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HOOP SCOOP’S FINAL RANKING OF THE TOP PLAYERS NATIONALLY  IN THE CLASS OF 2006
 list of the top 1,000 seniors was published in the Members Section on June 30, 2006

HOOP SCOOP’S FINAL RANKING OF THE TOP PLAYERS NATIONALLY  IN THE CLASS OF 2007
 list of the top 1,000 seniors was published in the Members Section on June 29, 2007

HOOP SCOOP’S FINAL RANKING OF THE TOP PLAYERS NATIONALLY IN THE CLASS OF 2008
list of the top 1,000 seniors was published in the Members Section on June 26, 2008

HOOP SCOOP’S FINAL RANKING OF THE TOP PLAYERS NATIONALLY IN THE CLASS OF 2009
list of the top 1,000 seniors was published in the Members Section on June 30, 2009
Editor's Note:  6'2 John Wall  from Raleigh (Word of God) NC was a 5th Year Player and, as a result, was included on a separate list

HOOP SCOOP’S RANKING OF THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE CLASS OF 2015
complete list of the top 250 Freshmen was published in the Members Section on November 7, 2011

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Most of my time right now seems to be taken up getting ready for the HOOP SCOOP All-American Camp, which will be held on July 2nd-4th at Hoops in Louisville, KY. However, that still seems like a long way away, as I plan to publish our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes on Monday, June 25th; our Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes by Conference on Tuesday, June 26th; and our Different Ways to Look at Recruiting Section on Wednesday, June 27th. Then, on Thursday, June 27th, I will fly to San Diego, CA, where I will spend Friday, June 29th, covering Joe Keller's Phenom 150 Camp.  Then, on Saturday, June 30th, I will fly back home and get ready for the HOOP SCOOP All-American Camp, which will have early check-in on Sunday, July 1st, and will run all day on Monday, July 2nd, and Tuesday, July 3rd, and half of the day on Wednesday, July 4th. Thursday, July 5th, will be the day where write about and publish rankings from the camp and, Friday, July 6th, will be a travel day to Las Vegas, NV, where I will spend the next three days covering the LeBron James Skills Academy. Then, I will fly to Philadelphia, PA on July 10th, where I plan to spend two days covering the Reebok Breakout Challenge at Philadelphia University on July 11th-12th. And right after that I will be off to Washington, DC, where I plan to spend three days covering the NIKE World Challenge and the NIKE Skills School on July 13th-15th. I will then go home for two days and then go to the EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball (League) Finals, which I still refer to as the NIKE Peach Jam, on July 19th-21st. My next stop will be the 14-Under AAU Nationals in Lake Buena Vista, FL on July 22nd-24th. And then it will be off to Las Vegas, where I will cover three different tournaments (the adidas Super 64, the Las Vegas Fab 48, and the Big Foot Las Vegas Classic) on July 25th-29th. I also plan to stick around in Las Vegas, NV another couple of days for the playoffs of the Las Vegas Fab 48 youth tournament, which will feature teams in 11-Under, 12-Under, 13-Under, and 14-Under Divisions. Wednesday, August 1st, will be an off day in Las Vegas, NV and finally I will fly to San Diego, CA, where I will get a chance to see some of the top middle school players in the nation at the Junior Phenom Camp.  After that I will attempt to catch up on national player rankings for all of the different classes prior to returning once again to the West Coast where I will cover the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Game, which will be held in late August at Venice Beach, CA. I also have to find some time to finish sending out invoices to NCAA Division I college coaches that want to renew their subscription to the web site for another year and, as a result, there is going to be no rest for the weary during the next two months. On the other hand, I've had a lot of practice at dealing with this type of chaotic schedule, as this will be the 30th consecutive summer that I've hit the road and covered the grassroots basketball scene as Editor & Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP.  Needless to say, I've seen a lot and I always have an interesting perspective that can't get anywhere else and won't want to miss.  So obviously now is a great time to subscribe to the Members Section. 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The HOOP SCOOP All-American Camp, which is for rising 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Graders and will be held on July 2nd-4th at Hoops in Louisville, KY, is  just around the corner and, as things stand now right, eight of the consensus top 20-ranked middle school players in the nation will be in attendance and the depth of talent in the camp also promises to be off the hook.  And, while it would probably be a good marketing tool in terms of recruiting even more high level talent to the camp, I have made it our policy not to publicly release the names of the players who will be in attendance prior to the start of the camp.  Not only do I think it is important to give players at this age some much needed anonymity, but I also would personally have a problem if I had a kid who was 12, 13, or 14-years old and somebody was using his name to promote what might be construed as a profitable business venture.  