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

Recruiting News

Most recent coverage

GSK INVITATIONAL REPORT
December 29, 2010

RALEIGH, N.C. — The GlaxoSmithKline Invitational is a staple on the post-Christmas tournament circuit, and over the years it has showcased some of the nation’s very best players. In fact, it was only two years ago when John Wall put on a show in front of a packed house at Broughton High School.

There’s no Wall here this year and the best player expected to compete, top-five senior BF/WF Quincy Miller, is out for the season due to injury. Nevertheless, we saw a lot of interesting performers during our time here this week. Read more

GREAT FLORIDA SHOOTOUT REPORT
December 28, 2010

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — While it may be unseasonably cold outside the Silver Spurs Arena at Osceola Heritage Park, the field of teams and talent at the 30th Annual Great Florida Shootout was anything but.

Teams from California, Texas, Washington D.C., and other areas from across the country challenged some of the best teams in Florida. The opening day of the event was highlighted by solid performances from some D-1 signees and underclassmen with bright futures. Read more

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE HIGH MAJORS?
December 27, 2010

We’re going to veer slightly from dedicated recruiting coverage to explore a major theme of college basketball so far this season: The underperformances of the nation’s major-conference programs.

Television obviously focuses on the best teams, so this issue is obscured to an extent by media coverage, but it’s there nevertheless. Rarely have so many major clubs dropped games to opponents playing at the ostensible lower levels of the sport. These programs aren’t just losing to elite mid-majors; some have lost to low-majors, schools that can’t even begin to compete with them in recruiting. Read more

CITY OF PALMS REPORT
December 22, 2010

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The first day of winter found us in the gym of Bishop Verot High School for the 38th Annual City of Palms Classic. Three of the semifinalists were expected as 6-4 WG Austin Rivers of Winter Park (FL) High, 6-8 WF Michael Gilchrist of Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick and 6-8 BF Julian Royal of Alpharetta (GA) Milton led their teams this far.

The fourth team, a young Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei squad, defeated Arden (NC) Christ School and 7-0 C Marshall Plumlee to advance. Read more

LANGFORD MAKES IT OFFICIAL
December 16, 2010

It took a few days to materialize publicly, but talented senior wing Devin Langford officially has committed to Illinois. He won’t be able to sign until the spring, of course, but he found the destination he wanted and now will give Bruce Weber’s program yet another outstanding athlete.

Langford’s athleticism and potential versatility are the hallmarks of his game. We say “potential versatility” realizing that’s an odd pairing of terms, but Langford now is one of those guys who does numerous things well some of the time, yet he doesn’t always do them well simultaneously. Read more

RUNNIN' REBS GET MAJOR SOPH
December 15, 2010

UNLV obviously wants to take advantage of the fact that one of the nation’s most powerful high school programs is in its back yard, and the Rebels did just that by getting an early pledge from combo guard Nigel Williams-Goss. Playing his ball at Henderson (NV) Findlay, Williams-Goss has been a very effective scorer and at times even a playmaker both at Findlay and on the travel circuit.

Though shot selection and control have been spotty for him at times, those are the sorts of shortcomings that can be addressed easily with experience. Read more

PURVIS BECOMES LATEST JUNIOR COMMIT
December 13, 2010

Louisville continues to rack up impressive commitments under Rick Pitino, and this time the Cardinals went to North Carolina to pick up combo guard Rodney Purvis, one of the nation’s best athletes in the junior class.

Purvis initially was a Class of 2013 pledge, but he re-classed upward in order to embark on his college career during the 2012-13 season rather than a year later. Though he doesn’t yet shoot as consistently as he would like, he’s an outstanding transition scorer and potentially lockdown defender as well. Read more

SULLINGER: AMERICA'S BEST FROSH?
December 10, 2010

It’s obviously early in the season and we’ll have a more complete look at this topic in the new year, but what can be said so far about the performance of Ohio State freshman big man Jared Sullinger?

We ranked Sullinger No. 3 in our final rankings of the Class of 2010, and certainly he has easily lived up to billing thus far. Through seven games for Ohio State, Sullinger is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game for the undefeated Buckeyes. He set the school’s freshman scoring record for a single game on Thursday night, going for 40 points against IUPUI. Read more

CHARLESTON GETS HUGE COMMIT
December 6, 2010

It’s not every day that Charleston beats out the likes of North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia Tech for a recruit, but that’s exactly the case with VA C Adjehi Baru. The long-armed native of the Ivory Coast was fantastic throughout the spring and summer, playing his way into national top-five status based on his athleticism, length and toughness.

Baru also does possess a reasonable amount of skill. Though not slick or possessing great hands (although they aren’t bad), he wields a high-release jump shot that’s fairly accurate to 15 feet. Read more

DEANDRE DANIELS: THE BEST OF WHO'S LEFT
December 2, 2010

By far the majority of the nation's best senior prospects signed during the November period, but the best guy who didn't decide is DeAndre Daniels. A one-time Texas commitment, Daniels reopened his recruitment several months ago and essentially restarted the process. He is spending this season at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy and will play against very challenging competition, and he definitely has the ability to contribute at a major college program as a freshman. Read more

GOODMAN COMMITS TO 'NOVA
December 1, 2010

Continuing the recent trend of underclass commits, Villanova scored a big one by getting the nod from Philadelphia wing Savon Goodman. A tough and quick scorer who is at his best playing uptempo, Goodman already has shown that he can compete against the best seniors in America. As only a junior, this nationally ranked prospect will have another opportunity next spring and summer to further elevate his status.

Getting Goodman also is important for ‘Nova for the obvious reason that he’s a local prospect. The Wildcats have been unafraid to play small-ball in recent years, and thus Goodman could play several positions on the court. Read story

WILDCATS, OTHERS GET UNDERCLASS COMMITS
November 29, 2010

Arizona’s recruiting renaissance continues under Sean Miller. The Wildcats made two huge gains over the weekend, getting both big-time 2012 forward Grant Jerrett and 2013 guard Eric Cooper Jr., a 6-2 WG at La Verne (CA) Lutheran.

Jerrett impressed scouts and college coaches tremendously during the summer, showcasing outstanding skill and intelligence in a tall package for a big forward. He should be able to contribute immediately, and especially once he gains more muscle. Read story

HOOSIERS LOCK UP FUTURE POINT GUARD
November 24, 2010

Indiana’s recruiting resurgence continues under Tom Crean. The Hoosiers, riding a torrid streak of late on the trail, now have added Indianapolis PG Yogi Ferrell, one of the nation’s most impressive junior point guards.

Ferrell is a very talented scorer in transition, and he’s also a clever handler and distributor in halfcourt settings. He helped run the show for Indy Elite during the summer and has been well-coached, so his adjustment to college should be smoother than it proves to be for most. Read story

BIRCH NEWS; MORE COMMITS TAKE SHAPE
November 22, 2010

The National Prep Showcase placed a strong number of players on display this past weekend heading into Thanksgiving, and certainly many of the big names performed well. One guy who factored in at the event both for his play and from a news standpoint was Pittsburgh commitment Khem Birch.

Birch has re-classified from the junior class to the senior class, an upward move that has become increasingly common on the grassroots circuit. Birch is a tremendously skilled frontcourt performer who will provide a major boost to the Panthers’ frontcourt next season. Read story

NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE ON TAP
November 19, 2010

Now that the high school season has started, there will be slew of events taking place across the nation for the next several months. One such event is the National Prep Showcase this weekend in New Haven, Conn., and we’ll be following it closely.

While many prep schools feature seniors (and fifth-year preps), there are some strong underclassmen on display as well. Top juniors Khem Birch, Andre Drummond and Alex Murphy are just some of the names to monitor. Read story

FINAL SIGNING PERIOD MOVES
November 17, 2010

St. John’s closed out its fall signing period with a pair of additional recruits, getting talented West Coast wing scorer Amir Garrett and Dwight Meikle, a 6-7 BF and native of New York who’s prepping this season at Winston-Salem (NC) Quality Education. The Red Storm emerged as the nation’s most surprising recruiting story this fall, restocking the roster with tremendous talent and balance.

The emphasis in St. John’s class is on scoring, and given a couple years for players to gel, the Red Storm could develop into one of the best perimeter scoring clubs in the Big East. Read story

CONFERENCE SCORECARD: CLASS OF 2011
November 16, 2010

As the fall signing period winds down, we can now take a more complete look at the recruiting results for each of the nation’s major conferences. The table below offers a quick view of how each conference fared with the top 100 senior prospects. Some conferences obviously leaned heavily on certain programs while others had a more balance set of classes.

Among the top 25, Kentucky’s outrageously strong haul propelled the SEC into first place with seven of the top 25 prospects. The ACC, led by stalwarts Duke and North Carolina, earned the nod from five top-25 prospects. Read story

BEARCATS INK SOLID POINT
November 15, 2010

By now, most of the action of the fall signing period is finished. The overwhelming majority of high-major prospects signed last week, but a few more will trickle in prior to the closing of the November period.

One such move was authored by IN PG Jeremiah Davis, who pledged to Cincinnati. Davis isn’t an electrifying athlete but did a very solid job running the show for Indy Elite during the spring and summer. He’s an intelligent scorer and playmaker who should become a valuable four-year contributor for the Bearcats. Read story

MAJOR SIGNING WEEK DECISIONS
November 11, 2010

The biggest news late this week was IN BF Cody Zeller announcing on Thursday for Indiana over Butler and North Carolina. The Hoosiers are rebuilding at a rapid pace under Tom Crean, and Zeller gives them a likely McDonald’s All-American around whom to build.

Zeller was considered a top-50 prospect prior to the spring, and he hit a truly high note on the July travel circuit. He’s a versatile scorer who shoots very well facing the basket but also has the footwork and touch to do damage inside as well. Read story

SIGNING DAY RANKINGS!

The fall signing period began on Wednesday and extends for one week, and there’s a lot to consider when evaluating the top classes. Not surprisingly, leading the way are John Calipari’s juggernaut at Kentucky, followed by defending national champion Duke.

Meanwhile, the most compelling story was delivered by St. John’s and first-year coach Steve Lavin. The Red Storm have achieved something very few thought was feasible. Take a look below at the full top 25 classes. Enjoy! Read story

TWO MORE GUARDS PLEDGE
November 9, 2010

A pair of high-major guards are headed to the Big East, and one day out from signing day — which lasts one week beginning on Wednesday — the overwhelming majority of the nation’s best players have made their college decisions.

In this case, it was PG Ryan Boatright and PG/WG Derrick Wilson who made their decisions in favor of the nation’s largest power conference. Boatright, a one-time West Virginia pledge, now is headed to UConn. The Huskies have struggled recruiting during the present cycle due to off-court troubles, and getting Boatright gives the program a tremendous boost. Read story

HARRIS WILL HEAD SOUTH
November 5, 2010

It’s been a pretty good stretch for the ACC, and the beat kept going as NJ forward Tyler Harris chose N.C. State over Providence and many other solid Division I offers.

Harris is a very skilled and versatile forward who at one time was expected to re-classify and join the 2012 crop, but he received enough interest early in this recruiting cycle that he hoped to remain with the Class of 2011. He also is the younger brother of Tobias Harris, a former prep All-American who now is a freshman at Tennessee. Read story

COMMITMENT ACTION CONTINUES TO ERUPT
November 4, 2010

Duke continues adding to its elite recruiting class, making certain to cash in on last season’s national championship. The Blue Devils looked slightly north to Maryland to get PG Quinn Cook, who is spending his senior season at Oak Hill Academy. The Devils have done very well recently in the Beltway area, getting PG Tyler Thornton from the 2010 class and current senior — and potential All-American — Nolan Smith.

