2013 Recruits

[StrangeGator]

Originally Posted by InstiGATOR1

Randle updated his USA Today blog on signing day:

http://www.usatodayhss.com/news/arti...oma-recruiting

That's the first I heard about Mickey Mitchell's injury. Hope he makes a complete recovery. I've already got him pencilled in for 2015.

[don23lucia]

This was also the first that I have heard of his injury. Hopefully he can come back and make a full recovery.

[uf1978]

From the article it sounds like an injury, but if I remember correctly, he was going to transfer to a school in Florida.

[MoscowGtr]

Originally Posted by InstiGATOR1

2. Randle, I agree it is likely UF and UTx. I think he picks UF, the safer pick for him.

Why would it be the safer pick for him (I am not challenging you; I know absolutely nothing about it--just wondering what you mean)?

[ufgator4ever]

What are odds for Parker. Riding train in chicago, some guys were really talking him up as a great one. They were saying florida is definitely in it. I said, if he goes to college at all.

[StrangeGator]

Originally Posted by ufgator4ever

What are odds for Parker. Riding train in chicago, some guys were really talking him up as a great one. They were saying florida is definitely in it. I said, if he goes to college at all.

Surprised how much good info you can get on high school hoops players riding the CTA, especially on the Green line on the west or south side.

[don23lucia]

Kentucky’s dominance of the recruiting landscape has never been greater than it is right now, and for good reason. John Calipari’s won his first national championship last year, stars Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were taken with the first two picks of last year’s NBA Draft and the team has achieved unprecedented television exposure, giving college basketball’s greatest salesman a whole lot of new material to sell recruits on.

The Wildcats are so far ahead of everyone else in their 2013 recruiting class that our coverage of the early signing period has essentially removed them from the discussion, comparing Kentucky’s current recruiting class only to some of the best in history and, today, rating every other class in the country, after Kentucky.


Steven Maikoski-USA Basketball
Landing a commitment from No. 2 prospect Jabari Parker could lead to a significant rise in the ESPN class rankings.
The question that has yet to be asked is whether or not there is a program with even the slightest chance of catching Kentucky for the top spot in this year’s class rankings. And believe it or not, it is a possibility.

Florida is the only other program that has signed two top 10 prospects, with No. 9 Kasey Hill and No. 10 Chris Walker on board. The trio of Kenny Boynton, Erik Murphy and Mike Rosario are all graduating this year and the Gators have one more scholarship to play with as they hope to swing for the fences and land one of their remaining targets, with Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, and Dakari Johnson still on the board.

Here’s a quick disclaimer before we go further with any scenarios. Kentucky is also heavily involved with Randle and Johnson as well as No. 1 overall prospect Andrew Wiggins and Aaron Gordon. All they would need to do is land a commitment from one of those guys to mathematically guarantee their fourth top-rated class in the last five years. While it appears unlikely that Calipari will go 0-for-4 with the remaining elite prospects, let’s return to the scenario for arguments sake.

Let’s say Parker, the second overall prospect in the ESPN 100, picks Florida over Michigan State, Duke, Stanford, and BYU. Let’s also say that Wiggins chooses Florida State, where his parents were both college athletes and teammate Xavier Rathan-Mayes has already committed, over Kentucky. While both of those are legit possibilities, even in that scenario Kentucky would maintain its edge according to our ESPN formula.

Mathematically speaking, the only way that Florida could usurp Kentucky would be to land either Randle or Johnson, in addition to Parker. Now, for that to happen, Florida would need to come up with an extra scholarship, but attrition has become so common in this day and age of college basketball, that isn’t all that hard to imagine either.

So let’s say Wiggins to Florida State, low man on the Florida totem poll transfers, and Parker and Randle end up Gators. Now, Billy Donovan would have the top-ranked recruiting class in the country. All he would need then is to hope Gordon stays on the west coast at either Washington or Arizona (not farfetched considering Kentucky already has two PFs in their class) and Johnson to land with Georgetown (very reasonable given their need up front) or Ohio State.

So there you have it.

While Kentucky may be an Andrew Wiggins signature away from landing what could be one of the top recruiting classes in recent history, there is a potential scenario, albeit a long-winded one, that could give Florida the top recruiting class in the country.

Interview with parker if you checkout the link.

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbr...kys-no-1-class

[don23lucia]

Kentucky has been the center of the basketball recruiting universe this fall. The minute they picked up commitments from top-five twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison, the Wildcats vaulted into the No. 1 spot in the class rankings. And that position was only strengthened when they followed up by landing elite recruits James Young and Marcus Lee.

So when the early signing period began one week ago, much attention was paid to the Wildcats and the unstoppable recruiting juggernaut John Calipari has built.