As for the camp itself, check-in will be from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Courtyard by Marriott at 9608 Blairwood Road, Louisville, KY  40222 on Sunday, July 1st and from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM at Hoops at 12101 Sycamore Station Pl., Louisville, KY 40299 on Monday, July 2nd.  The camp will officially begin at 9:00 AM on Monday, July 2nd and will end at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, July 4th.  In addition to the high level of talent in a very competitive environment, our teaching and stations will be designed to maximize player development, both individually and as a team player, and there also will be a major emphasis on educating both the player and the parent on the recruiting process.  We also expect to have at least six people (Clark Francis, Van Coleman, Brick Oettinger, John Lucas, Ron Briscoe, and Chris Lawlor) in attendance that have a vote for the prestigious McDonald's All-American Team and Spencer Pulliam, who is one of the best in the business and does the rankings for DunkDog.com, plans come straight from the 13-Under AAU Nationals in Memphis, TN to our camp.  To secure your spot in this year's camp, you can go to our web site at THE HOOP SCOOP ALL-AMERICAN CAMP and apply for an invitation.  Or you can call me at 1-502-500-4667.  The cost is $495 and lunch and dinner on Monday, July 2nd, and Tuesday, July 3rd, and lunch on Wednesday, July 4th, are included in the price.  Breakfast and hotels are not included, although, breakfast is included with the room rate in a number of the hotels in the area.  You can take advantage of our group rate at either the Drury Inn & Suites or the Ramada Plaza, both of which are located about two miles from Hoops.  The Drury Inn & Suites has discounted rates starting at $89.99 per night (includes daily hot breakfast & 5:30 PM kickback).  For more information you can call 1-800-325-0720 or go to their info page at http://hoopslouisville.com/?mod=pages&id=114.  You also can make a reservation at http://www.druryhotels.com/Reservations.aspx?groupno=2152867 or you can call 1-800-325-0720 (Please refer to Group #: 2152867 – Hoops Louisville or just mention it’s for the block of rooms for the Hoop Scoop.  The Ramada Plaza has discounted rates starting at $69.95 per night ($79.95 includes daily breakfast for up to four).  Please contact Cheryl Dugan directly and let he know that you're book for the HOOP SCOOP All-American Camp.  The phone numbers is 502-491-4830, email address is cdugan@ltshospitality.com, and the information page is http://hoopslouisville.com/?mod=pages&id=115.  For those flying in,, the airport is approximately 12 and a half miles from Hoops, which is located on I-64, exit 17 (take the South Blankenbaker Parkway ramp).  Both hotels can be accessed via Exit 15 off of I-64.  For specific directions to Hoops from the airport, please go to http://hoopslouisville.com/?mod=pages&id=100.  The exact schedule of the camp will be determined by the number of campers that we expect to have in attendance and will be announced early next week.  We also will accept walk-ups at check in, but will charge those people an extra $50 in order to deal with the last minute problems that will occur as we expand the camp.  Parents and family members of the players will be given passes at check-in and admitted into the building free of charge.  The media will also be admitted, provided accurate rosters, and provided meals free of charge.  However, everybody else will be charged a $10 admission fee and everybody but those working the camp and media will be charged a $12 fee if they want an accurate roster.  Every player will be provided with a HOOP SCOOP All-American Camp uniform and a t-shirt at check-in.  They will be able to keep the t-shirt, but must return the uniform at the end of the camp.  Other t-shirts and jerseys will be sold at the camp store at a price yet to be determined. 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

We have arrived at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, which will take place the rest of this week in Charlottesville, VA, and, quite honestly, we're not sure what to expect as the strength of this camp promises to be depth of quality players who are capable of stepping up and really making a name for themselves.  And, if you don't believe me, just check out the breakdown of teams in the camp, which immediately follows:  The Heat have 6'4 Jr Nigel Williams-Goss from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'1 Soph Quentin Snider from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 6'2 Jr Bronson Koenig from La Crosse (Aquinas) WI, 6'6 Jr Hudson Price from Orlando (First Academy) FL, 6'8 Jr Jabari Parker from Chicago (Simeon) IL, 6'6 Soph Joseph Burton from Houston (Lutheran North) TX, 6'9 Jr Clayton Massy from Charlotte (Myers Park) NC, 6'8 Soph Noah Vonleh from New Hampton (Prep) NH, 7'0 Jr Thomas Hamilton from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, 7'0 Jr John Egbunu from Eagles Landing (McDonough) GA, and 6'3 Soph Chaz Smith from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ.  