Cook had attracted offers from numerous high-major programs and ultimately picked between Duke, UCLA and Villanova. Read story

UPDATED, EXPANDED LISTS

We've made numerous refinements to our various lists, including the 2011, 2012 and 2013 classes. In addition to the ever-increasing number of high school changes, there are school list updates as well as expanded listings for underclassmen, in particular.

These lists always are a work in progress and, in all three cases, will swell as the fall gives way to winter and we advance into the spring. We'll add to the rankings themselves in about six weeks. To see the latest, simply click on the link to visit the lists index page. Rankings Index Page

COMMITMENT ACTION EXPLODES
November 1, 2010

The obvious expectation was that the pace of commitments would increase as we approach signing day, but events have been swirling even beyond what one typically would anticipate. In terms of both commitments and de-commitments, there is major action throughout the country.

Let's begin in Tallahassee. No, Florida State wasn’t breaking up with a girlfriend, but they did achieve space: TX WF/BF Antwan Space. The slender forward was a mystery to us during July. He was fantastic when we observed him at the Adidas Invitational but mostly silent in Las Vegas. Read story

LEWIS CHOOSES WOLFPACK
October 29, 2010

N.C. State dipped into the Class of 2012 for its point guard of the future, getting a commitment from NC PG Tyler Lewis, one of the country’s most creative ball-handlers and passers. Lewis ran the show for Team Loaded during the spring and summer and enjoyed a great deal of success distributing to teammates or driving and pulling up for short jump shots.

In the process, Lewis accumulated numerous high-major scholarship offers. Though some schools were concerned about his lack of height, others felt he could step right in and contribute. Read story

THREE BIG TIME COMMITMENTS
October 28, 2010

The eve of signing day is upon us, as we’re now less than two weeks away from the moment of truth for seniors prepared to sign on the dotted line. Accordingly, there have been a large number of major commitments prior to November when high school seasons begin in earnest.

Maryland brought a needed boost to the non-Duke and UNC programs in the ACC, which by its standards has struggled big-time with the Class of 2011. The Terrapins scored a huge win for guard Nick Faust, one of the fastest risers on the travel circuit this year. Faust is a big-time scorer and gives the Terps momentum as they attempt to load up on other seniors. Read story

WILDCATS GET MAJOR GUARD; MORE 2012 NEWS
October 25, 2010

The obvious focus of the news between now and signing day (beginning on November 10) will be the senior Class of 2011, but some juniors have decided to end their recruitment as well. At Villanova, the heavily favored Wildcats indeed did land PA PG Ryan Arcidiacono.

Arcidiacono may be a radio announcer’s worst nightmare, but on the court he’s outstanding. He’s very clever with the ball and a skilled playmaker, and his jump shooting range extends to 21 feet. His biggest test this past summer was administered at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, and though inconsistent he certainly outplayed many of the other juniors in attendance. Read story

HUGE DAY FOR BIG 12
October 21, 2010

One conversation topic this fall has been the disappointment by the Big 12 on the recruiting trail. It seems everyone is battling to maintain pace with the Big East, but the Big 12 most of all had been lagging. Well, that all changed late this week, when three blue-chip prospects decided to call the Big 12 home.

Baylor is ecstatic. The Bears claimed commitments from top-five NC BF/WF Quincy Miller and top-50 NC WG/WF Deuce Bello. Miller arguably is the most talented player nationally in the Class of 2011, while Bello definitely gets our vote as the most explosive leaper. Read story

MORE FRUIT FOR BIG EAST, ACC
October 20, 2010

West Virginia has been on a tear of late, and on Wednesday they received a pledge from TX forward Keaton Miles, a hardworking combo forward who has at times been very good on the travel circuit. Though inconsistent as a scorer, Miles generally is productive thanks to his effort on the offensive glass and running the court. He’ll fit in well with the Mountaineers.

Elsewhere in the Big East, DePaul landed top-100 Florida guard Shane Larkin. We were impressed by Larkin’s improvement over the past year, as he has become stronger and more confident. Read story

THREE MAJOR PLEDGES
October 18, 2010

Let the commitments begin. After last weekend’s various Midnight Madness festivities throughout the nation, it’s no surprise that the pledges are flowing early in the week. One of the most significant was handed out by IL PG Ryan Boatright, a native of Chicago who chose West Virginia.

The Mountaineers couldn’t ask for a better fit. Boatright is a quick scorer but, more importantly in terms of fit, plays with a feisty style and a chip on his shoulder. That attitude will endear him both to the fans and Bob Huggins, and he’s likely to enjoy an outstanding career in Morgantown. Read story

O'BRYANT DECIDES; HUGE WEEKEND ON TAP
October 15, 2010

This weekend marks the most significant of the year for visits. With the official opening of the college basketball season, the overwhelming majority of Division I hoops programs will be hosting prime recruiting targets. While many of these prospects are seniors taking official trips, a large number of underclassmen are on the road as well.

Certainly, look for a large number of commitments to break next week. One that already concluded was that of MS BF Johnny O’Bryant, who opted for LSU. Though inconsistent throughout his prep career on the travel circuit, O’Bryant is a tremendous physical talent who, if the light comes on, could become a star in the SEC. Read story

HARRISON CHOOSES RED STORM
October 14, 2010

St. John’s added to its already-stellar recruiting class, getting a commitment from prolific Texas scorer D’Angelo Harrison, an explosive marksman who lit up the travel circuit during the summer. Though not the most efficient offensive player, Harrison consistently puts up big numbers thanks to his tendency to get very hot from the field.

Additionally, he’s a good athlete and definitely competes a sense of toughness, always a plus in the Big East. The key for Harrison in college will be to improve his shot selection and round out his point guard skills, although in truth his scoring ability is likely to land him early playing time either way. Read story

JAYHAWKS GET THEIR FLOOR GENERAL
October 13, 2010

Kansas bounced back from its miss on Josiah Turner and picked up a point guard it needed, Naadir Tharpe. The solid floor general isn’t as highly touted as some of the Jayhawks’ other backcourt recruits during the Bill Self era, but he’s strong, tough, an above-average athlete and a quick defender.

Tharpe also had considered Oklahoma, N.C. State, Minnesota and others, and his stock improved steadily over the spring and summer. He doesn’t project as a star in the Big 12 but, considering the dearth of uncommitted floor generals, is a nice pickup for KU. Read story

CRIDER HEADED TO PC
October 12, 2010

Providence scored a commitment from Markus Crider, a 6-5 WF at Huber Heights (OH) Wayne. Crider isn’t a big name nationally nor a huge scorer at the prep level, but he’s a good utility athlete who had attracted attention from Nebraska, DePaul, Cincinnati and others.

Crider is one of the several prospects who has visited or will visit PC this month. The Friars also are expected to host IN C Michael Chandler, NY BF Tyler Harris and IL PG Ryan Boatright this weekend for the opening of practice. After a turbulent spring, the recruiting job performed by the Friars’ coaching staff this fall has been extremely impressive. Read story

TWO MORE MAJOR PLEDGES
October 8, 2010

Two of the nation’s best prospects in the West announced, and the Pac-10 became the strong beneficiary. Oregon landed CA WG Jabari Brown, one of the best three-point shooters in the senior class. The Ducks had been considered the underdog to Washington, but ultimately they prevailed over not only their rival to the north but also Arizona, Georgia Tech and others.

Brown not only is a good shooter, he’s a very strong driver who isn’t an elite quickster but uses powerful shoulders to clear space on his way to the rim. Read story

CANES, OTHERS GET HITS
October 7, 2010

Miami made its latest foray into North Carolina to get NC wing Bishop Daniels, a high-flyer who arguably is the best dunker nationally in the Class of 2011. Daniels is an excellent fit for Miami’s system and is just the latest player Frank Haith has secured from N.C.

While all scouts and coaches agree that Daniels is a prime athlete, there’s widespread debate about his skill level. He has improved his handling, passing and shooting, yet at times he still gets wild and therefore doesn’t project as a true point guard. On the other hand, even if he remains unpolished, his quickness should enable him to become a fine defender and utility athlete. Read story

HOPKINS OPTS FOR HOYAS
October 6, 2010

Maryland big forward Mikael Hopkins has committed to Georgetown, giving the Hoyas a big man who can both score from range and provide an interior defensive presence in the rugged Big East.

Hopkins also had considered Ohio State, West Virginia, Kansas and others, so obviously he warrants his spot among the national top 100 prospects in the Class of 2011. He’ll need to get stronger for college and obviously learn Georgetown’s offensive system, but clearly he’s a big talent for a program needing a prime recruit in order to keep pace with the other conference juggernauts. Read story

MCAFEE PICKS TIGERS
October 4, 2010

Auburn has been nationally quiet in recruiting the past few seasons, but things may be beginning to turn around. The Tigers added a pledge from Memphis WG Cedric McAfee, one of the numerous talented athletes to emerge from Memphis and one who chose Auburn over interest from Arkansas, South Carolina and others.

McAfee boasts a very quick first step and, one he gains strength, should be a major asset for AU at the next level. Read story

RIVERS, BIRCH MAKE MAJOR PLEDGES
September 30, 2010

A couple of elite prospects have announced their decisions. In the senior class, top-five Florida guard Austin Rivers — the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers — committed to favored Duke. The Blue Devils not only get a terrific prospect in Rivers, they were able to deliver some payback to archrival North Carolina in the process. Kansas also had been among the final three.

Rivers gets our vote as the best scorer in high school basketball. He’s an outstanding shooter with a lightning-quick release, terrific instincts, great dribble moves and an abundance of confidence as well. Read story

MADDEN OPTS FOR RAZORBACKS
September 29, 2010

Arkansas accomplished a major recruiting goal, getting a commitment from AR wing Rashad Madden. The multi-talented ball-handler and scorer chose the home-state Razorbacks over Ole Miss and many others.

Madden enjoyed a solid spring and summer on the travel circuit with the Arkansas Wings, and some regard him as a potential All-SEC player down the road because of his immense versatility. Read story

SENIOR RANKINGS: POST-SUMMER TOP 100!

Fast-rising Chicago big man Anthony Davis has become the new No. 1 in our national top 100, replacing Michael Gilchrist (who moves only one spot to No. 2), thanks to a huge summer and immense long-term potential.

Between Davis, Gilchrist and IN PG Marquis Teague, Kentucky claims three of our national top five seniors, an extraordinary recruiting feat even by John Calipari's extremely high standards. Elsewhere in the top five, No. 3 Austin Rivers is the best natural scorer in the class, while Florida-bound guard Brad Beal is one of the most complete young players in America. Read story

UNDERCLASS RANKINGS:
CLASSES OF 2012, 2013

In our new look at the Class of 2012, Nevada wing Shabazz Muhammad has vaulted to the apex of his class. The athletic and tremendously tough and competitive athlete was by far th emost productive junior on the national circuit this past spring and summer. Meanwhile, we continue to believe that Connecticut insider Andre Drummond is the best of an excellent set of frontcourt prospects.

Taking an early look at the 2013 class, Texan Julius Randle continues to draw accolades as the best sophomore in the nation, but there definitely are some guys nipping at his heels. Take a look for yourself by following the links! 2012 Rankings 2013 Rankings

HOKIES, BEARCATS MAKE GAINS
September 28, 2010

Virginia Tech landed a top priority, getting VA forward Dorian Finney-Smith. A stalwart for the powerful Virginia-based Boo Williams Summer League travel team, Finney-Smith not only is an excellent talent in his own right but reaffirms the pipeline from Hampton to Blacksburg.

