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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 3,149
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Top Recruiting Classes Ranking, Part 2 (12-25)
12 – Louisville – 783 points
#24 Brian Johnson, PF
#77* Lorenzo Wade, WG
JC Transfer Donta Smith, WF
UR Terrance Farley, C
This is only a temporary ranking for Rick Pitino’s 2004 class. On Thursday, ultra-hyped PG Sebastian Telfair will commit to the Cardinals, moving this class up to #5. The reality is that the group should be ranked even higher than that. There is a lot of balance, with a player at every position. Johnson and Telfair are McDonald’s game locks, while Smith’s signing marks the second year in a row that Pitino has landed the top JC SF available. Wade might be a bit underrated at this point as well. After wasting too much time on NBA-bound James Lang in 03, 2004 will be Rick Pitino’s foundational recruiting class.
13 – Florida State – 768 points
#24* Isaiah Swann, WG
#30 Jason Rich, WG
If opposing ACC coaches weren’t paying attention to the early successes of new FSU coach Lamont Hamilton last season, they are now. Hamilton only managed to nab two of the top wing prospects in the country – in the same week. Furthermore, top 50 PF Charles Thomas seems on the verge of a commitment. Things are looking up at Florida State.
14 – NC State – 725 points
#32 Cedric Simmons, BF
#67 Gavin Grant, WF
Transfer Tony Bethel, WG
Herb Sendek is bouncing back nicely after two years of missing out on a lot of targets. Simmons is an athletic big man, and a logical replacement for 2003 draft entrant Josh Powell. Tony Bethel isn’t the perfect solution to State’s PG quandary, but he’s better than any of the current options, and can score in bunches. Sendek probably isn’t done yet either, as several top prospects are still considering the Wolfpak
15 – Arizona – 715 points
#26 Jawann McClellan, WG
#38 Mohammed Tangara, BF
The Wildcats are short on bodies, but not talent. Thus far, that story remains the same for the class of 2004. Mclellan is a potential McDonald’s All-American cut from the mold of rock solid, high-flying Wildcat wings like Richard Jefferson & Hassan Adams. Tangara is a key addition to a thin frontcourt. His offensive skills are raw, but Tangara already knows how to use his formidable body better than most. Lute Olson is looking to add another big man such as Davis Nwankwo, Robert Rothbart, or Jeremis Smith, but is also still in the hunt for top PG Shaun Livingston.
16 – Duke – 709 points
#17 DeMarcus Nelson, WG
#52 David McClure, WF
This is another class whose ranking should rise dramatically, once Shaun Livingston does what everybody expects him to and signs with the Blue Devils. Already on board is super-athlete DeMarcus Nelson, who should be a factor at the 2-guard from day one. McClure is a well-rounded player who fits in well at Duke. Losing out on top big man recruit Alexander Kaun to Kansas might leave Coach K a bit thin in the frontcourt for 2004, but size is already on the way for 2005 – Top 10 PF Josh McRoberts made an early commitment this past month.
17 – USC – 699 points
#6 Robert Swift, C
#81 Gabe Pruitt, PG
Top 200* Nick Young, WF
The strength of this class lies fully in 7-foot super-prospect Robert Swift. He has risen up the charts as fast as anybody this year, and is generally considered to be the top shot blocking prospect in the country. If Henry Bibby can keep him away from the NBA, he could make a major impact on the Trojan program right away. Pruitt and Young are even more talent for the wing position.
18 – Michigan State – 686 points
#33 Marquise Gray, BF
#55 Drew Nietzel, PG
Top 200 Goran Sutton, C
No, this isn’t Tom Izzo’s typical class dominated by McDonald’s All-Americans. However Izzo certainly hasn’t taken the year off. Marquise Gray, a combo F, is a special athlete. Drew Neitzel will provide a solid presence at the point for years to come. Goran Sutton is more of a project, but has the size to make an impact in the future. The Spartans may not be finished yet either, as top 10 SG Malik Hairston and top 50 PF Al Horford have both shown interest.