The Lakers have 6'5 Jr Andrew Harrison from Richmond (Ft.. Bend Travis) TX, 5'11 Soph Tadrick Jackson from Tifton (Tift County) GA, 6'5 Jr Allerick Freeman from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'5 Jr Markel Crawford from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'7 Jr Tyler Roberson from Union (H.S.) NJ, 6'7 Jr Peter Jok from West Des Moines (Valley) IA, 6'9 Soph Craig Victor from New Orleans (St. Augustine) LA, 6'8 Jr Derrick Griffin from Rosenberg (Terry) TX, 6'9 Jr Goodluck Okonoboh from Tifton (School) NH, 6'9 Jr Austin Colbert from Lakeville (Hotchkiss School) CT, and 5'8 Soph Wayde Neblett from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY.  The Celtics have 6'2 Jr Solomon Poole from Jacksonville (Parker) FL, 6'1 Soph Ja'Quan Newton from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, 6'5 Jr Roshon Prince from Long Beach (Poly) CA, 6'2 Jr Nick Emery from Highland (Lone Peak) UT, 6'4 Jr Sterling Brown from Maywood Proviso East) IL, 6'7 Soph Jalen Lindsey from Franklin (Presbyterian) TN, 6'5 Jr Brian Bridgewater from Baton Rouge (Episcopal) LA, 6'8 Jr Michael Young from Jersey City (Hudson Catholic) NJ, 6'9 Soph Cliff Alexander from Chicago (Curie) IL, 6'9 Jr Jarquez Smith from Gray (Jones County) GA, and 6'1 Soph Keith Pinckney from Summerville (Pinewood Prep) SC.  The Spurs have 5'7 Jr Aquille Carr from Baltimore (Patterson) MD, 6'2 Jr Jaylon Tate from Chicago (Simeon) IL, 6'4 Jr Kendall Stephens from St. Charles (East) IL, 6'4 Soph JaQuan Lyle from Evansville (Bosse) IN, 6'7 Soph Kevon Looney from Milwaukee (Hamilton) WI, 6'7 Jr A.J. Davis from Atlanta (Greater Atlanta Christian) GA, 6'9 Soph Isaiah Hicks from Oxford (Webb) NC,6'9 Soph Khadeem Lattin from Canarias Basketball Academy in the Canary Islands, Spain, 6'9 Jr Dominic Woodson from Round Rock (Stony Point) TX, 6'10 Soph Trayvon Reed from Snellville (Shiloh) GA, and 6'3 Soph Jared Allen from Inglewood (H.S.) CA.  The Hawks have 6'3 Soph Emmanuel Mudiay from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX, 6'1 Jr Jaren Sina from Gladstone (Gil. St Bernard's) NJ, 6'5 Soph Rashad Vaughn from Minneapolis (Cooper) WI, 6'4 Soph Wayne Seldon from Tilton (School) NH, 6'7 Jr Troy Williams from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'7 Jr Brannen Greene from Forsyth (Mary Persons) GA, 6'9 Jr Marcus Lee from Antioch (Deer Valley) CA, 6'5 Soph Tyler Herron from Raleigh (Body of Christ) NC, 6'8 Jr Kennedy Meeks from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC 6'10 Jr Sidy Mohamed from Fayetteville (Northwood Temple) NC, and 6'2 Jr Aubrey Dawkins from Palo Alton (Mountain View) CA.  The Thunder have 6'3 Jr Rysheed Jordan from Philadelphia (Vaux Roberts) PA, 5'11 Jr Stevie Clark from Oklahoma City (Douglass) OK, 6'4 Jr Sindarius Thornwell from Lancaster (H.S.) SC, 6'4 Jr Kendal Harris from Richardson (Berkner) TX, 6'5 Jr Malcolm Hill from Belleville (East) IL, 6'7 Soph Daniel Hamilton from Bellflower (St. Jon Bosco) CA, 6'9 Soph Chris McCullough from Salisbury (School) CT, 6'9 Jr Tim Kempton from Phoenix (Brody) AZ, 6'9 Jr Mark Donnal from Whitehouse (Anthony Wayne) OH, 7'5 Jr Mamadou Ndiaye from Huntington Beach (Brethern Christian) CA, and 6'5 Jr Alfonso Johnson from Huntsville (Lee) AL.  The Mavs have 6'1 Jr Demetrius Jackson from Mishawauka (Marian) IN, 6'4 Jr Roddy Peters from District Heights (Suitland) MD, 6'4 Jr Keith Frazier from Dallas (Kimball) TX, 6'1 Jr Bryson Scott from Ft. Wayne (Northrup) IN, 6'6 Jr Semilore Ojeleye from Ottawa (H.S) KS, 6'5 Jr Justin McKie from Columbia (Irmo) SC, 6'8 Soph Leron Black from Memphis (White Station) TN, 6'9 Jr Kuran Iverson from Hartford (Northwest Catholic) CT, 6'9 Akoy Agau from Omaha (Central) NE, 6'9 Jr Kyle Washington from Lakeville (Hotchkiss School) CT, and 6'0 Jr Luke Lango from San Diego (Pacific Ridge) CA.  The 76ers have 6'4 Jr Billy Garrett from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL, 6'2 Jr Zach Lavine from Bothell (H.S.) WA, 6'5 Jr Aaron Harrison from Richmond (Ft. Bend Travis) TX, 6'3 Jr Anton Gill from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC, 6'6 Jr Greg McClinton from Winston-Salem (Prep) NC, 6'7 Jr Jermaine Lawrence from Sparta (Pope John XIII) NJ, 6'8 Jr Treshawn Bolden from Jackson (Callaway) MS, 6'8 Jr Christian Wood from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'7 Jr Devin Williams from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH, 6'8 Zena Edosonwan from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, and 6'1 Jr Darin Minniefield from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX.  The Bulls have 6'1 Jr Anthony Barber from Hampton (H.S) VA, 6'3 Soph DeAngelo Russell from Montverde (Academy) FL, 6'5 Jr Isaac Hamilton from Bellflower (St. John Bosco) CA, 6'5 Jr Davon Reed from Princeton (Day School) NJ, 6'7 Jr Jarell Martin from Baton Rouge (Madison Prep) LA, 6'7 Jr Nick King from Memphis (East) TN, 6'7 Jr Junior Etou from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, 6'9 Jr Bobby Portis from Little Rock (Hall) AR, 6'10 Jr Karviar Shepherd from De Soto (H.S.) TX, 6'9 Jr Dwight Coleby from Piney Woods (H.S.) MS, and 6'4 Soph Myles Stewart from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA.  