making another deep postseason run.

We’ve also tracked the numerous coaching changes that have added to the twists and turns in college basketball since the end of the season, and readers should delight in our look at some Class of 2012 prospects who are likely to shock fans with their own exploits in seasons to come. Read story

MUHAMMAD WINS MVP OF MCDONALD'S

To the surprise of no one, unsigned senior wing Shabazz Muhammad scored 21 points and captured the MVP award of the 35th McDonald’s All-American Game. Not only is Muhammad arguably the top player in the Class of 2012, he’s an intense competitor who never factors in context when he takes the court.

Unlike most all-star games, this one actually bore a resemblance to real basketball throughout the majority of the game. Read story

CAROLINA CHALLENGE REPORT

The annual Carolina Challenge took place last weekend at Raleigh (NC) Ravenscroft, and as always the state of North Carolina’s top prospects — from the 2013, 2014 and 2015 classes — were in attendance. There was one player who stood out above the rest, but several other high-major prospects took the floor as well.

Here’s a look at some of the best the Challenge had to offer, and of course we’re now less than one month away from the opening of the April live evaluation period. For the final two weekends of the month, college coaches will be allowed to watch AAU events in person — for the first time in several years. Read story

SUPER SIX JUMPSTART SPRING

Recruitniks understand that early spring rankings for a given class will undergo dramatic changes by the end of summer, and in the Class of 2013 that reality proves simultaneously true and untrue.

First, let's examine the top of the class. Six prospects stand out as the national elite, and we'll be surprised if any of the top half dozen slide more than a few spots from their current standing. Most classes ultimately develop a series of dividing lines separating talent levels, but the junior crop appears to be different because a stark line has become visible at a very early stage. Read story

CLASS RANKINGS OFFER CLUE

Pundits love to analyze the NCAA tournament field by describing teams as courageous, well-coached and possessing great chemistry. But the talent equation looms extremely large, as all recruitniks certainly know.

This spring’s tournament favorite, Kentucky, makes the point. Yes, the Wildcats have lost several of their elite freshmen to the NBA draft, but of course they have loaded up each year under John Calipari. The ‘Cats are led this year by freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and their presence in the 2011 signing class propelled UK to the top spot in our rankings. Read story.

SAMPSON RINGS BELL FOR SJU

St. John’s added its second commitment this week, getting the nod from post-graduate wing Jakarr Sampson. A 2011 signee who failed to qualify academically — the Red Storm suffered heavy attrition for that reason from that class — Sampson played at Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy this season and now is back in the fold.

Sampson is a highly versatile talent who, at 6-7, can play either forward position. He’s a skilled perimeter performer but has the size and attitude to compete in the post as well, racking up tons of blocks this season on the prep circuit. He should be able to compete for early playing time next year. Read story.

RED STORM GET SENIOR GUARD

St. John’s has suffered defections from its 2012 class this season, so the Red Storm were relieved to add 6-3 WG Felix Balamou in time to sign during the spring period. A product of Centereach (NY) Our Savior, Balamou averaged 17 points per game this season and had begun to attract widespread regional high-major attention prior to choosing St. John’s.

He’s a good athlete who led Our Savior in scoring, a team that features several other Division I prospects. Balamou didn’t receive the level of exposure enjoyed by others during the prior springs and summers but should develop into a solid contributor. Read story.

RAIDERS GET VERSATILE FORWARD

Texas Tech picked up the services of Aaron Ross, the one-time Arkansas signee and current 6-7, 220-pound BF/WF at Delafield (WI) St. John’s. Ross enjoyed a big prep year and projects as an immediate contributor for Billy Gillispie’s program. Not only is he skilled enough to shoot from 17 feet or big enough to score around the basket, he’s far more advanced physically than most college freshmen will be.

Ross also considered Alabama and others prior to picking the Red Raiders. He has a chance to earn a spot in our final rankings for the senior class, and at worst he’s a strong top-150 signee who will provide four solid years in Lubbock. Read story.

MCDONALD'S GAME: A LOOK INSIDE

After decades of alternating sites, the McDonald’s All-American Game has come home. For the second straight year, the game will tip off in Chicago, home of McDonald’s corporate and a splendid setting for the country’s most prestigious postseason all-star game. Held on March 28 at the United Center, 24 blue-chip seniors will compete in what for most will be their first appearance on national television.