Finney-Smith is a good athlete who can play either forward position. Though something of a ‘tweener offensively, he glides up and down the court and contributes in multiple areas. He also works hard and blends well with teammates. Read story

POWELL LEADS COMMIT ROUNDUP
September 27, 2010

There’s been no slacking for America’s promising senior talent. Rather than wait until signing week or take a full slate of visits, several prospects have ended their recruitment — including one very young pledge for Indiana.

Perhaps the most touted of the players to offer a pledge is CA WG Norman Powell, who gave the nod to UCLA. The powerful wing consistently was good during the spring and summer and was particularly outstanding at the Pangos All-American Camp in June. Read story

NTF WORKOUT: DAY TWO REPORT
September 27, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The second day of the Nike Team Florida Workout featured the youngsters, freshmen and sophomores within in the state of Florida who have exhibited early hoops promise.

There weren’t any true superstars on hand, but there was ample opportunity to scout a lot of players we’d never observed previously. Here’s a look at some of those who grabbed our attention: Read story

NTF WORKOUT: DAY ONE REPORT
September 25, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The annual Nike Team Florida Workout brings together some of the best prospects in the Sunshine State, and we’re in attendance for each of the camp’s two days. On Saturday, the seniors and juniors took the court, giving us another look at some players we know well along with a few sleepers.

Here are some of the guys who caught our eye on day one (all players are seniors (Class of 2011) unless otherwise noted): Read story

GAMECOCKS, IRISH MAKE GAINS
September 24, 2010

South Carolina gained a commitment from one of the best shooters in the Class of 2011, drawing a pledge from wing Damien Leonard. He didn’t quite have the performances in 2010 that he did in 2009, but Leonard has proved during the course of his career to have a tremendous long-range stroke with the potential to get cooking and nail multiple consecutive threes.

Leonard had been Darrin Horn’s top remaining target in the senior class, and getting him aboard in September frees up the coaching staff to focus on underclassmen more heavily. Read story

'DORES, OTHERS GET WINS
September 22, 2010

Vanderbilt scored a nice backcourt addition, getting the pledge of Kedren Johnson, a 6-4 guard out of Lewisburg (TN) Marshall County. Johnson is a solidly built athlete who runs the show intelligent on the wing or as a jumbo guard, and he’s effective as both a scorer and a distributor.

Johnson attracted a large number of schools in the early spring and maintained a high level of play thereafter. He has the frame to compete right away in the SEC for the Commodores. Read story

SEVERAL MAJOR PROSPECTS DECIDE
September 20, 2010

There’s been intense activity on the national scene, as high-major prospects opt to end their recruitments prior to the beginning of their senior seasons. The biggest name to decide was CA PG Josiah Turner, a big-time scorer who chose Arizona over Kansas and many other major programs. Turner has good size and scoring ability off the dribble, and he has improved his playmaking ability to get others involved as well.

Arizona now holds pledges from a duo that will comprise an elite backcourt: Turner and Nick Johnson. Read story

RED STORM GET BIG-TIME WING
September 17, 2010

One of the fall’s emerging themes is the success story brewing at St. John’s under first-year coach Steve Lavin, who has put the pieces in place to bring the Red Storm back to Big East contention.

Though the roster still needs work, late this week Lavin was able to gain a commitment from OH/NH Jakarr Sampson, a native of Akron who’s prepping at loaded Brewster Academy for his senior season. Sampson is a talented wing with excellent ball skills and the potential to play a key role for the Red Storm as soon as his freshman season. Read story

FUN TIME: SENIOR SUPERLATIVES
September 15, 2010

Each fall we examine the senior class and attempt to put together a list of players who lead the way in specific categories. These choices are never easy and always draw arguments from readers, coaches and others, but it’s a fun endeavor and does stimulate discussion.

Not surprisingly, guys on this list tend to come from the national top 100 players, but there are some sleepers in certain categories as well. Enjoy! Read story

BEARCATS, OTHERS GET PLEDGES
September 13, 2010

We’re still a couple months from the fall signing period, but the fruits of spring and summer labor continue to pay off for programs as autumn approaches. One of the best players to commit was NJ WF Shaquille Thomas, who opted for Cincinnati. Thomas initially had been a Class of 2010 recruit, but he reclassified and now has his ticket punched for the Big East.

Thomas is a rangy, quick athlete who boasts excellent defensive potential and is a solid transition scorer as well. To become a consistent offensive contributor, he’ll need to upgrade his perimeter jump shot. Read story

TEAM RANKINGS: A QUICK LOOK
September 9, 2010

We’ve done the math, crunched the numbers, and essentially poked and prodded any number of possibilities for the remainder of the 2011 recruiting cycle, and the bottom line is this: Kentucky almost cannot lose its claim to the top spot.

John Calipari has exceeded even the wildly optimistic expectations set for him upon taking over in Lexington. This class is shaping up to be his best yet, as UK already holds pledges from three of the nation’s top five prospects, including Nos. 1 and 2! Read story

CARDINALS KEEP IT ROLLING
September 7, 2010

Louisville’s renaissance continues this fall. The Cardinals, desperately needing to respond by John Calipari’s juggernaut in Lexington, are aiming toward piecing together one of the nation’s very best recruiting classes.

U-L made a significant move on Tuesday, getting the nod from outstanding KY BF Chane Behanan. An early Cincinnati pledged who backed off early as well, Behanan emerged this spring as one of the nation’s most prolific frontcourt scorers. He was tremendous at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp in June and maintained that high level of play throughout July. Read story

SEPTEMBER COMMITS CONTINUE
September 7, 2010

The slow commitment pace of the spring and summer has experienced a total reversal, as expected given that the signing period is just a couple months away. Some of the nation’s top unattached players changed their status and now are set to focus on their senior seasons, a reflection of how players tend to get overwhelmed by the recruiting process and want to relieve the stress prior to the opening of basketball.

One of the best players pledge in recent days is MO WG B.J. Young, a tremendously athletic and explosive guard who committed to Arkansas. Read story

RUMINATIONS ON NO. 1
September 2, 2010

If you’d ambled through the streets of Chicago this past March and shouted at passersby that Anthony Davis would become a more celebrated recruit than Derrick Rose, undoubtedly you’d have been greeted with confused and angry looks.

But in fact, at least in terms of ranking, that’s exactly what transpired during the four months beginning in April and ending in July. Davis, the 6-9 big man from Perspectives School, throttled competition at the LeBron James events in early July and then dazzled crowds at the Peach Jam. Read story

BIG EAST DELIVERING BIG NEWS
September 1, 2010

Could it finally be happening for Rutgers? After a decade of teases and near-misses on the recruiting trail, the Scarlet Knights are riding a new wave of progress under first-year coach Mike Rice.

Rutgers this week added both NY/CT BF Kadeem Jack and NJ PG Myles Mack, two of the best senior prospects within the immediate vicinity. Both Jack and Mack are national top-100 talents, and they’ll join other touted commitments from the 2011 and 2012 classes. Read story

BURKE, OTHERS DELIVER PLEDGES
August 25, 2010

Michigan landed Trey Burke, a 5-11 PG at Columbus (OH) Northland who had a strong summer on the travel circuit. Formerly a Penn State commitment, Burke reopened in order to draw additional interest, and obviously the gambit paid off in terms of getting other high-major scholarship offers.

Burke is a good scorer and three-point shooter, and he should fit well into John Beilein’s system. He also had attracted offers from Cincinnati, Nebraska, Butler, Iowa and others. Read story

CAVALIERS GET TALENTED WING
August 23, 2010

Virginia made a nice late-summer pickup of Malcolm Brogdon, a 6-4 WG at Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian School. Brogdon enjoyed a very good summer and should help the Cavaliers’ improve their ability to score from the perimeter, and fitting UVa’s high academic profile also was no problem for this excellent student.

Brogdon isn’t a high-flier but shoots the ball well and has a solid frame for college. He should contend for a spot in the national top 100 in our upcoming post-summer rankings for the Class of 2011. Read story

CARSON, SULLIVAN MAKE DECISIONS
August 22, 2010

One of the nation’s best uncommitted point guards, AZ PG Jahii Carson, committed to Arizona State. Carson’s pledge to the Sun Devils certainly wasn’t unexpected, and he should do an outstanding job for Herb Sendek’s program.

Carson enjoyed a fine summer and stepped up his game in Las Vegas, where he was a pivotal player for one of the Compton Magic’s two teams (named The Magic) and scored on a variety of moves off the dribble and increasingly from deep. He’s a definite top-50 caliber talent in the Class of 2011. Read story

JOHNSON CHOOSES 'ZONA
August 19, 2010

Sean Miller is righting the ship quickly in Arizona. The Wildcats now have big-time AZ/NV combo guard Nick Johnson in the fold, one of the best wing scorers in the country and someone who enjoyed a big summer with the Oakland Soldiers this past July.

Johnson’s game is somewhat unique from the standpoint that he doesn’t create a lot off the dribble but is an explosive leaper and shooter who hits even when contested. We’d like to see him develop a tighter handle and slashing game, but he doesn’t have to always go forward because his jump shot (though streaky) has three-point range. Read story

MAJOR COMMITS (AND DE-COMMITS) PILE UP
August 17, 2010

It’s that time of year. The commitment season is beginning to pick up after a surprisingly dormant spring and summer, and the pace of pledges is likely to intensify as the official visit season draws near.

That said, the highest-ranked player in the news was CA WF DeAndre Daniels, who backed off his commitment to Texas. The Longhorns still have a great 2011 class even without Daniels, but obviously losing a blue-chip scorer with size and athleticism is a blow to the Horns. Read story

HOOSIERS GET ANOTHER PLEDGE
August 16, 2010

Indiana scored with rising junior guard Ron Patterson, capping what between the Hoosiers and Michigan State was a very good week for the Big Ten. IU is working on several major projects this fall, and Patterson was a major pickup. He’s an accomplished scorer who performed well against national competition (mostly 16-under) on the travel circuit this spring and summer.

Not only is Patterson a very good Class of 2012 talent, he’s an Indianapolis (Broad Ripple High) native and obviously someone in an area of great interest to the Hoosier program. Read story

DAVIS CHOOSES WILDCATS
August 14, 2010

Kentucky has landed its third top-five commitment from the Class of 2011, getting the nod from elite IL C Anthony Davis, who chose the Wildcats over Ohio State, DePaul and numerous other major programs in the process.

Davis burst onto the national scene in the spring and never looked back, improving at seemingly every event and now appearing to be potentially the top prospect in the senior class. We wrote about him extensively during the summer, and the sensational athlete will have the opportunity to become one of John Calipari’s next one-and-done studs. Read story

COSTELLO TO TAKE ACTION TO MSU
August 11, 2010

Michigan State is hammering things out on the recruiting trail these days. The Spartans obviously worked with extreme efficiency in July, seeing the right games at the right times and solidifying relationships to the extent they could extract multiple commitments in the two weeks following the summer evaluation period.

The latest is Matt Costello, the 6-8 junior BF at Bay City (MI) Western, who was outstanding during the summer for Dorian’s Pride. We first watched Costello at the Adidas Invitational in early July, and lived up to the advance billing we’d heard on his behalf. Read story

BEARS GET ELITE JUNIOR BIG MAN
August 10, 2010

The Baylor Bears made a huge score in the Class of 2012, getting an early pledge from top-10 big man Isaiah Austin. Austin is considered by some to be the best raw prospect in the junior class, as he has tremendous length and skill for a young player.