The Grizzlies have 6'2 Jr Duane Wilson from Whitefish Bay (Dominican) WI, 5'11 Soph Parker Cartwright from Los Angeles (Loyola) CA, 6'4 Jr Deonte Burton from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'5 Jr Stanford Robinson from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA, 6'5 Jr Kris Jenkins from Washington (Gonzaga) DC, 6'4 Soph L.J. Peak from Gaffney (Senior) SC, 6'8 Jr Jordan Mickey from Richardson (Berkner) TX, 6'6 Jr Jordan Bell from Long Beach (Poly) CA, 6'9 Soph C.J. Turman from Madison (Morgan County) GA, 6'10 Jr Moses Kingsley from New Albany (H.S.) MS, and 6'6 Jr Reggie Theus Jr from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA.  Now also is a good time to point out that 6'8 Jr Jabari Parker from Chicago (Simeon) IL will only be in the camp for one day due to the fact that he is scheduled to participate in the tryouts for the USA Basketball 17-Under Team in Colorado Springs.  And this is important, because this will make the race totally wide open for top player honors in camp.  We also are looking forward to getting our first look ever of the much hyped and all too often injured 6'7 Jr Peter Jok from West Des Moines (Valley) IA, will be interested to see if 6'9 Soph Cliff Alexander from Chicago (Curie) IL and 6'10 Jr Karviar Shepherd from De Soto (H.S.) TX pick up where they left off a week-and-a-half ago when the finished ranked #1 and #2 respectively at the Pangos All-American Camp. and wonder if  a number of the good rising juniors in camp, like 6'9 Soph Cliff Alexander from Chicago (Curie) IL, 6'4 Soph Wayne Seldon from Tilton (School) NH, 6'3 Soph Emmanuel Mudiay from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX, 6'10 Soph Trayvon Reed from Snellville (Shiloh) GA, 6'8 Soph Leron Black from Memphis (White Station) TN, 6'7 Soph Daniel Hamilton from Bellflower (St. Jon Bosco) CA,6'8 Soph Noah Vonleh from New Hampton (Prep) NH, 5'11 Soph Parker Cartwright from Los Angeles (Loyola) CA,6'4 Soph JaQuan Lyle from Evansville (Bosse) IN, 6'7 Soph Jalen Lindsey from Franklin (Presbyterian) TN, and 6'3 Soph DeAngelo Russell from Montverde (Academy) FL, step up and challenge the top players from the Class of 2012 for supremacy in camp.  And, after watching the stations earlier today, we would not be surprised if 6'10 Soph Trayvon Reed from Snellville (Shiloh) GA emerges right at the top of this underclassmen list.  He's long and athletic, has good foot work and an excellent motor, is an intimidating presence around the basket, and can step out and knock down the mid-to-long range jumper.  It also likely may be the day of reckoning for 6'5 Jr Brian Bridgewater from Baton Rouge (Episcopal) LA, who in his younger days was ranked as one of the top players nationally in his class, but more recently appears to have lost the competitive edge and quickness to the basket that previously made him so effective.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson and yours truly (HOOP SCOOP Editor & Publisher Clark Francis) will be in attendance at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA both tomorrow and the next day for the morning and evening sessions of camp at 10:45 AM-12:45 PM and 7:30 PM-9:30 PM and the next day and for the playoffs at 10:40 AM-1:00 PM, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM, and 6:30 PM-7:30 PM on Saturday.  So obviously now is the perfect time to subscribe to the Members Section in order to get all of our rankings. 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

With the decision late last week of 6'8 Devonta Pollard from DeKalb (Kemper County) MS to attend the University of Alabama and 6'8 Montrezl Harrell from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA picking the University of Louisville over schools like Kentucky, Florida, Cincinnati, and Alabama on Monday, things really are winding down on the recruiting trail this spring.  Harrell is a strong physical athletic combo forward who is ranked #50 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and he is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Cardinals at both forward spots.  And, with the announced transfer earlier today of 6'9 Jr Stephan Van Treese and the likelihood that 6'8 Jr Rakeem Buckles, who was sidelined last season with an injury, will miss once again be sidelined all of next year, Harrell will provide immediate depth at the power forward spot and also good enough to challenge guys like 6'6 Jr Luke Hancock, 6'8 Jr Jared Swopshire, 6'5 Jr Mike Marra, 6'7 Frosh Angel Nunez, 6'5 Frosh Ronald Blackshear, and 6'4 Frosh Kevin Ware for playing time at the wing forward spot.  Obviously this is a case, whereby, Cardinals assistant coach Kevin Keatts, who was the head coach at Hargrave Military Academy for 10 of the last 12 years, was able to go back to his old stamping grounds and get this one done.  The addition of Harrell also means that the Cardinals coaching staff is finally done rearranging their roster, as we almost need a scorecard to keep track of all of the players coming and going this spring.  If you will recall, 5'10 Soph Elijah Justice decided to transfer to Pikeville College shortly after the season was over, 6'8 Jr Jared Swopshire decided to transfer to Northwestern in mid-April, and they also signed 6'1 Terry Rozier from Shaker Heights (H.S.) OH during the Fall Signing Period.  And this is important, because they currently have 13 players in the programs, as they will have four players (Payton Siva, Luke Hancock, Mike Marra, and Rakeem Buckles) who will be seniors, two players (Gorgui Dieng and Russ Smith) who will be juniors, and five players (Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear, Kevin Ware, Angel Nunez, and Zach Price) who will be sophomores when next season rolls around.  