But Kentucky isn't the only school putting together an excellent recruiting class. So as the signing period comes to a close on Wednesday, we wanted to dig deeper and give credit to some of the excellent recruiting classes that might have gotten lost in the Wildcats' shadow. Our panel of RecruitingNation experts is on the case.


Aside from Kentucky, what program had the most impressive early signing period?
[+] Enlarge
Courtesy of Andrew Shurtleff
Ridiculous hops and a penchant for big finishes should make Wayne Selden a star at Kansas.
Dave Telep: I'll take Bill Self and Kansas. We're talking about the No. 2 recruiting class in the country and the Jayhawks still have irons in the fire. To already have an elite class and still be involved with No. 1 prospect Andrew Wiggins, No. 4 Julius Randle and No. 12 Dakari Johnson is pretty scary. To me, the addition of Wayne Selden is the one that ensures Self will have a team guy who can embody winning, morph into whatever position they need and be a great host for recruits on their visits.

I also truly believe big man Joel Embiid has a legitimate chance to be a special talent. New to the country and the game, he's just scratching the surface. If we were to make a list of strictly long-term pro prospects, I can't think of a center in this class who would score higher. Now he has to go out and make it happen, but that's the kind of talent he is. Mix in a shooter and lead guard in Conner Frankamp, a tough point guard in Frank Mason and a long scorer in Brannen Greene and that's a heckuva class. Well done, Kansas.

Paul Biancardi: The SEC has been the dominant conference in 2013 recruiting, with by far more top-50 recruits (13) than any other league. And while Kentucky and Florida are the headliners in that group, what LSU is accomplishing can't be ignored with the No. 10 recruiting class. First-year LSU coach Johnny Jones has always been known as a relentless recruiter, and to have such recruiting success without yet seeing on-court success with the Tigers is a great sign for a program trying to move up.

Landing three ESPN 100 players who are not only talented but versatile is outstanding work. Equally impressive is that two of the three players are outside his backyard of Louisiana: Texas native Jordan Mickey and Georgia native Tim Quarterman. Mickey is a post with great upside and work ethic, while Quarterman is a scoring combo guard with a good feel for the game. Then Jones went out and secured a high-profile local standout in No. 15 prospect Jarrell Martin, who brings athleticism and shooting. Tigers fans will see the fruits of this labor in the future.

Reggie Rankin: The most impressive program from the early signing period after Kentucky is the No. 2 class from Kansas. The Jayhawks signed a group of talented and productive players across multiple positions who will be contributors from day one. Point guard Frank Mason is a terrific playmaker, combo guard Conner Frankamp can score and facilitate, and shooting guard Brannen Greene is a deep threat with size at 6-foot-6.

At the small forward position, Wayne Selden is as big and strong as most college wings right now, he scores through contact and he finishes above the rim with power. Down low, long and athletic center Joel Embiid runs, finishes, rebounds and blocks shots and has a huge upside. Bill Self has addressed his position needs with players who can provide immediate positive results.

[+] Enlarge
Courtesy of Adidas
Florida signee Kasey Hill is ranked No. 9 overall in the 2013 class.
Adam Finkelstein: I don't know that Billy Donovan could have hoped to be in a better position coming out of the early signing period than he is right now. With only three available scholarships heading into the 2013 class, Florida has not only signed two of the top 10 prospects in the country -- No. 9 Kasey Hill and No. 10 Chris Walker -- but the Gators have also refused to settle for anything less than an equally impactful player with that third and final spot.

Consequently, they remain in the hunt for some of the best remaining prospects in the class, like No. 2 Jabari Parker and No. 4 Julius Randle. Should Donovan land either of those two, he'll have his best class yet in Gainesville. If not, he's already assured himself one of the top classes in the country, currently ranked No. 6.

Joel Francisco: It was difficult choosing between Memphis and Kansas due to each school's recruiting haul. However, Kansas has been a traditional power for decades, while Memphis has been a tad inconsistent over the years. The Jayhawks are expected year in and year out to bring in upper-tier classes, and Bill Self has done that yet again. But Josh Pastner's No. 3-ranked class at Memphis is chock full of talent at multiple positions and includes four ESPN 100 players.

Power forward Austin Nichols, the No. 13 overall prospect, tipped the scales toward the Tigers, and rightfully so. Nichols is the most skilled post player in the class, and he can score in a variety of ways inside and out. And when it comes to overall talent, small forward Kuran Iverson is near the top of the class. Toss in fellow ESPN 100 prospects in wing Nick King and point guard Rashawn Powell and Pastner has his backcourt for the future. And don't forget about the vastly underrated Markel Crawford, a shooting guard who may start as a freshman due to his shooting prowess and physical intangibles.