His best attributes tend to be coordination and his mere physical presence, and now the trick is to gain strength and become more of an inside-out performer. As he continues to mature he’ll have more ability to play with his back to the basket, and down the road he could put together a dynamic offensive game. Here are some video clips of his game: Read story

JURKIN COMMITS TO HOOSIERS
August 9, 2010

Indiana, in its continuing drive to upgrade the program’s talent level, made an investment in its longer term future. The Hoosiers picked up a commitment from Peter Jurkin, a 7-0 junior C at Charlotte (NC) United Faith who originally hails from the Sudan — of late a genuine hotspot for frontcourt talent.

Jurkin is an above-average athlete who runs the court well and is pretty fluid for a kid his size. He jumps pretty well with a running start and has improved his offense as well. The big concern with Jurkin is whether he’ll be able to gain the appropriate weight for the next level, particularly as he has skinny lower legs. Read story

ORANGE GET ELITE CENTER
August 6, 2010

Christmas came early ... ah, that’s too easy. Suffice to say that the Syracuse Orange are extremely happy to have received a commitment from blue-chip PA C Rakeem Christmas, one of the nation’s best senior big men and a proven talent against the highest level of prep competition.

Team Final has been good to SU the past couple years, sending not only Christmas and fellow 2011 pledge Trevor Cooney but also incoming freshman Dion Waiters. Read story

SPARTANS, OTHERS GET PLEDGES
August 5, 2010

Michigan State made one of its most significant wins it can make this recruiting cycle, getting a pledge from IN BF/WF Branden Dawson, a super athletic combo forward whose play got better and better during the course of the summer. Dawson is one of the strongest and most explosive players in the Class of 2011, and thanks to those qualities he’s a terrific finisher and offensive rebounder.

There’s definitely some positional confusion with Dawson because he’s small for the post yet not enough of a handler to play on the wing. Nevertheless, at least for college, his strength, leaping ability and relentless style should result in early and big dividends for the Spartans. Read story

ON RECRUITING, JOURNALISM, AND HACKERY
August 4, 2010

The Chicago Sun-Times published a story on Wednesday that at the beginning seemed innocuous: Elite senior forward Anthony Davis shortly would be announcing his college choice from among Kentucky, DePaul, Ohio State and Syracuse.

The story, viewable here — Sun-Times Davis Story — also states what many have believed for a few weeks: That Davis is likely to choose UK. From there, however, the story cites an anonymous source as saying that Davis-to-UK resulted from scandal. Read story

KNIGHTS LAND SOLID IN-STATE BIG MAN
August 2, 2010

Rutgers coach Mike Rice landed his first 2011 commitment for the Scarlet Knights, getting the nod from top-125 NJ BF Derrick Randall. Though the 6-8 Randall didn’t always play to his reputation during the summer for The Playaz, he remains a very solid rebounder and shotblocker with a solid frame and the ability to contribute early in the Big East.

In order for Randall to take the next step, he must improve his offensive game. Though not without close-range shooting touch and even the beginnings of a hook shot, his footwork requires a great deal of attention. Nevertheless, he understands that he’s a big guy — and not an aspiring wing — and has the physical talent to blossom at the next level. Read story

ORLANDO: DAY FOUR REPORT
July 31, 2010

ORLANDO — On Friday we saw all or major portions of 13 different games at the AAU National Championships, with 10 being 17U playoff games and the other three (including the championship and third-place games) coming from the 16U division. The 10 best performances we saw today are detailed below, in chronological order.

Leading the Jackson Tigers (MS) to a hard-fought 61-56 overtime victory over Martin Bros Select 17s (IA) was uncommitted 6-9 Cleveland (MS) East Side rising senior BF/C Johnny O’Bryant. The solidly built 230-pounder stepped up big in the final minutes of regulation and the overtime and certainly is a national top 30 caliber prospect in the high school Class of 2011. Read story

ORLANDO: DAY THREE REPORT
July 30, 2010

ORLANDO — At the AAU National Championships, this was a big day for the playoffs in both the 17-Under and the 16-Under tournaments. With the 16s being (in our opinion) fairly weak in elite caliber talent, our focus today was upon the 17-Under division. We saw all or a significant part of 13 games, with the leading performers in seven of them discussed below.

In the first of St. Louis Gameface’s two victories on Thursday, blue-chip 6-3 Florissant (MO) McCluer North rising senior WG/PG B.J. Young had two crucial turnovers late in regulation play but bounced back in overtime to virtually personally defeat Alabama-based NLP 17U Ds by a 58-53 count. Read story

ORLANDO: DAY TWO REPORT
July 29, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. — With games played all day at 39 different courts, we had our hands full on day two while watching all or part of 13 pool-play games in the AAU 17U National Championships and approximately half of the round of 16 in the AAU 16U National Championships.

There were few truly outstanding performances that we witnessed, thus we’ve elected to focus below upon key players in a half-dozen of the 17U games and two of the 16U playoff games. Read story

SUPER SHOWCASE FINALE
July 28, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. - We hit the ground running and were present for the Super Showcase 17U Gold Bracket championship game at the ESPN Wide World of Sports venue.

This game was actually a rematch between the St. Louis Eagles and Florida-based Each One Teach One (also known as Team Stat), who faced each other in mid-June on the final afternoon of the NIKE Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) session in Virginia (Hampton). Read story

VEGAS: FINAL THOUGHTS
July 27, 2010

The party is over in Las Vegas, and the Adidas Super 64 wrapped up with the Double Pump Elite team defeating the Memphis Magic Select in the championship contest.

We covered many of the prominent names throughout the week of coverage, but here are a few more points of interest as the focus now shifts toward Orlando to round out the July evaluation period. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY FOUR REPORT
July 25, 2010

LAS VEGAS — Day 4 in Las Vegas was the final day of the Fab 48 and a key day for the playoffs (through the quarterfinals) at the Adidas Super 64. We viewed a total of 11 games, with five being Adidas playoff games and the other six being Fab 48 games, including three 17U Championship bracket quarterfinals and the title game in that division.

At the Fab 48, the Drew Gooden Soldiers proved to be the dominant team, only being challenged (84-80) by the New Jersey Playaz in the semifinals. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY THREE REPORT
July 24, 2010

LAS VEGAS — In our third day in Las Vegas, we divided time between the Adidas Super 64 and the Las Vegas Fab 48, which each featured playoff games in the afternoon and evening. We viewed all or most of 10 different games, and the highlight performances we witnessed are discussed below.

This wasn’t a day for the faint of heart, as the games were particularly fierce and several fights and near-fights resulted. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY TWO REPORT
July 23, 2010

LAS VEGAS — With only two major events (the Adidas Super 64 and Dinos Trigonis’ new Fab 48) to cover in Las Vegas this July, it’s much easier to see the players and travel teams whose progress you wish to monitor. We really got an eyeful particularly on the second day, when we viewed all or at least significant parts of eight different games at the Adidas Super 64.

Here are the guys whose stellar play especially caught our attention. Read story

VEGAS WEEK: DAY ONE REPORT
July 22, 2010

LAS VEGAS — The first day of the five-day hoops affair in Las Vegas took place on Thursday, and we spent our time at the loaded Adidas Super 64. The Super 64 has become a mainstay on the travel circuit and is joined this year by the Fab 48, which we’ll be watching extensively this week and weekend as well.

We spent most of Thursday fine-tuning some rough edges, watching teams we’d mostly seen previously this month but still had lingering questions in our own minds that needed to be answered. We also saw a couple elites who’d been out of action this month until now. Read story

INTEREST IN THOMAS PICKS UP
July 20, 2010

One of the nation’s more overlooked high-major wings is Aaron Thomas, the 6-4 WF at Cincinnati (OH) Aiken who tours the travel circuit with the Queen City Prophets.

Playing at the Peach State Showcase last week in Aiken, S.C., Thomas showcased the scoring ability that enabled him to first emerge upon the national scene this past spring. Read story

NOTES FROM THE ROAD
July 19, 2010

We’re at the midway point of the July evaluation, the first leg of which concluded late last week. The live period — defined as the stretch when college coaches are allowed to watch players perform at tournaments and camps — resumes on Thursday.

The second half of July largely consists of action in Las Vegas and Orlando, but before shifting focus to those major events, let’s take a look at some of the lessons learned thus far. Read story

PEACH JAM: FINAL REPORT
July 15, 2010

Team Takeover won the prestigious Peach Jam Classic on Thursday, defeating the St. Louis Eagles in the final. Takeover wasn’t the most talented team at the event but played consistent, disciplined basketball to survive and advance, triumphing in Nike’s first ever Elite Youth Basketball League.

We spent our final time in the Augusta area actually split between the Peach Jam and the competing Peach State Summer Showcase, a non-shoe event held in nearby Aiken, S.C. Read story

PEACH JAM: STUDS EDITION
July 14, 2010

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — The completion of pool play at the Peach Jam welcomed the return of Nike’s circuit’s elite players, and their presence on the court definitely was felt. For one thing we witnessed one of the 2010 travel circuit’s signature performances, as delivered by No. 1 senior prospect Michael Gilchrist.

Gilchrist essentially jumped off a plane that arrived from Germany — where he’d been competing international for USA Basketball — and turned a 9:00 a.m. tip into a personal highlight reel. Read story

PEACH JAM: DAY ONE REPORT
July 12, 2010

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — No tournament taking place this summer can boast the build-up and organization of the Peach Jam. Representing the culmination of Nike’s grassroots circuit, The Elite Young Basketball League, the Peach Jam is a four-day event featuring 24 of Nike’s best teams, five rounds of pool play and playoff rounds beginning on Wednesday evening.

While there is much to report from the first day of action, things will intesify as the week progresses into the playoff rounds. Read story

BRICK'S CORNER: CLEVELAND RECAP
July 12, 2010

At the Nike-sponsored King City Classic in Cleveland, we eyeballed a full slate of games while also viewing two afternoon sessions of the Super Soph Camp, also in Cleveland. Below are our choices as the most impressive nine players at the King City Classic, with the top four being big men, including a pair of precocious rising juniors.

We've examined these four players in rank order. Read story

BRICK'S CORNER: ADIDAS RECAP
July 12, 2010

Last week we watched two days of play at the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis, two days at the Nike-sponsored King City Classic in Cleveland, and two sessions of Clay Dade’s Super Soph All American Camp, also in Cleveland.

Below are capsules on those responsible for eight of the most impressive game performances we viewed at the Adidas Invitational, whose 17 Under Platinum division was won by the Dallas Mustangs over the New Heights NYC aggregation. Read story

ADIDAS INVITATIONAL: DAY TWO REPORT
July 7, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS —The second day of action at the Adidas Invitational was affected by an NCAA rule, and in a positive manner. Because teams can play only five times in consecutive days and due to the fact that most 17-under clubs played three games on the first day, that opened up more time slots to watch underclassmen.

And watch them we did. The Class of 2012 continues to impress us with its abundance of frontcourt high-majors, and we were able to add to that mix of players. Read story

ADIDAS INVITATIONAL: DAY ONE REPORT
July 6, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS — The inaugural Adidas Invitational features a combination of players who in years past had been scattered between the It Takes 5ive tournament in Cincinnati and the Reebok All-American Camp. But with the demise of Reebok’s event, some of those would-have-been campers now are competing with Reebok’s sister company Adidas.