Pollard picking the Crimson Tide does not come as much of a surprise.  But this is a major coup for Alabama head coach Anthony Grant and his staff, which were in dire need of a quick fix to step in and replace 6'8 Sr JaMychal Green, who was the team's leading scorer with 14.0 ppg and leading rebounder with 7.4 rpg this past season.  Pollard is ranked #34 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and he is listed by many as a wing forward even though he what he does best is score, rebound, and blocks shots in the paint.  Remember, he averaged 23.8 ppg, 15.7 rpg, and 5.1 bpg, led his team to a 3A State Championship, and was named to the prestigious McDonald's All-American Team this past season.  Our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson also tells us that the recruiting battle for 6'7 Frosh Rodney Hood, who is transferring from Mississippi State, has really heated up and right now Ohio State, Baylor, Memphis, and Duke make up a very interesting list.  It also looks like Oak Hill Academy head coach Steve Smith, who has been named National Coach of the Year four times (1994, 1999, 2004, and 2012), led his team to eight National Championships (1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2012), and coached 28 McDonald's All-Americans and had 17 former players drafted in the NBA Draft, is doing a good job of reloading once again, as 6'2 Jr Nate Britt from Washington (Gonzaga) DC and 6'7 Jr Troy Williams from Hampton (Phoebus) VA both plan to transfer to high school basketball's premier basketball factory.  However, Mike Peck, who has guided his team to an incredible 157-8 record and the Championship Game of the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational in four of the past five years, clearly does not plan to be outdone, as 6'3 Jr Nigel Williams-Goss and 6'10 Jr Christian Wood both will be back next year, he already has 6'5 Jr Allerick Freeman from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV in the fold, and we continue to hear rumors about 6'10 Jr Jahlil Okafor from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL making the move later in the summer or when the high school year begins next fall. 

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The big story on the recruiting trail right now is the verbal commitment that 6'3 Jr Nigel Williams-Goss from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV made yesterday to the University of Washington. We're talking about a tough hardnosed competitor who is ranked #20 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and was the catalyst for one of the top high school teams in the nation this past season. He also is virtually unstoppable going the basket, is arguably the best defensive guard in the high school ranks today, and has the skills, court savvy, and basketball IQ necessary to run the point at the big time college level. He's also pretty smart off the court, as is evident by the fact that he's a straight "A" student, Harvard was also in his final two, and at an earlier age he could spoke fluent Chinese. At some point he probably will have to get a hair cut, but there is no doubt that he is just as good a kid as he is a basketball player and, as a result, is an absolute steal both on-and -off the court for the Huskies. We also are not surprised by the fact that 5'8 Daryl Traynham from Palm Beach State (JC) FL has decided to return home and attend Morgan State. If you recall, Trayham's father (Damon Handon) is the Vice President and runs the day-to-day operations of the DC Assault club team program and Bears head coach Todd Bozeman previously was a coach for the DC program. As for Traynham,he never quite got the respect that he deserved due to his lack of size, but always has been like a coach on the floor with his excellent ball handling and passing skills, great court vision, high basketball IQ, and DC toughness. He originally signed with the University of Massachusetts and was good enough to be ranked #93 nationally in our Final Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2010 back when he was a high school senior. It also looks like 6'3 Jr Jalen James from La Porte (La Lumiere) IN is back on the board due to the coaching change at the University of Illinois. Currently we have him ranked #115 nationally in the junior class and it should come as no surprise that schools like Nebraska, Marquette, Florida State, Colorado, and Tennessee are ready to turn up the heat, because explosive point guard with his size, court vision, and ability to defend are at a premium. It also looks like 6'9 Soph Justin Raffington, who is transferring from the University of San Francisco to Florida Atlantic, is the player to be named later for current Dons head coach Rex Walters, who left to Florida Atlantic four years ago to take over the reigns at San Francisco. Raffington only averaged 2.