[don23lucia]

Ever since Dakari Johnson announced earlier this month that he planned to move into the Class of 2013 from 2014, not much as been heard from the 6-foot-10 Montverde (Fla.) Academy big man or his family about his recruiting plans.

But his mother, Makini Campbell, spoke extensively to SNY.tv Tuesday about her son’s plans and the schools he’s considering.

Campbell reiterated that her son plans to sign in the spring period — along with fellow elite players Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon — and that he is considering Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State and Syracuse — for now.

“Because of the early signing period, we realize some things will kind of change,” Campbell told SNY.tv.

“Some schools will probably not be in the mix because of some players that signed, and also whether or not schools have availability [of scholarships]. We looked at some schools that they tend to have had verbal commitments from players that are very similar to Dakari, so now he’s kind of getting the thought, ‘Well, maybe that’s not really the school that I may want to consider.’ You know what I mean?”

**Kentucky is a major player for Johnson, in part, because he spent three years at Sayre’s Middle School in Lexington, Ky., and the family lived there “for about three, four years,” Campbell said. She confirmed that Kentucky had offered her son “weeks ago.”

“Kentucky is on his list,” Campbell said. “And we’re watching them. Most of the guys who signed there are not players like Dakari.”

Kentucky’s loaded class features guards, wings and forwards like Andrew and Aaron Harrison, James Young, Marcus Lee and Derek Willis, but no center.

“But we also noted you still have Nerlens Noel and Willie Cauley-Stein, which is similar to Dakari and so it’s a whole process, looking to see where you’re needed, what’s the best fit,” Campbell said.

She didn’t rule out Johnson joining forces with another big, such as a Noel or a Cauley-Stein, should one or both not go one-and-done.

“That could be good for him in a sense, you know what I mean?” she said. “Just like when he was at St. Pat’s and he had [recent Illinois commit] Austin Colbert. They complemented each other, especially in practice. It’s not that. You just kind of wonder if it’s the same kind of guy like yourself.”

Campbell said it’s also appealing that they have “friends and extended family” in Lexington.

“Actually, last Thanksgiving we spent time with his friends there, with his extended family,” she said. “So for him that is kind of like going back to something that ‘s very familiar and something that is likable.

“As a parent, with you not being there in the same place as your child, you always want, kids always say, ‘I have an aunt there’ or ‘I have an uncle there,’ there’s someone to kind of look after him,” she added. “So that’s comforting for me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it might be the best fit for him, but I think that will definitely have an appeal for him.”

Kentucky’s record of one-and-dones to the NBA is also appealing.

“I’m sure it’s appealing,” she said. “One thing it says is that they are preparing for the guys for that next stage. I wouldn’t see why that wouldn’t be appealing…What he’s looking for in a school, too, is his development. Academically, he’ll be fine. He understands what he needs to do. He has a family of college graduates. He knows what he wants to study, he has his head on straight there but he does want to know that there’s going to be some development that takes place and that he’s going to play on a stage where he’s going to be recognized.”

**Syracuse has recently landed pledges from 2013 big man Chinonso Obokoh and 2014 forward Chris McCullough. They also have freshman big man DaJuan Coleman and sophomore big Rakeem Christmas, among others, on the roster.

“Well, I’m not clear, there’s a question mark on Syracuse,” Campbell said. “I’m not sure if one, a scholarship is available, two, whether or not, the players that were signed are very similar to Dakari, whether or not he can be an impact [player] there. That’s a question for him. He’s in analyzing stage right now.”

Campbell said she was uncertain if Coleman and/or Christmas might jump to the NBA after this season.

“It’s like if they’re there and the guys that they have signed are there, then it’s kind of like, does it make sense?” she said. “Would he be impactful there? Will there be a need for a player like Dakari?

“You kind of want to go somewhere where you’re needed.”

Still, Campbell pointed out that the family has a strong relationship with Orange assistant Adrian “Red’ Autry, who began recruiting Johnson when Autry was at Virginia Tech and Johnson was in middle school.

“It’s a longstanding relationship so that’s appealing,” she said of Autry.

**Another school that recently landed a 2013 big man is Kansas, which signed Joel Embiid as part of their class.

“One of his good friends, Jojo, who played for him last year, he just to committed to Kansas and so that’s a question mark for him right now,” Campbell said.

Still, she likes how Kansas “runs the ball through their bigs. They’ve been known to have bigs developed. Of course, Danny Manning is not there anymore, but that has been the appeal. And of course Coach [Norm] Roberts was here last year and he moved to Kansas. So he was recruiting Dakari for Florida and then went to Kansas…Of course, their history and tradition speaks for itself.”