Day one was high in talent and also high in uniqueness. Each pool was only three-teams deep, and playoffs actually began on the first day of action! In order to conclude the event at a reasonable time on the 8th, Adidas had to stuff a great deal of action into the opening day. Read story

UPDATED RANKINGS!

Just prior to the opening of the summer evaluation period for college coaches (on July 6), we wanted to update our rankings and school lists for each of the most relevant classes. The obvious focus for many will be on the rising senior Class of 2011, where Michael Gilchrist retains his place atop the national chart. Meanwhile, Andre Drummond leads the way in the 2012 class.

Just click on the links below or follow the rankings and school lists link on the left sidebar to see the latest! Class of 2011; Class of 2012; Class of 2013

JULY HOOPS SIZZLE
July 5, 2010

THE RECRUITING TRAIL - College basketball recruiting grabs the spotlight during the next few weeks at showcase events throughout the country. During the vital time frame, PrepStars.com will continue to monitor prospect performances to help our readership make sense of the recruiting game.

Heading into the crucial evaluation period, two Class of 2011 prospects have caught our eye. Dealing from the perimiter, backcourt floor general Quinn Cook, 6-0 PG Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill, and Ivory Coast 6-9 C Adjehi Baru will continue to be tracked on radar. Catch them in action in our video exclusive. Read story

FINAL TEAM RANKINGS FOR 2010 CLASS
June 28, 2010

Though there are a small handful of decisions from the incoming freshman class of 2010, for the most part the team rankings are finalized for the upcoming season. The one caveat to that is the inevitable attrition due to academic problems, but we won’t have those answers until late summer.

At the top, Kentucky’s dynamic spring under John Calipari vaulted the Wildcats into first place. Read story

POYTHRESS READY FOR JULY
June 24, 2010

We first saw rising junior Alex Poythress at the Tournament of Champions over Memorial Day. Word had it he was a major talent, and certainly our assessment of him there agreed with those early reports. Playing with the Nashville Celtics, the 6-7 WF/BF at Clarksville (TN) Northeast was a dominant factor against the strong CP3 All-Stars.

Poythress made his next national stop at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, which took place last weekend. His scoring output there wasn’t up to the pace he’d set for himself at the TOC, but he did contribute as a rebounder and defender, and his offense improved as the camp progressed. Read story

TAYLOR KING: LESSONS LEARNED
June 22, 2010

There was a time when Taylor King was one of the most highly prized young prospects in American basketball. He wasn’t merely a local hero, he was considered a foil for the other established young superstar in the Class of 2007, O.J. Mayo.

But now, his basketball career may be finished. King’s future on the hardwood remains uncertain after he quit Villanova’s team under mysterious circumstances. Read story

IF SCORING IS WRONG, DON'T SIGN BOATRIGHT
June 21, 2010

One of last weekend’s most explosive backcourt scorers was IL PG Ryan Boatright. Boatright at times was a dominant presence on the floor, and in three of his five camp games he scored at least 18 points, and his points per game average placed him at No. 6 at the camp.

Boatright is a smallish guard who nevertheless succeeds based on his quickness and ability to shoot the ball effectively to three-point territory. Though not a classic playmaker, he definitely handles and passes plenty well enough to spend his college years at point guard. Read story

NBA CAMP: DAY TWO REPORT
June 19, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The second day of the NBA Top 100 Camp brought into view the four teams we hadn’t seen yet, and included among that group were some players who will be factors in our next set of rankings, both in the classes of 2011 and 2012.

The camp concludes on Sunday, and certainly there have been some guys who have struggled against the high-profile competition — and that’s precisely the value of the experience for both players and scouts. Read story

NBA CAMP: DAY ONE REPORT
June 17, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The loaded NBA Top 100 Camp tipped off Thursday morning at the University of Virginia, and approximately 100 players will compete over the next few days for pre-July jockeying position in the national rankings.

There were a strong number of intriguing matchups on day one, particularly at point guard. We also were able to get a look at some fast-rising players for the first time to gauged where they stand among their peers. College coaches aren’t allowed to be in attendance, but they obviously are following the proceedings here with keen interest. Read story

NBA CAMP ON TAP
June 16, 2010

Over the next several days, the grassroots nation’s full attention will turn toward Charlottesville, Va. The NBAPA’s Top 100 Camp has become arguably the most talented event of the entire spring and summer, and understandably its impact weighs very heavily in the minds of scouts.

This year the camp is getting thinned somewhat by the simultaneous operation of USA Basketball — which is utilizing the services of most elite seniors — but there nevertheless will be loads of talent on hand at UVa’s John Paul Jones Arena. Read story

JONES PREPARED FOR BIG SUMMER
June 15, 2010

Jalen Jones didn’t enter the recent Pangos All-American Camp as one of the bigger stars at the event. In fact, many had never seen or heard of him at all. But after three days of solid play against a variety of established high-major prospects, Jones is now set to make a big statement over the next six weeks.

A 6-6 WF at Mansfield (TX) Timberview, Jones is a big-time athlete who — as we noted from the event — attacks the rim violently for slams. He’s a one-footed leaper who excels in transition yet also possesses the early makings of a halfcourt offensive game. On the whole, he had the look of a potential top-100 prospect. Read story

SCARLET KNIGHTS MAKE SOLID PICKUP
June 14, 2010

Rutgers gained a Class of 2012 commitment, picking up the services of Jordan Goodman, a 6-8 BF at Camp Springs (MD) Progressive Christian. Previously a Georgetown pledge, Goodman backed off and now is headed to one of the Hoyas’ Big East rivals.

We most recently watched Goodman at the Pangos All-American Camp, and he has a versatile game that includes strong ball skills on the perimeter and well as good size for playing closer to the rim. He’ll need to get stronger and to become more consistent, but without question he’s a fine pickup for first-year Rutgers coach Mike Rice. Read story

KANSAS AND THE STATE OF COLLEGE HOOPS
June 10, 2010

By now you’ve seen the reports: Nebraska is expected to leave the Big 12 in favor of the Big Ten, and it’s considered likely by many that Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will depart the Big 12 for the Pac-10. Already, Colorado has announced its intention to move to the Pac-10.

While conference allegiances were expected to shift, the changes were expected to unfold more gradually. Colorado, which was considered marginal for the Pac-10 due to the possibility that Baylor would be invited instead, practically leapt out the window to announce its departure. Read story

GRAY CONTINUES TO COLLECT OFFERS
June 9, 2010

NJ WG Vaughn Gray has been a solid performer during the spring and early summer for the Playaz Basketball Club — which has been outstanding on the Nike circuit this year — and carried that momentum into the Pangos All-American Camp last weekend.

Gray tends not score prolifically, but rather has a balanced game that in sum gives him the ability to make an impact at the high-major college level. He doesn’t excel in any one area, but he handles, shoots, defends and scores in transition well enough to assist the Big East and other major schools presently on his trail. Read story

PANGOS CAMP: FINAL RECAP
June 8, 2010

We’re back on the East Coast and ready to move into more summer action, but prior to scooting ahead let’s revisit last weekend’s Pangos All-American Camp once more to discuss a few players we didn’t get to mention during our coverage from Long Beach.

As a general rule all-star games tend not to be worth much as predictive tools, but there were some highlight moments as well as additional action in regular camp games prior to the final contests. Read story

PANGOS CAMP: DAY TWO REPORT
June 6, 2010

LONG BEACH, Calif. — After an abbreviated schedule on the first day of the event, the Pangos All-American Camp set into full swing on Saturday. As has been the case at several events this year, some of the best players in attendance were underclassmen rather than seniors, as one typically would expect.

That said, there were some pretty good seniors as well, including a few we haven’t covered previously. Read story

PANGOS CAMP: DAY ONE REPORT
June 5, 2010

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Pangos All-American Camp once is again is loaded this year, and Friday night — during the graveyard shift for these East Coast native eyes — loads of talent rolled into Cabrillo High School.

One of the defining characteristics of this year’s camp is the amount of size on hand. There are many of the top 100 campers who are 6-6 or taller, an impressive feat for the camp given the lack of size generally in the Class of 2011. Read story

FARRELL HAS RAPIDLY EXPANDING LIST
June 3, 2010

Among the most entertaining floor generals in the Class of 2012 is Yogi Farrell, the 5-10 PG at Indianapolis (IN) Tudor. Farrell competes with the Indiana Elite and was a dynamic penetrator, scorer and playmaker at last weekend’s Tournament of Champions.

Though somewhat undersized for the college level, Farrell possesses a solid frame and has the explosive quickness to compensate for his lack of height. In addition to his raw physical gifts, he also is a clever scorer and capable long-distance shooter. Read story

JOHNSON MAKING MOVE TOWARD TOP 100
June 3, 2010

One of last weekend’s success stories at the Tournament of Champions was Durand Johnson, the 6-5 WG/WF from Baltimore who put up big numbers for Cecil Kirk throughout the weekend.

Johnson is a good athlete with explosive shooting ability who, despite a tendency to force some shots, still manages to produce points at a reasonably efficient clip. Not only that, he can put the ball on the floor and either finish or draw free throw opportunities. Read story

TOC RECAP: BRICK'S TAKE
June 1, 2010

We placed ourselves in UNC’s Smith Center throughout last weekend’s Tournament of Champions, watching parts of a total of 43 games. Below our focus will be upon the best performances we witnessed. Interestingly, some of the very best prospects were also disappointing performers, at times.

To our surprise (and probably everybody else’s too), arguably the most consistently dominant player was Derrick Gordon, a 6-4, 195-pound rising senior (Class of 2011) WG from Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick who led the Long Island Lightning to the championship of the 17-under National bracket, which was for the first-place finishers in all of the pools. Read story

TOC: FINAL REPORT
May 31, 2010

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Tournament of Champions concluded on Sunday with the Long Island Lightning standing victorious in the final against the Michigan Hurricanes, two unlikely contenders to face off in the championship contest.

Meanwhile, there were some surprises in the underclass divisions as well, and here we’re taking a final look at some guys who warrant attention based on both Sunday and during the course of the weekend. Read story

UPDATED 2012 RANKINGS, 2013 WATCH LIST

Heading into this weekend's huge events, we've made early summer rankings for the Class of 2012 and expanded our watch list of rising sophomores (Class of 2013). Much has been written and said about the strength of the frontcourt prospects in the rising junior class, and we definitely agree.

The top of the class is dominated by big men, and throughout the spring and early summer events we saw more big men in the 2012 class who, though not yet elite, boast high-major potential as well. Click on either link below to see the latest, with the understanding that these rankings and lists will change and expand rapidly the next two months. Class of 2012 - Class of 2013.

CLASS OF 2011: NEW RANKINGS

Rankings for underclassmen obviously will be very fluid throughout the remainder of the spring and summer, but it's time to update the Class of 2011 prior to the heat of summer play. Our look at rising seniors includes all that happened during the high school season as well as major spring events that have occurred since April.

There's no longer a consensus No. 1 in the class, but Michael Gilchrist remains our choice for the top spot — at least for now. Check out the full top 100 and new players to watch, plus updated school lists, below! Class of 2011: New Rankings

CLASS OF 2010: FINAL RANKINGS

We've fully tabulated our information gathered throughout the 2009-10 high school season as well as utilized input from the various postseason games, and the result is our final set of rankings for the Class of 2010.