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg this past season, but he has international experience playing for the German National Team and, thanks to his size, ability to rebound, block shots, and knock down the mid-range shot, should be an excellent complement inside to 7'0 Soph Dragan Sekelja, who transferred to Florida Atlantic from Baylor a year ago and will be eligible next season. We don't include transfers when ranking recruiting classes, but, if we did Florida Atlantic's recruiting class would be ranked #23 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012.  However, as things stand right now, it includes 5'11 Stefan Moody from Kissimmee (Poinciana) FL, 6'7 Chris Bryant from Waynesboro (Fishburne Military) VA, 6'2 Cavon Baker from Newark (Nia Prep) NJ, 6'8 Devonte Thornton from Marietta (Osborne) GA, 6'8 Javier Lacunza from Hudson Falls (H.S.) NY, and 6'4 Jackson Trapp from Waynesboro (Fishburne Military Academy) VA and is tied at #49, along with Towson and Cleveland State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012.   It's also being reported that 6'0 Antoine Hosley from North Idaho (JC) ID has made it official for Utah Valley State, 6'6 Dylan Fritsch from Otero (JC) CO is bound for Jacksonville, and 6'7 Karee Watson from Wallace State (JC) AL will attend Bethune-Cookman.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Most great players have at least one of three things:  size, athleticism, or outside shooting.  We mention this because 6'8 Jr Stephen Domingo from San Francisco (St. Ignatius) CA, who yesterday picked Georgetown over Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, and Washington, may end up with all three of these things.  As things stand right now, Domingo is ranked #19 nationally in the junior class and is expected to grow several more inches, which means he will likely end up being a 6'10 athletic wing with deep shooting range.  And to make the story even more interesting is the fact that Domingo is an incredible student and a better kid than he is a basketball player.  He also has a competitive edge about him, but at some point will need to get bigger and stronger physically if he's going to make a splash someday at the highest level.  The addition of Domingo also comes on the heels of the Hoyas current recruiting class, which includes 6'4 D'Vantes Smith-Rivera from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'8 Brandon Bolden from Charlottesville (The Miller School) VA, and 6'11 Bradley Hayes from Jacksonville (Sandalwood) FL, and he becomes the 29th player in the Class of 2013 to have made an early verbal commitment to a four-year Division I college or university.  Also on the list are 6'1 Jr Kasey Hill from Montverde (Academy) FL to Florida, 6'1 Jr Nate Britt from Washington (Gonzaga) DC to North Carolina, 6'9 Jr Isaiah Hicks from Oxford (Webb) NC to North Carolina, 6'2 Jr Nick Emery from Highland (Lone Peak) UT to Brigham Young, 6'4 Jr Matt Jones from De Soto (H.S.) TX to Duke, 6'10 Jr Jimmie Taylor from Greensboro (H.S.) AL to Alabama, 6'4 Jr Billy Garrett from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL to DePaul, 6'8 Jr Deonte Burton from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI to Marquette, 6'9 Jr Bobby Portis from Little Rock (Hall) AR to Arkansas, 6'3 Jr Duane Wilson from Whitefish Bay (Dominican) WI to Marquette, 6'1 Jr Bryson Scott from Ft. Wayne (Northrop) IN to Purdue, 6'9 Jr Christian Wood from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV to UNLV, 6'10 Jr John Egbuna from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC to South Florida, 6'9 Jr Brandon Watkins from Atlanta (Grady) GA to West Virginia, 6'0 Jr Connor Frankamp from Wichita (North) KS to Kansas, 6'7 Jr Derrick Griffin from Rosenberg (Terry) TX to Texas A&M, 6'7 Jr Brannen Greene from Forsyth (Mary Persons) GA to Kansas, 6'4 Jr Kendall Stephens from St. Charles (East) IL to Purdue, 6'7 Jr V.J. Beachem from New Haven (H.S.) IN to Notre Dame, 6'5 Jr Malcolm Hill from Belleville (East) IL to Illinois, 6'4 Jr Steve Vasturia from Philadelphia (St. Joseph's Prep) PA to Notre Dame, 6'4 Jr Cullen Neal from Albuquerque (Eldorado) NM to St. Mary's, 6'6 Jr Brandon Austin from Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) PA to Penn State, 6'3 Jr Bryce Alford from Albuquerque (La Cueva) NM to New Mexico, 6'4 Jr Anton Gill from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC to Louisville, 6'8 Jr Marc Loving from Toledo (St. John's) OH to Ohio State, 6'3 Jr Eric Cooper from La Verne (Lutheran) CA to Arizona, and 6'4 Jr Stanford Robinson from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA to Indiana.  We also are intrigued by the fact that 6'8 Montrezl Harrell from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA has asked for and received his release from Virginia Tech and now is considering schools like Louisville, Kentucky, Florida, N.C. State, and Alabama, and Connecticut.  And, if this strong physical athletic combo forward who is ranked #50 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP picks any one of those first three schools, it could have major ramifications when we put the finishing touches on our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2012.  Harrell is supposed to make an official visit to Louisville on May 31st and, if he picks the Cardinals, he would be exactly what the doctor ordered for Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino to complement 6'1 Terry Rozier from Shaker Heights (H.S.) OH in this year's recruiting class and 6'5 Frosh Wayne Blackshear and 6'3 Frosh Kevin Ware, who were slowed by injuries and academic problems this past year, but potentially see a quantum leap in their game next season.  