As always, the McDonald’s Advisory Committee votes 20 players into the game, and then committee chairman Morgan Wootten adds additional members – typically four – to the squad himself. Read story.

A VIEW FROM THE TOP

It’s never easy, is it? Just when you think there’s a clear No. 1 player in a class, something comes along and alters the picture. Shabazz Muhammad ruled the Class of 2012.

Once Andre Drummond opted for UConn last fall rather than play out his senior season, our decision to name him the top dog effectively made itself. Muhammad and Drummond had emerged as the only realistic options, and thus we expected Muhammad to cruise into the finish line carrying the flag for his class nationally.

But a complication arose in the form of Nerlens Noel. Read story.

TERPS GET SLEEPER FORWARD

Recruiting seniors at this late point in the cycle requires creativity, and Maryland picked up a commitment from a heretofore unknown prospect: Damonte Dodd. A 6-9, 240-pound big forward at Centreville (MD) Queen Anne’s, Dodd lacks a national reputation but obviously possesses legitimate big man size for the high-major level.

Mostly regional low- and mid-majors had been in pursuit, but Georgetown reportedly had begun to express interest prior to the Terrapins’ offer. Dodd never traveled on the AAU circuit and thus never received the kind of exposure that may have made him a bigger name. Read story.

SHEPARD MAKES HIS PICK

San Diego State won out for one of the nation’s best available seniors. Big-time combo forward Winston Shepard selected the Aztecs over New Mexico, Oregon, UNLV and others, and he’ll give Steve Fisher a tremendously athletic and hard working forward around whom to construct the program’s immediate future.

Shepard isn’t the most polished scorer but ranks among the best defenders in the Class of 2012. Not only is he quick and long on the perimeter, he’s aggressive and willing to stick his nose into frontcourt skirmishes to block shots. Meanwhile, he’s an exciting transition finisher and a talented passer. Read story.

MCDONALD'S ROSTERS ANNOUNCED

The annual McDonald’s All-American Game will take place on March 28 in Chicago, and now we know which players were selected to the game. While a few top prospects weren’t eligible due to injury or other reasons, most of the country’s best seniors will be on display in what is widely viewed as the country’s top postseason all-star game.

Of course, selecting any all-star game will invite a certain amount of controversy, and clearly there were some hurt feelings when the lineups were announced. Nevertheless, a general consensus emerged (we at Prep Stars have two votes: Brick Oettinger and Rob Harrington) and clearly both the East and West squads are loaded. Read story.

BEARS REEL IN ANOTHER MAJOR PLEDGE

Baylor is cashing in on its big season, the Bears now getting a frontcourt recruit to potentially replace what they’ll lose to graduation and the NBA draft this spring. Former St. John’s commitment Ricardo Gathers chose Baylor over LSU, Florida and others. He’ll join elite big man Isaiah Austin in Waco and should have the opportunity to earn immediate playing time.

Gathers is a very powerful and aggressive — but undersized — scorer who may be underrated nationally. He’s build like the kind of athlete who lacks agility, but in fact he’s nimble and possesses ample finesse to accompany his brute strength. He’s also a fine run/jump athlete and, while he needs to enhance his ball skills for the longer term, should be college-ready as a freshman. Read story.

NOEL RECLASSES, EYES VISITS
February 3, 2012

One of the nation’s best prospects, regardless of class, has a new categorization. Elite center Nerlens Noel has moved forward from the 2013 class to the 2012 aggregation, meaning he’ll sign with the school of his choice this spring and suit up for someone in 2012-13.

Noel likely will be the top- or second-ranked player in the Class of 2012. His only real competition may be Shabazz Muhammad, the senior scorer from Las Vegas. Noel primarily has been celebrated for his defense versus his offense, and certainly he’s one of the most dominant shotblockers we’ve seen in several years. Meanwhile, he’s a quick finisher who does possess a left hand and has the potential to become a star on both ends of the court. Read story.

CONCRETE CORRELATION
February 2, 2012

Because this is signing week in football, and various stories have emerged questioned the predictive value of recruiting rankings, it’s an opportunistic time for us to take a glance at the value of rankings on the basketball side.

The most obvious difference between football and hoops rankings are that the play pool is significantly smaller in basketball. Thus, it’s possible and routine that the best prospects square off against each other to determine the pecking order. Read story.

WHAT'S UP WITH CHRIS THOMAS?
January 27, 2012

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.

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.

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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