Harrison Barnes remains the No. 1 player in the class, but there is substantial movement elsewhere in the top 25. Meanwhile, some new faces emerged in the top 200, and we've make comprehensive updates to the latest signings and school lists as well. Enjoy! Final Senior Class Rankings

TOC: DAY TWO REPORT
May 29, 2010

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In our first look at this year’s Tournament of Champions we mentioned that the strength of the day was the performance of underclassmen, and that point was driven home further on day two.

To be sure, there was some very good play by guys in the rising senior Class of 2011 — still, the greatest impression was made by those who are at least a couple years away from their high school graduation. We spent our day in Raleigh and Durham, focusing on some off-the-beaten-path matchups that occasionally proved to be tremendous. Read story

TOC: DAY ONE REPORT
May 28, 2010

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Tournament of Champions once again is taking place at the home of UNC, Duke and N.C. State, and this year’s field may be the best in several years for underclass talent. Last year, guys such as Kyrie Irving launched big summers thanks in part to this event, and this year we expect something similar.

There were some monstrous performances from monstrous prospects on day one, some underachievers, with a few surprises as well. Read story

TRANSFER WIRE GETS HOT
May 25, 2010

There was major transfer news at some elite programs. North Carolina was involved in each move, the good news coming in the form of Alabama transfer center Justin Knox. The 6-9, 240-pound big man finished his junior season with the Crimson Tide in 2009-10 and, in an uncommon move for a junior, opted to transfer.

Adding to the intrigue was that he is on track to graduate from ‘Bama this summer, and if he does he’ll be eligible next season. He isn’t a big scorer but is a solid athlete and does possess the ability to plug UNC’s interior thinness. Read story

JONES PICKS KENTUCKY
May 20, 2010

Let the controversy rage. All-American senior Terrence Jones, who a couple weeks ago announced for Washington at an emotional press conference and then backed off that pledge immediately thereafter, now has changed his allegiance to Kentucky.

The Wildcats, desperately needing frontcourt help, were able to win out over the hometown school and many other major programs. Read story

ROUNDUP: NIKE TAKE TWO, AND TRAGEDY
May 17, 2010

As part of Nike’s new format for league play, the company hosted an event in Houston this past weekend, featuring the same teams that played at the first leg (formerly known as the Boo Williams Invitational) in April.

But first, some bad news. Class of 2010 prospect and Texas A&M recruit Tobi Oyedeji died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident over the weekend, following his senior prom. There’s not much more to add, but obviously the loss to the Aggies family extends well beyond basketball. Read story

MID-MAY RUMINATIONS
May 11, 2010

This spring has been like a lot of other springs. We’ve seen all the head coaching changes, assistant coaching changes, and lots of commitments from both the 2010 and 2011 classes.

Along with that, a slew of events continue to take place throughout the country, and big weekends are upcoming at the end of the month over Memorial Day and with the beginning of the major individual camps in early June. Read story

TIGERS, OTHERS GET PICKUPS
May 5, 2010

Auburn will receive the services of homegrown big man Luke Cothron. Formerly an N.C. State commitment who prepped in North Carolina, Cothron is a signature recruit for new Tigers coach Tony Barbee.

Cothron is a very good athlete and someone who, when going full tilt, is one of the best rebounders in the Class of 2010. He’s definitely the kind of player Barbee can build around as he shapes the roster to his preference. Read story

CARSON HAS GROWING LIST OF SCHOOLS
May 5, 2010

Jahii Carson is one of the fastest-rising names on the travel circuit this spring. The 5-10 PG at Mesa (AZ) High proved last weekend at the Jayhawk Invitational to be both an outstanding scorer and an improved playmaker.

Carson played better and better as the event progressed, and now he appears to be a potential top-50 national prospect in the Class of 2011. Carson’s recruitment has begun to take shape as well, and he’s sporting several scholarship offers as we begin heading toward the summer period. Read story

SPIECE RUN 'N SLAM UPDATE
May 3, 2010

We spent this past weekend covering the Jayhawk Invitational in Kansas, and another significant event took place in the Midwest: the Spiece Run ‘N Slam Classic in Fort Wayne, Ind.

There were some excellent prospects in attendance there as well, and one new name to emerge was that of Anthony Davis, a 6-9 junior C at Chicago (IL) Perspectives Charter. Given the dearth of big men in the Class of 2011, Davis already is becoming a very hot commodity. Read story

JAYHAWK INVITATIONAL: DAY TWO REPORT
May 1, 2010

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Our second look at the Jayhawk Invitational yielded outstanding returns. We spent much of our time focusing on underclass prospects, while still maintaining contact with the Class of 2011 as well.

There was no one player who dominated on day two, but there were a lot of guys who caught our attention. New names emerged in the 2012, 2013 and even 2014 classes. Read story

JAYHAWK INVITATIONAL: DAY ONE REPORT
April. 30, 2010

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Our travels this weekend take us to home city of the University of Kansas and the Jayhawk Invitational, where a healthy number of strong Midwestern teams will battle of the tournament championship.

But the event can claim a national draw as well, and the marquee team in attendance on Friday was California’s Dream Vision squad. Read story

JONES (SORT OF) CHOOSES HUSKIES
April 30, 2010

We’re at the Jayhawk Invitational this weekend, but in a bit of breaking news, top-15 BF Terrence Jones committed to Washington on Friday. Committed, but not signed. Jones did not ink his letter of intent and reportedly spoke to Kentucky coach John Calipari for an extended period following his emotional press conference. At this point, he is technically committed to U-W yet also considering the Wildcats (and others?) in addition to Washington. Make sense?

Jones’ list of finalists also included Kansas, Washington, Oregon, UCLA and Oklahoma. He enjoyed a terrific postseason and certainly deserved his status as a McDonald’s All-American. He has been a consistent winner as well, so there's no reason to believe his excellence will do anything but continue at the next level, wherever that is. Read story

LESLIE CHOOSES WOLFPACK
April 28, 2010

N.C. State landed yet another terrific Class of 2010 talent in NC BF C.J. Leslie, a hometown native who chose the Wolfpack over Kentucky and many others.

Leslie made an early commitment to the ‘Pack a couple summers ago, but he backed off that pledge to reconsider his options. Leslie is a wondrous athlete and earned a spot in the McDonald’s All-American Game thanks to his immense talent, and in addition to hops and length he also has blossoming skills. Read story

MORE PLEDGES, NEWS
April 27, 2010

As the spring rolls on, the number of commitments — made from both the senior and junior classes — continues to pour forth. Starting at Gonzaga, 6-2 WG/PG Gary Bell of Kent (WA) Kentridge gave the Bulldogs a very nice early pledge.

Bell is a smooth scorer who impressed us at the recent Boo Williams Invitational playing with Seattle Rotary Select. Here’s a look at what we wrote: Read story

BLUE DEVILS, OTHERS GET COMMITS
April 26, 2010

Duke added big man help from the Class of 2011, getting a commitment from Tyler Adams, a 6-9 C at Brandon (MS) High. Though not widely considered an elite talent in the junior class, the Blue Devils like every other program is dealing with the lack of high-major big men available.

To that end, Adams gives Duke a legitimate center and enables the Devils to focus on other recruiting needs.

JOHNSON HAS GROWING NUMBER OF ADMIRERS
April 23, 2010

Kedren Johnson is one of the more intriguing backcourt prospects in the Class of 2011. Though not a huge name nationally, he is leading the charge for the Georgia Stars and recently played well at the Boo Williams Invitational.

Johnson, a 6-3 PG/WG at Lewisburg (TN) Marshall County, has excellent size for the backcourt if you think he’s a point guard, and if not then he has reasonable size for the wing. He has a solid frame (that he needs to tone) so he should develop into powerful driver and defender, and his offense is better than many of his peers. Read story

'CATS GET ANOTHER STUD
April 22, 2010

It’s pretty clear you don’t want to bet against John Calipari in the recruitment of big-time guards. Kentucky’s coach in recent years has successfully brought in Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, star 2010 recruit Brandon Knight and now another: No. 1 junior PG Marquis Teague.

Teague serves two purposes for UK: 1) He continues the extraordinary lineage of elite guards making the procession to Calipari; and 2) His decision smacks rival Louisville with vicious effect. Read story

JAYHAWKS GET YOUNG BIG
April 21, 2010

Kansas landed its first Class of 2012 commitment, getting the nod from Zach Peters. A 6-9 BF at Plano (TX) Prestonwood Christian, Peters chose the Jayhawks over Texas and interest from several other elite programs.

We most recently watched Peters at the Boo Williams Invitational with Team Texas earlier this month. He’s a muscular big man who possesses outstanding mobility and a very solid foundation of ball skills and fundamentals. He isn’t a power player nor a true face-up four as a scorer, but he does a lot of things well and obviously has lots of time to improve. Read story

WHITE'S STOCK CONTINUES TO CLIMB
April 20, 2010

Virginia wing Andrew White continues his rise up the national charts. Playing last weekend for victorious Team Loaded at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest, White was a consistent scorer in transition, off the bounce and from long-range.

What we like about White is his ability to step into spaces and fire off medium-range jumpers comfortably, even if his release is somewhat off his shoulder. He’s a good, not great athlete who lacks a big-time first step but nevertheless makes some nice scoring moves thanks to timing and a solid handle. Read story

PITT JAM FEST: DAY TWO REPORT
April 18, 2010

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The second day of competition at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest picked up where the first left off, and we were treated to an excellent session of players and teams advancing through pool play and into the playoff rounds.

As has become a tradition at this event, some talented young players emerged on day two. Without question, Sunday’s finale is shaping up to be very competitive as well. Read story

PITT JAM FEST: DAY ONE REPORT
April 17, 2010

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The beautiful city of Pittsburgh is playing host to the Hoopgroup’s Jam Fest this weekend, and day one’s abbreviated schedule produced more fireworks than we’d expected.

The obvious focus here is on players from the Northeast, South and Upper Midwest, and certainly each of those elements is represented in full force. Read story

PITT JAM FEST SET FOR WEEKEND
April 16, 2010

Last weekend was the Boo Williams Invitational, and this weekend we travel to the Hoopgroup’s Pittsburgh Jam Fest. This will be our third consecutive year attending this event, and in previous years players such as Thomas Robinson (a freshman at Kansas this past season) and Justin Coleman (a top-35 senior this year) have emerged.

There will be more touted players there as well, but discovery is what this weekend will be about. For that reason we can’t handicap what matchups will or won’t be great, but that’s all part of the fun! Be sure to stop by during the weekend to see our coverage. Read story

COMMITS GALORE! 'CATS WIN BIG
April 14, 2010

With the possible exception of championship-reveling Duke, there’s no one you’d rather be today in college basketball than Kentucky during the opening of the spring signing period. The Wildcats received a pair of top-five commitments, setting them up for continued dominance in the SEC and nationally.

The first guy to announce was sensational FL combo guard Brandon Knight, who picked UK over UConn, Miami, Kansas, Syracuse and many others. Knight is a consensus top-five talent with blazing speed and dominant scoring ability both from the perimeter and on drives. UK also picked up a pledge from the nation's top junior, Michael Gilchrist. Read story

BOO WRAPUP: A LOOK BACK
April 14, 2010

We covered a lot of the big lights of the Boo Williams Invitational last weekend, but there are other high- and mid-majors we also want to analyze for readers prior to advancing to next weekend’s slate of games.