19 – Connecticut – 680 points
#20 AJ Price, PG
Transfer Ed Nelson, BF
While the Huskies don’t have much in the way of numbers, Jim Calhoun’s program is quickly developing into the recruiting powerhouse of the northeast. AJ Price is one of the top point guards in the country, and will replace 4-year starter Taliek Brown without a hitch. Georgia Tech transfer Ed Nelson will offer a standout post presence from the day he steps on the court. Calhoun is very much in the mix for top 10 SF Rudy Gay, which would upgrade the ranking of this class substantially. Also, keep this in mind: UConn has signed a player late each of the past three years. Those players are Emeka Okafor, Hilton Armstrong, and Charlie Villanueva.
20 – Wisconsin – 647 points
#34 Greg Steimsma, C
Top 200 DeAaron Williams, WG
UR Michael Flowers, PG
Transfer Shariff Chambliss, WG
Bo Ryan has won without talent. We are about to see what he can do with talent. After beating out the big guns for McDonald’s All-American C Brian Butch, Ryan snatched up Steimsma before most realized what a talent he was. The possibility of Badger twin towers in 2004 should be scaring opposing coaches and fans alike. Ryan also beat out Illinois for highly regarded WG DeArron Williams, and added Penn State shooting specialist Shariff Chambliss. If anything this class, is ranked too low.
21 – Syracuse – 597 points
#35 Josh Wright, PG
#54 Dayshaun Wright, BF
The past two seasons have been huge recruiting success for the Orangemen, to say the least. This year there aren’t enough scholarships available for a top 10 class, but Jim Boeheim has still picked up a couple of nice players. Wright was the first top PG to commit to a northeastern school, setting off a chain reaction of PG announcements all around the country. Wright is undersized, but will end up a valuable role player when all is said and done.
22 – Oregon – 565 points
#41 Bryce Taylor, WG
#84 Mary Luenen, BF
Top 200 Chamberlain Oguchi, WG
After a stretch in which Duck fans began to wonder if Ernie Kent was going to be able to turn the successes of Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson into a higher talent level for the program, it now looks like Kent is doing just that. Taylor is considered the best shooter on the west coast, and Luenen is a tenacious rebounder that was heavily recruited by several other big western programs. The battle for Oguchi’s services was also one Duck fans should be proud of winning, as Oklahoma had made him a top priority. Oguchi, another top-notch outside shooter, cracked two top 100 lists. There is a lot of skill in this class.
23 – Xaiver – 560 points
#59 Churchill Odia, WG
#83 Josh Duncan, BF
UR Stanley Burrell, PG
Transfer Brian Thornton, PF
It seems like Xavier has managed to consistently out-recruit the competition as of late, and 2004 is no different. The Odia and Duncan tandem looks much like a younger version of a certain duo that has dominated the A-10 in recent years, Romain Sato and David. Odia is another player whom scouting services haven’t come to a consensus on, but his raw tools and ability to handle the ball make him a big-time prospect. Thornton showed a lot of potential at Vandy, and will get plenty of minutes. Burrell could be a sleeper.
24 – DePaul – 538 points
#18* Dorrell Wright, WF
JC Transfer Aking Eltling, PG
Hired before last season, Dave Leiato, immediately began brining top notch talent back into the program. He is off to another great start in 2004, with his future starting backcourt already inked. Wright was the official high-riser of this past spring, though he has ended up at a prep school for a year. Eltling’s name has received some hype in the JC ranks. Now the Blue Demons look for a post player to finish off their class…
25 – Seton Hall – 531 points
#29 Justin Cerasoli, PG
#83 Brian Laing, WF
Another perimeter-oriented class, the tandem of Cerasoli and Laing will take over in the backcourt shortly after arriving on campus. There isn’t much of a consensus on where Justin Cerasoli belongs in the top 100 (prepstars has him at 12, hoopmasters puts him in the 80’s), but it’s a certainty that Cerasoli has a rare combination of size, scoring ability, and point guard skill. The Hall need to come up with a couple of quality big men in 2004 as well, and recently lost out on PF Ollie Bailey to Big East rival Rutgers.
Last edited by blabla97 : 11-21-2003 at 10:55 AM.
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Top Recruiting Classes Ranking, Part 2 (12-25)
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