If Harrell joins 6'10 Nerlens Noel from Tilton (School) NH, 6'5 Archie Goodwin from Little Rock (Sylvan Hills) AR, 6'8 Alex Poythree from Clarksville (Northeast) TN, and 7'1 Willie Cauley from Olathe (Northwest) KS in Kentucky's current recruiting class, then the Wildcats will have the #1-ranked recruiting class again.  Or, if Harrell, picks N.C. State, which so far has struck out this spring, then the Wolfpack's recruiting class will move up to #4 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012, as they already have 6'4 Rodney Purvis from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC, 6'7 T.J. Warren from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, and 5'11 Tyler Lewis from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA in the fold.  It also looks like Southern Miss continues to make a late slash this spring with the addition of two more junior college players.  We're talking about 5'11 Jerrald Brooks from Casper (JC) WY and 6'6 Daiveon Boardingham from Seward (JC) KS and they are ranked #46 and #63 respectively in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com.  And what about the fact that 5'10 Antonio "Bobo" Drummond from La Porte (La Lumiere) IN is now bound for Wright State?  All he lacks is size, as this explosive point guard who is ranked #107 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP is terrific in transition, rebounds well for his size, and is an excellent outside shooter.  There also is the verbal commitment that 6'7 Taurean Wallace-Prince from San Antonio (Earl Warren) TX has made to Baylor.  And this is important for several reasons.  First, Wallace-Prince is a pretty good player, as is evident by the fact that he is ranked #7 in the Lone Star State's senior class by TexasHoops.com.  Second, the addition of Wallace-Prince moves Baylor's recruiting class, which also already includes 7'0 Isaiah Austin from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX, 6'6 Ricardo Gathers from Reserve (Riverside) LA, 6'3 L.J. Rose from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX, and 6'9 Chad Rykhoek from Ft. Worth (Christian) TX, into a tie at #5, along with Florida State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012.  

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania./South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin was at the press conference earlier today and he tells us that 6'8 Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA picked Duke over N.C. State, Kentucky, and Villanova.  And we think this is a major coup for the Blue Devils for a number of reasons.  First, it shows that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski hasn't lost his touch when it comes to getting more than his fair share of the top high school players in the nation.  Second, Jefferson was the top unsigned senior still available and will be ranked #3 nationally in the senior class, behind 6'5 Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV and 6'8 Kyle Anderson from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ and ahead of 6'10 Nerlens Noel from Tilton (School) NH and 6'9 Tony Parker from Lithonia (Miller Grove) GA, when we publish our updated Ranking of the Top Seniors Nationally later this week. Third, Jefferson is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Blue Devils, which were very much in need of an athletic combo forward who could step in and make an immediate impact as a freshman next winter.  Fourth, the addition of Jefferson gives Duke the second highest talent rating average per recruit when we do a quick search on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012.  Remember, the only other player that Duke has in this year's recruiting class is 6'3 Rasheed Sulaimon from Houston (Strake Jesuit) TX, who is currently ranked #11 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  As for Jefferson, he's a long athletic combo forward who runs the court, rebounds, plays defense, and makes a living off offensive rebounds and garbage around the basket.  He will have to improve his jump shot and work on his ball handling skills in order to project as a wing forward at the highest level.  But he projects as a great college player.  And the fact that he also is an excellent student and just as good a person as he is a basketball player is just icing on the cake.  It also looks like we knew what we were talking about a while back with regards to the recruitment of 6'8 Anthony Bennett from Henderson (Findlay) NV, who over the weekend picked UNLV.  If you will recall, it was still a five-horse race with no obvious favorite when we made note of the fact that when in doubt always go with the local school, because you'll be right over 80% of the time.  Since that time Florida, Kentucky, and Washington were all eliminated and, in the final analysis, the Runnin' Rebels beat the University of Oregon for Bennett's services.  We're talking about a guy who is currently ranked #7 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  But even that doesn't illustrate just how big this is for UNLV head coach Dave Rice and his coaching staff, as they attempt to restore the program to the heights once achieved under Jerry Tarkanian in the late 80's and early 90's.  