For sure, there were mixed opinions about the event’s structure and format — as mentioned previously, Nike nixed the tournament setup at individual events in favor of a points system that leads to July’s Peach Jam title — but the event gained steam as the weekend progressed. On the final day we were treated to a magnificent individual matchup, and there are loads of other guys to discuss as well. Read story

RATLIFFE, PRESSEY CHOOSE TIGERS
April 12, 2010

Much of the time, junior college prospects seemingly emerge from the woodwork to land at major-conference schools. Occasionally, however, the situation is different. Missouri’s most recent additions fall into the latter category, a pair of jucos we saw extensively during their high school days.

The bigger of the two names is Ricardo Ratliffe, a 6-8, 230-pound BF at Central Florida (FL) CC. Ratliffe is a native of Virginia who previously starred for the Boo Williams Summer League team on the travel circuit. Read story

BOO WILLIAMS: DAY TWO REPORT
April 10, 2010

HAMPTON, Va. – Saturday at the Boo Williams Invitational always is one of the longest — and most valuable — days of the spring travel circuit. It provides us our first extensive look at the Nike circuit has to offer, given that there were just three rounds of 17-under games on the first day.

Our vote for star of the day — and the event to this point — goes to uncommitted point guard Marquis Teague, an explosvie scorer who has been outstanding all weekend. Read story

BOO WILLIAMS: DAY ONE REPORT
April 9, 2010

HAMPTON, Va. — As always, opening day at the Boo Williams Invitational brings a great deal of buzz to the arena. It serves as the unofficial debut for the rising senior class, and the players in attendance obviously understand what’s at stake in terms of recognition and their ultimate scholarship offers.

On this day we didn’t catch any true signature performances but did see some of the nation’s best and also a few guys who warrant greater attention as the spring and summer unfold. Read story

BOO WILLIAMS TOURNEY ON TAP
April 9, 2010

As a reminder, the Boo Williams Invitational kicks off this weekend in Hampton, Va. As we mentioned yesterday, this is the first event under Nike’s new format and will feature the gaggle of Nike-sponsored travel teams and a healthy number of the nation’s top prospects.

Because this is a renewal of the recruiting year, the emphasis shifts to the Class of 2011, still juniors in high school. We’ll also see sophomores and some talented freshmen, of course, so be sure to stop by during the weekend to check out our coverage. Read story

LIFE AFTER MARCH MADNESS
April 9, 2010

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 continue to rock the college basketball world since the end of the season... Read story

NIKE UNDERTAKES BIG CHANGE
April 8, 2010

For years, the Nike-sponsored travel circuit has been the most illustrious both in terms of talent and financial backing. Nike events frequently have defined the travel season, including the unofficial kickoff of the travel season (the Boo Williams Invitational), arguably the best of the July individual camps (King James Skills Academy) and a crowning jewel of July tournaments (Peach Jam).

The company has tweaked its routine here and there over the past decade, but mostly the talk of major changes has been resisted and ultimately watered down the point of not being noticeable. Read story

BLUE DEVILS STAND VICTORIOUS
April 6, 2010

From the outset of the season and NCAA tournament, few considered Duke a legitimate national championship contender. The Blue Devils had suffered through a Final Four drought since 2004, and their most recent tournament experience had resulted in a blowout defeat to Villanova in the round of 16.

But there was something undeniable about this edition of the Blue Devils, and they triumphed over Butler 61-59 in a thrilling championship finale to give the school — and legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski — its fourth national championship. Read story

RANKIN COMMITS TO HOKIES
April 2, 2010

Virginia Tech scored a huge late-week commitment, getting the nod from NC junior guard Marquis Rankin, a Charlotte native who had attracted scholarship offers from Wake Forest, South Carolina, Clemson and others.

Rankin most recently was on the display at the Carolina Challenge, where he showcased his speed baseline to baseline and also had some good moments shooting the ball. Though slender, he also has quick feet laterally and should become a fine man-to-man defender for the Hokies. Read story

BARNES, SULLINGER LEAD MCDONALD'S EFFORT
April 1, 2010

There were no major surprises at Wednesday night’s McDonald’s All-American Game, as top-five prospects Harrison Barnes and Jared Sullinger walked away with the co-MVP award.

Barnes led the West team to a 107-104 triumph over the East and led his team with 18 points on an efficient 7-10 shooting. The UNC signee’s scoring moves were on full display, and he also knocked in a three-pointer. Sullinger, meanwhile, racked up 22 points (7-11 FG) and seven rebounds playing in front of his hometown fans. The future Ohio State Buckeye definitely will be an integral piece for OSU next season. Read story

MILLER, THOMAS, SULLIVAN UPDATES
March 31, 2010

We spoke to three players at last weekend’s Carolina Challenge about the latest in their recruitments, and here’s a look at what they had to say:

Elite high-major prospect Quincy Miller, now a legitimate 6-9 combo forward and potentially a top-three prospect in the Class of 2011, not surprisingly has loads of big-time scholarship offers. The Winston-Salem (NC) Quality Education star lists Georgetown, Memphis, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Duke, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, UConn, Syracuse and Louisville, saying that he holds offers from all of those schools. Read story

CAROLINA CHALLENGE REPORT
March 28, 2010

CARY, N.C. — This past weekend we made our annual trip to the Carolina Challenge, a one-day event that brings together the best talent in the state of North Carolina. Players at the event consist of juniors, sophomores and freshman, so the focus is on the upcoming recruiting cycle.

North Carolina has been very fortunate to boast an elite talent pool in recent years, and the state is well-represented in the Class of 2011 as well. The best prospect of the day by far was Quincy Miller, actually a Chicago native who attends high school in Winston-Salem. Read story

ROUNDUP: VARIOUS MAJORS IN THE NEWS
March 27, 2010

One recruiting phenomenon of the spring is the prevalence of local recruits who end up getting late scholarship offers and decide to attend school close to home.

Not all of the players in this report fit into that category - and obviously the de-commitment doesn't - but it's something worth noting as the signing period approaches. Read story

TOP 10 PROGRESS REPORT
March 25, 2010

While college coaches, scouts and recruitniks certainly understand the value of overall class depth, most fans will judge a high school class by its star power at the top.

Below, we’ve tracked stats for the top 10 prospects in each of the past four recruiting classes as compiled by our Brick Oettinger, corresponding with this season’s freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Many of those former recruits now play for pay in the NBA, so certainly it bodes well to be a Prep Stars top-10 talent. Read story

WILDCATS, REBELS MAKE GAINS
March 23, 2010

Kentucky is in the midst of a drive toward a national title, but the Wildcats also found time to reel in one of the nation’s most intriguing seniors. Enes Kanter, a 6-10 big man at Simi Valley (CA) Stoneridge and a native of Turkey, committed to UK after previously breaking off a commitment to Washington.

Kanter impressed numerous scouts who watched him play this season and is considered a potential one-and-done prospect in college who could go on to become a high draft pick in 2011. Read story

NEAR THE FINISH: A VIEW FROM THE TOP
March 22, 2010

Criticism of the senior class began early and never has abated based on its lack of depth, but some of those complaints quieted during the course of this season. It’s obviously expected that top-25 prospects will perform very well at the high school level, but this year’s elite seniors put forth efforts that were even better than usual.

Harrison Barnes always has maintained a public persona of humility and grace, but make no mistake: He’s the kind of competitor who wants to win at everything, including becoming the No. 1 player in his class. Read story

FRIARS EARN PLEDGE FROM THARPE
March 18, 2010

Providence has won out for junior guard Naadir Tharpe, a sturdy and tough guard who has earned the reputation in the Northeast as a stalwart competitor.

Tharpe was a long-time PC target who also had drawn serious interest from Boston College, UNLV and others. He first broke onto the scene as a young high school prospect, and though not considered an elite he still possesses the chops to contribute at a high-major program. Read story

GLAZE COMMITS TO REBELS
March 17, 2010

UNLV made a jump into the junior class, getting a commitment from Grandy Glaze, a native of Canada prepping at Andover (NH) Proctor this season.

Glaze is a wide-body who has good scoring moves and footwork around the hoop. He was up and down last spring and summer but definitely had some very strong moments to demonstrate his high-major ability. Some scouts view him as a top-75 talent while others believe he falls more in range in the national top 150. Read story

BLUE DEVILS, WOLFPACK IN THE NEWS
March 16, 2010

Duke added a fourth member to its 2010 class, getting the nod from Carrick Felix. A 6-6 WF from College of Southern Idaho, he will have three years of eligibility for the Blue Devils.

Felix is a good slasher who isn’t as great a shooter many of Duke’s typical perimeter recruits, but he’ll provide another athlete with good size and the ability to defend in Mike Krzyzewski’s system. Felix joins an outstanding class that also includes NJ PG Kyrie Irving, DC PG Tyler Thornton and MD BF Josh Hairston. Read story

CLASS OF 2011: PROSPECTS 21-25
March 12, 2010

In our final look at the top 25 juniors heading toward the spring tournament period, we’re breaking down players ranked 21-25 in the Class of 2011.

One of the true point guards in the junior class, Quinn Cook has become a more much effective shooter and scorer over the past year. Matched against some big-time opponents during the high school season, he has proved over the years that he can rise to the occasion. Read story

CLASS OF 2011: PROSPECTS 16-20
March 11, 2010

In our continuing look at the top 25 juniors heading toward the spring tournament period, we’re breaking down players ranked 16-20 in the Class of 2011.

LaQuinton Ross made a splash as a rising freshman at the inaugural LeBron James Skills Academy, and since that team he has been a fixture on high-major radars. Read story

CLASS OF 2011: PROSPECTS 11-15
March 10, 2010

In our continuing look at the top 25 juniors heading toward the spring tournament period, we’re breaking down players ranked 11-15 in the Class of 2011.

LeBryan Nash has been considered a phenom since he was in junior high school, and he has developed nicely over the past several years. He’s a highly aggressive, even combative driver who loves to initiate contact at (and above) the rim and also punish defenders by using his shoulder to bore past them on drives. Read story

CLASS OF 2011: PROSPECTS 6-10
March 9, 2010

In our continuing look at the top 25 juniors heading toward the spring tournament period, we’re breaking down players ranked 6-10 in the Class of 2011.

Quincy Miller is a native of Chicago boasts top-notch quickness inside the paint, and his versatility enables him to shine on the perimeter as well. Blessed with quick feet that uses to overwhelm big men, Miller frequently releases his shot before his opponent even is able to jump. Not only that, he’s an ace in the open floor who finishes with monster slams. His jump shot, though certainly streaky, must be respected to 21 feet. Read story

CLASS OF 2011: INTRODUCTION
March 8, 2010

At this stage last year, 13 of the nation’s top 25 junior prospects already had made college commitments. For that reason, those coaches without at least one blue-chip pledge entered the new recruiting cycle needing to capitalize on their remaining targets at a high rate.

But the Class of 2011 has proved to be different. Among this year’s top 25 prospects, only nine have made early decisions. Moreover, there are fewer commitments from top-50, top-100 and top-200 players than there were a year ago in the junior class. Read story

MELVIN, HUSKIES PART WAYS
March 5, 2010

UConn and commitment Cleveland Melvin will not be joining forces. The Huskies and Melvin decided to part ways, which truthfully may make the best sense for both parties. We watched Melvin at the recent National Prep School Invitational, and we think Melvin likely is a better fit for a strong mid-major program.

It’s too early to gauge what Melvin’s next step might be, but any unsigned 6-6 forward with athleticism is likely to gain further high-major interest this spring. That said, it remains to be seen which schools will offer and which won’t. Read story

MORE MAJOR COMMITMENT MOVEMENT
March 3, 2010

Southern Cal dipped into the Class of 2012 pool to land Larry Lewis, a 6-2 WG at Phoenix (AZ) Arcadia. Lewis made an unofficial trip to campus and decided to end his recruitment early. Though not yet a huge name nationally, he’s young for his class and has plenty of time to work out any kinks.