**Florida is another option. He attends school in the state and his Montverde teammate, Kasey Hill, is headed to the Gators.

“We did an unofficial at Florida,” she said. “We met Coach [Billy] Donovan. He was probably one of the first coaches to sit us down the first time that they were able to come out and so it was really good because we were able to ask questions and talk about his offense.

“The point guard that he’s playing with this year is on his way to UF. I’m sure that’s appealing to him.”

**Georgetown is another option, and Campbell said her son was especially excited to watch the Hoyas play No. 1 Indiana Tuesday night in the Legends Classic final.

“He’s dying to watch them play Indiana,” she said.

He has also met with Coach John Thompson III.

“He presented his program and Georgetown itself, it speaks for itself,” she said. “Academically it’s a really good school. So their focus was on the big guy and of course they can back that up.”

**Ohio State is also in the mix and has had big men like Jared Sullinger make the NBA.

“Their tradition,” she said. “I spoke to their coaches and so that’s the appeal there. We’re going to explore that a little bit more, know more about that.”

To sum it all up, Campbell said, “I would say it’s even across the board. No one has stood out.”

[InstiGATOR1]

Originally Posted by MoscowGtr

Why would it be the safer pick for him (I am not challenging you; I know absolutely nothing about it--just wondering what you mean)?

UF is the safer pick for Randle because:

1. He has already played for Donovan, he know what his practices are like, he knows his system some. Or put another way when all those coaches brought out their hardware, Donovan could send him to his room to get the gold metal Donovan coached him to. Seems to me that trumps.

2. Not only did Randle play for Donovan but he lead a team composed mostly of rising college Soph and Frosh in scoring while a rising high school SR. Other coaches can talk about how Randle might be successful in their system, Randle knows he has been successful in Donovan's system and under Donovan's coaching.

This particularly point 2, makes UF his safest choice.

[StrangeGator]

As great as Kentucky's 2013 class is at this point, having the tandem of Hill and Walker together is worth any three of Kentucky's players. I've seen many clips of those two together, as well as clips of the Harrison twins. No comparison to their chemistry and potency as a duo. Any one of the remaining three big men UF is after would put this class and the team in the stratosphere. Any two would be ridiculous. It wouldn't matter what Kentucky had because you can only put five players on the court at the same time. I like the depth of our team in the '13 - '14 season better than Kentucky's. Our transfers will put us a notch above Kentucky, especially if Noel is gone. Better still if we get Johnson to counter Cauley.

I'm over the whole "Calipari cheats" thing, but I still hate them. I want to start beating them regularly, maybe even beating them at their own game.

[sflagator]

It's not just the players - it's the coaches. I'll take a slightly lower ranked class and our coaching staff over UK's class & coaches every time.

[dailydoublecat]

I think Florida gets Randle and UK gets Wiggins and we will both be in the top 3 in the nation. The battles are going to be epic. There may even be 4 of them!!!!
Jeff

[InstiGATOR1]

Randle injures foot, said to be a minor injury and then his upcoming visits are discussed:

http://zagsblog.com/articles/randle-...#disqus_thread

[dailydoublecat]

Is Texas really a factor for Randle?

[REM08]

Originally Posted by dailydoublecat

Is Texas really a factor for Randle?

I've heard several people saying they're in the lead. I simply can't believe it. Why??? Wouldn't/shouldn't he want to play with other great players? Its the only way you win in the NBA. Its not going to hurt his draft stock. Don't tell me he's looking for a coach or a system that will be tailored specifically to him...

[UFG8rGuy3283]

Originally Posted by REM08

I've heard several people saying they're in the lead. I simply can't believe it. Why??? Wouldn't/shouldn't he want to play with other great players? Its the only way you win in the NBA. Its not going to hurt his draft stock. Don't tell me he's looking for a coach or a system that will be tailored specifically to him...

Completely agree. I get that it's the close school and I want to say I've heard he has other guys he played with committed or possibly already on the roster at Texas.

I think it's been well documented by most people who follow even casually, however, that Rick Barnes is one of the coaches that has done the least with the most in college hoops.

I'm not quite sure what to think other than, to some kids, playing close to home is that big of a deal. I just don't see the appeal other than being the hometown hero. Does anyone know if the kid is a huge Durant fan or something?

[REM08]

Randle out 3 months with broken foot.

http://www.usatodayhss.com/news/arti...-foot-fracture

[UFSECKINGS]

Why would any legit prospect want to play for Rick Barnes? Maybe KD has some insight...

[UFSECKINGS]

Originally Posted by REM08

Randle out 3 months with broken foot.

http://www.usatodayhss.com/news/arti...-foot-fracture

Damn....