Ironically, the player that Bennett reminds us the most of physically and athletically is former UNLV star Larry Johnson.  However, before we start making too many comparisons to the guy that led the Runnin' Rebels to the 1990 NCAA Championship and was the 1991 National College Player-of-the-Year, Bennett needs to develop more of a killer mentality and not disappear in big games.  We also believe that the University of Alabama hit the jackpot over the weekend with the addition of 6'10 Jr Jimmie Taylor from Greensboro (H.S.) AL, who is currently ranked #26 nationally in the junior class and has the potential to move a lot higher once he refines his offensive skills and gets bigger and stronger physically.  In other words, we're talking about a real thoroughbred who blocks shots, rebounds, runs the court, has a great motor, and is exactly what the doctored ordered for the Crimson Tide in order to replace 6'8 Sr JaMychal Green, who was the team's leading scorer with 14.0 ppg and leading rebounder with 7.4 rpg this past season.  Unfortunately Alabama head coach Anthony Grant and his staff, which don't have a single player in this year's recruiting class, will have to wait another year before Taylor enrolls into school.  On the other hand, good things are worth waiting for and, with 6'8 Shannon Hale from Arden (Christ School) NC also already in the fold for next year, it's easy to see why Alabama's recruiting class is tied #5, along with South Florida, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2013.  It's also being reported that 6'6 Victor Robbins from Compton (H.S.) CA is bound for Oregon State, 7'0 Matt Willms from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV has picked UTEP over Providence, Marquette, Missouri, UNLV, and Long Beach State, and 6'5 Dakari Tucker from Gardena (Serra) CA is the next in a long line of players to have picked the University of Utah.  If you will recall, the Utes also already have 6'9 Renan Lenz, from Arizona Western (JC) AZ, 6'6 Jordan Loveridge from West Jordan (H.S.) UT, 5'9 Brandon Taylor from Pacific Hills (H.S.) CA, and 6'3 Justin Seymour from Marietta (Wheeler) GA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #46 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012  plus they will also have 6'11 Dallas Bachynaski, who averaged 3.6 ppg, and 2.6 rpg as a freshman two years ago at Southern Utah, and 6'10 Jeremy Olsen, who was a top 100-ranked high school senior at Lawrenceville (Collin Hill) GA when he originally signed with Utah in November of 2008, both in the fold upon their return from a two-year mission.  Willms averaged 8.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 1.5 rpg and shot 62% from the field and 73% from the foul line.  But what makes this one so intriguing are his upside and potential.  With his ability to run the court and excellent skill set, all he needs to do is get bigger and stronger physically in order to make money playing the game someday.  Robbins has never had the coaching nor has he developed the consistency necessary to be regarded as a big time player.  But one has to like his athleticism and a knack for being able to get open to get his shot.  This next one is almost a week old, but one can not discount the significance of Arkansas beating out schools like Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Mississippi State for the services of 6'7 Cody Clark from Lawson State (JC) AL.  He averaged 16.2 ppg, 13.5 rpg, and 5.0 apg, shot over 40% from 3-point land, and, according to his junior college coach (Phillip Shumpert), is a perfect fit for the Razorbacks. "They're getting a big-time athlete who is absolutely a rebounding machine," Shumpert said. "He rebounds the basketball better than anybody I've ever been around.  He has a knack for being around the ball.  He can go get it.  He's a very versatile player, he's got a high motor, and plays with a lot of intensity. That's why I say it's a great fit for Arkansas."  The addition of Clark also is important, because he's the marquee player in a recruiting class that also includes 6'8 Jacorey Williams from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, 6'3 Anthlon Bell from Memphis (Bartlett) TN, 6'5 Michael Qualls from Shreveport (Huntington) LA, and 5'10 Dequavious Wagner from Alexandria (Peabody) LA and is tied at #30, along with Missouri, USC, and Colorado, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2012.  Eastern Kentucky also has added two more junior college players in 6'4 Tarius Johnson from Three Rivers (JC) MO and 6'4 Marcus Lewis from South Suburban (JC) IL to a recruiting class that is arguably the best in the seven year reign of Jeff Neubauer as boss of the Colonels.  And that first one is especially significant, because Johnson can flat out score.  He also rebounds well for his size and is extremely versatile, as is evident by the fact that he averaged 20.1 ppg, 8.4 epg, and 2.7 apg this past season and scored 1,211 points and grabbed 612 rebounds the past two years.  And what about the fact that Hampton has landed 6'6 Du'Vaughn Maxwell from Western Nebraska (JC) NE?  We're talking about a good old fashioned undersized killer around the basket who averaged 17.4 ppg and 8.3 rpg this past season and was ranked #7 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com.