Lewis averaged 24 points a game this season, so obviously he can put the ball in the hole. He also earned all-conference honors on the defensive side of the ball. Read story

HOYAS, LOBOS PICK UP PLEDGES
March 2, 2010

In the midst of trying to galvanize its forces to make a postseason charge, the Georgetown Hoyas scooped up an underclass commitment. Georgetown didn’t have to look far to get Jordan Goodman, a 6-8 BF/WF at Camp Springs (MD) Progressive Christian.

There has been discussion whether Goodman will remain in the junior class or move back a year to the Class of 2012, as he has vacillated on this point. Whenever he matriculates, the key for him will be to add weight to his sub-200 pound frame. Read story

COONEY MAKES COMMITMENT TO SYRACUSE
February 26, 2010

It’s always important to capitalize on a great season, and Syracuse did just that in getting a commitment from DE junior WG Trevor Cooney, a sharp-shooter who has played for one of the most successful AAU teams (Team Final) in the country and has shown he can co-exist beside such stars as Michael Gilchrist.

Cooney had considered Maryland, West Virginia and Notre Dame, among others, and he ranks as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the Class of 2011. He’s having a solid junior season, averaging 18 points per game. Read story

MCLEMORE MAKES A SPLASH
February 24, 2010

There haven’t been a ton of new names surfacing during this high school season, but colleague Eric Bossi discovered a new high-major prospect in the junior class last weekend.

Ben McLemore, a 6-5 WF at St. Louis (MO) Eskridge, is a wildly explosive athlete who has posted huge numbers this season and appears to safely possess top-50 national talent, if not better. Read story

SOUTH ALABAMA GETS NETTLES
February 23, 2010

The South Alabama Jaguars picked up a big man on Tuesday, getting the nod from 6-9 C Kentari Nettles. A Mobile (AL) LeFlore native, Nettles actually isn’t playing this season due to age limitations in his school district.

Nettles weighs a solid 230 pounds and should be able to help South Alabama right away. He had picked up at least preliminary interest from Missouri, Southern Illinois and others after reportedly de-committing from the Jaguars earlier in the process, but now he’s back on board. Read story

ROSTERS SET FOR JORDAN GAME
February 19, 2010

While the McDonald’s All-American game announced its team last week, the Nike-based Jordan Brand has followed suit and has emerged as a major competitor to McDonald’s. Set to take place on April 17 in New York’s Madison Square Garden, the headliner will feature many of the same players who will play at McDonald’s.

One thing we like about this particular game is that it’s 10 players per team, 20 overall, unlike the 12-man teams for McDonald’s. Thus, players will receive an opportunity for more playing time. Read story

TUGGLE'S BOAT NAVIGATING CALM SEAS
February 18, 2010

Phoenix (AZ) Westwind Prep struck us as a pretty well-coached bunch at the recent National Prep School Invitational, and one of the key pieces is Brandon Tuggle.

Tuggle, a 6-5 WF originally from Ontario (CA) High, is a nicely skilled wing with above-average quickness and improving ability to put the ball in the bucket. Tuggle views himself as underrecruited due to the fact that not many people saw him in high school, so he’s trying to get the most out of his fifth year. Read story

HAYNES LIKES THREE, LOOKING TO SPRING
February 16, 2010

Recently at the National Prep School Invitational, 6-6 BF Michael Haynes of Martinsville (IN) Heat Academy stood out as one of the most impressive raw prospects at the event.

Haynes is a 220-pound beast who looks like he could put on shoulder pads and rumble through an offensive tackle to get a quarterback sack, and that first impression translates to his hoops game as well. Read story

PRIMETIME SHOOTOUT REPORT
February 15, 2010

Last weekend, there were numerous great games at the Primetime Shootout played over three days in New Jersey.

On Friday, games took place at Kean University and were highlighted by the television broadcast of Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick vs. Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill, and on Saturday and Sunday a host of big games tipped off in Trenton. Read story

MCDONALD'S TEAM ANNOUNCED
February 11, 2010

The lineup for the McDonald’s All-American Game was announced on Thursday, as 24 players were selected and will play in Columbus, Ohio on March 31.

Our assessment of the team generally is a favorable one. Of the 24 players in the game, all are ranked in the national top 45, and 20 of the 24 are in our top 25! Read story

NPSI: FINAL REPORT
February 9, 2010

The National Prep School Invitational has come and gone, and this year we thought the talent was a bit better than it was the past two years. We were treated to some outstanding performances by underclassmen, and some of the unsigned seniors also stepped up their level of play.

In addition to the guys we profiled earlier, here’s a look at more noteworthy performers: Read story

VIDEO: JETT LAUNCHES AT NPSI
February 6, 2010

KINGSTON, R.I. — One of the nation’s better unsigned senior point guards was on full display this past weekend at the National Prep School Invitational. Jordair Jett, a 6-1 floor general at Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame, has impressed with his natural playmaking as well as his scoring ability from mid-range.

Though not a top-shelf run/jump athlete, Jett has a handle, good agility and plays under control. Read story, view video

NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL
February 5, 2010

KINGSTON, R.I. — We’re covering the National Prep School Invitational this weekend, and it’s been an outstanding event in terms of both underclassmen and some promising undecided seniors.

One of Friday’s big stars was Class of 2011 Syracuse commitment Michael Carter-Williams... Read story, view video

TOP FIVE TEAMS, TOP FIVE STORIES
February 3, 2010

This week’s coaches’ poll of the nation’s top 25 college teams includes the following top five: 1) Kansas, 2) Villanova, 3) Kentucky, 4) Syracuse and 5) Michigan State.

While the obvious focus during the college season is on the teams and their performance on the court, recruitniks obviously have greater insight than the casual fan into the hows and whys of the elite teams. Read story. ...

MONTVERDE INVITATIONAL REPORT
February 2, 2010

MONTVERDE, Fla. — Due to travel and time constraints, it is difficult to find high-quality tournaments during the high school season. Events such as the Hoop Hall, Prime Time, and others do a tremendous job of matching national level teams and players but those are more events as opposed to a tournament that crowns an overall winner.

However, Montverde Academy defies this trend and this year celebrated its seventh annual Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament. Three Top 25 teams were part of the eight team field and the host defeated Montrose Christian in the semi-final and Findlay Prep in the final to win the event. Read story. ...

COMMITMENT ROUNDUP
February 1, 2010

There were a handful of commitments to flow in during the weekend and early portion of this week, including some — though perhaps offered by generally lesser known players — given to high-major programs.

Stanford looked overseas to gain an unsigned center, 6-10 Serbia native Stefan Nastic, who is prepping at Ontario (CAN) Thornhill. Nastic played for the 18-under Serbian team last summer and actually is young for his class, so he may need a year or two of physical development before he’s ready to tackle Pac-10 competition. Read story. ...

KNIGHT: A STRONG NO. 2, POSSIBLE NO. 1?
January 28, 2010

This isn’t an event report, but No. 2 senior Brandon Knight has been backing up the hype this season. And although there’s been absolutely no reason to believe that No. 1 Harrison Barnes will fall from his perch, Knight certainly deserves credit for the fabulous senior season he’s enjoying as well.

The native Floridian will be remembered as one of the most decorated high school players in Sunshine State history, this month surpassing the 3,000-point mark in his career. Read story. ...

TENNESSEE NABS A JUNIOR
January 25, 2010

Tennessee has added to its early Class of 2011 recruiting haul, as the Vols gained a commitment from Chris Jones, a 5-9 PG at Memphis (TN) Melrose. Jones has a big reputation locally and has impressed some national observers as well, and despite his lack of height the UT coaching staff is optimistic that he can use his quickness to successfully defend in their defensive system.

Jones teams with elite junior wing Adonis Thomas, and the two players have drawn intense interest from major college programs. Read story. ...

A NOTE ON RECRUITING HYPE
January 22, 2010

At this relatively slow juncture of the recruiting calendar, when players are involved in their high school seasons, most seniors have signed and few are deciding at this time, it’s an opportune time to reflect on the recruiting process as a whole and some of the dynamics involved.

While many aspects of grassroots basketball have changed over the past 20 years — the emergence of the travel circuit, the early-to-the-NBA phenomenon, etc. — one thing hasn’t been altered a bit: The longer a player remains undecided, the more the hype machine has a chance to build around him. Read story. ...

BADGERS PICK UP A JUNIOR
January 21, 2010

Wisconsin picked an oral pledge from George Marshall, a 5-11 junior PG at Chicago (IL) Brooks, giving the Badgers their second Chicago-area commitment (along with Devon Hodges) from the Class of 2011.

Marshall is a nationally unsung guard who nevertheless had attracted interest from DePaul, Baylor, Arizona State and others. He has a good local reputation and is on his way to becoming a four-year starter for his high school, so clearly he’ll arrive in Madison having accrued ample game experience. Read story. ...

PLAY BY PLAY CLASSIC REPORT
January 18, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. – On Monday, we took in the Play by Play Classic at the Greensboro Coliseum, and an assortment of strong local and regional teams lined the field. In the main event of the day, Oak Hill Academy fended off hard-fighting Greensboro (NC) Dudley for an 87-65 victory.

The day was marked with several good performances, and marred by one injury. Read story. ...

NCAA INSTITUTES RULE CHANGE
January 15, 2010

The NCAA this week announced a rule change that many considered a long time coming. Though the rule will not become effective until passed by the board of directors, associates of players no longer will be allowed to be hired by schools where those players go to college.

In practice, and in a growing trend, “handlers,” travel team coaches, family members and others recently have been landing college jobs — frequently in something of an administrative position, not necessarily as an assistant coach — immediately after a player signs with a specific school. Read story. ...

SMITH COMMITS TO HUSKIES
January 8, 2010

MD forward Roscoe Smith committed to UConn over co-finalists Georgetown and Duke. Smith is one of the most athletic players at his size range (6-7) in the senior class, and despite lacking refinement he is too big and springy not to compete for early playing time.

Smith may remind Husky fans of current forward Stanley Robinson. Though not built like a big forward and not yet skilled like a wing (especially in terms of dribbling), Smith’s athleticism enables him to compensate for those deficiencies, and encouragingly he also is a dangerous, if inconsistent, perimeter jump shooter. Read story. ...

ROUNDUP: COMMITS TRICKLE IN
January 5, 2010

The New Year is here and, during our coverage over the past couple weeks, there are a handful commitments and other events to catch up on as we proceed into 2010. On the commitment front, there have been a handful of noteworthy moves to occur.

Starting at Miami, the Hurricanes landed North Hollywood (CA) Harvard-Westlake’s Eric Swoope, an undersized 6-5 senior BF who is averaging roughly 19 points and nine rebounds per game this season. Though unheralded nationally, Miami likes his overall utility and he projects as a solid role player for the Canes. Read story. ...

TAMPA HOOPS CLASSIC REPORT
January 4, 2010

In only its third year of existence, the Tampa Hoops Classic has become one of the top holiday tournaments in the country.

This year famed Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony was the featured team, but they came in undermanned as both 6-8 BF Ashton Pankney (Maryland) and 6-8 BF Devon Collier (Oregon State) were not with the team due to ankle and academic issues respectively. Nevertheless, the Friars made to the title game against Jacksonville (FL) Arlington Country Day but fell short 54-41. Read story. ...

Recruiting News Archive