Updated ESPN Top 100 Rankings

[The Process]

Except that UK sells 24,000 tickets a game. The NCAA may look at them and give them a behind-the-scenes warning, but they won't shut down a program that is a money-making machine.  

They kinda did when they put those penalties on Penn St.

If the public does find out that Cal has been naughty... They'd kill the program.

That program would still seat 24000 after reinstatement, unlike SMU though.

[Henry Sugar]

Just reposting this to recalibrate the freshmen expectations. The question for now is if the other recruiting rankings will be consistent with ESPN, or if ESPN is an outlier. Regardless, JJJ and Burton should both expect a slight bump.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=38359.msg489808#msg489808

[kmwtrucks]

I think that most sites under Value Mckay.  Who is either the best Juco in the country or the 2nd.  He would have as much a impact next year as a top 50.  

[Dawson Rental]

The Big East is represented by 11 top 100 recruits with Villanova still in the running for one of the two still to commit.  MU leads with three, Nova has two.  Only Creighton and Butler missed out.  Damn, that means that both DePaul and Seton Hall both got top 100 point guards!  Thanks for firing Carmody, Northwestern.  That got former NU assistant Fred Hill to Seton Hall and Jaren Sina to Seton Hall.  I have heard that Fred Hill is well connected with the New Jersey AAU scene, so hopefully this is the start of a Hall revival.  Keep your fingers crossed.  DePaul got Billy Garret, Jr. presumably with his recruitment headed up by DePaul assistant Billy Garret, Sr.  

Top rated Big East recruit was PG Rysheed Jordan at 17 to St. John's.  Five of the 11 are PG's.  MU got the three top rated guys after Jordan for 3 of the top 4 going to the Big East.

[setyoursightsnorth]

And they could be adding Wiggins too.

Wiggins isn't going to Kentucky. Most likely FSU.

[Galway Eagle]

I'm not sure where the amigos were ranked because I wasn't following recruiting at the time but I think they were all in between 50-100 so I'm pretty sure this class, on paper, is much better. Also I've been wondering for a while what other schools were those guys considering, who did we beat out?

#61 James #85 Matthews #99 Mcneal according to Rivals

[Pakuni]

I'm not sure where the amigos were ranked because I wasn't following recruiting at the time but I think they were all in between 50-100 so I'm pretty sure this class, on paper, is much better. Also I've been wondering for a while what other schools were those guys considering, who did we beat out?

RSCI rankings:

DJ - 36
McNeal - 57
Wes - 61

Going by memory here, but DJ's main suitors other than MU were Notre Dame and Purdue; Wes' finalists were MU, UW and Georgia Tech; Jerel's were Purdue and Dayton, along with MU.

[bilsu]

Right now it is the in thing for top 10 players to go to Kentucky. I do not think Cal needs to cheat right now. The new Kentucky dorm for basketball players alone would attract most players (However, I could argue that a dorm that far exceeds the normal dorm is a form of cheating.). Throw in the Kentucky tradition, a recent national title and it is an easy sell to recruits on going to Kentucky. I do think the NCAA has to do something about one and dones, to prevent one university from repeatedly signing them as a one and done factory is not good for college basketball as a whole. Maybe all scholarships should take up a spot for two years even if a player leaves. Under that rule Ferguson's scholarship could not be reused this year, since he only stayed one year at MU. That rule would also significantly limit Kentucky's ability to replace several one in dones in one year. You would need to limit the number of walk ons a team could have the rule be totally effective. Otherwise, without some change in the rule the Kentucky will continue to recruit one and dones with no end in sight.

[LAZER]

Right now it is the in thing for top 10 players to go to Kentucky. I do not think Cal needs to cheat right now. The new Kentucky dorm for basketball players alone would attract most players (However, I could argue that a dorm that far exceeds the normal dorm is a form of cheating.). Throw in the Kentucky tradition, a recent national title and it is an easy sell to recruits on going to Kentucky. I do think the NCAA has to do something about one and dones, to prevent one university from repeatedly signing them as a one and done factory is not good for college basketball as a whole. Maybe all scholarships should take up a spot for two years even if a player leaves. Under that rule Ferguson's scholarship could not be reused this year, since he only stayed one year at MU. That rule would also significantly limit Kentucky's ability to replace several one in dones in one year. You would need to limit the number of walk ons a team could have the rule be totally effective. Otherwise, without some change in the rule the Kentucky will continue to recruit one and dones with no end in sight.

What's the problem with Kentucky recruiting one and done's?

[boyonthedock]

Yes, I also don't understand why this is a problem. They are recruiting the best basketball players for their basketball program. Isn't that the goal? If the best basketball players tend to go make millions of dollars in the NBA after a year, so what? I don't see how this is a problem that needs "fixing."

[MUMonster03]

11th--hard to believe with the studs coming in. Must keep getting these types to hang in the top 25 annually.

These rankings are all subjective Scout has us in a tie for 6th

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=14&cfg=bb&yr=2013

while Rivals has us at 9.

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1435977

[The Equalizer]

I think that most sites under Value Mckay.  Who is either the best Juco in the country or the 2nd.  He would have as much a impact next year as a top 50.  

ESPN lists us as having four 4-star and one 3-star recruit.  Assuming Dawson is the 3-star, it looks like they've fairly valued him.

[Aughnanure]

They kinda did when they put those penalties on Penn St.

If the public does find out that Cal has been naughty... They'd kill the program.

That program would still seat 24000 after reinstatement, unlike SMU though.

No one is killing Penn State's or UK's program.

[bilsu]

What's the problem with Kentucky recruiting one and done's?

Well if they can sign 8 like they did this year every year, no one else will ever win the NCAA championship. I would like to think MU has a chance.

[NotAnAlum]

Another thing that I think is exciting about the class we have coming in is that other than Embiid we got the top 3 kids we went after seriously.  In past years we've been in on a number of guys in the top 100 only to have them go to other schools.  It kind of created this "always a bridesmaid never a bride" thinking here.  Certainly it helps that 2 are from MKE but then you have JJJ who we took out of Memphis, a place we don't have strong recruiting ties.  Other than Embiid (which admittedly would have made for an over the top class) the only other top 100 guy we recruited hard and missed on was Nunn and since we probably couldn't have gotten him and JJJ it looks like we got the better player.
If Buzz can start building a good close percentage where he gets the kids he goes, for it is going to really help in building a consistent winning team.  And remember since the foundation for recruiting is laid several years in advance this great class was courted at a time during which we lost our whole assistant coach staff and had to "Buzz to " rumors hanging over everyone's head.  Keep stability and the pipeline is going to just get better.

[Coleman]

If we got Diamond Stone for 2015 and no one else I would be over the moon. I hope that's Buzz's #1 recruiting priority right now.

[Tums Festival]

Who here has ESPN Insider? They have MU ranked as the #1 sleeper recruiting class for 2013. Not sure if this link works or not, it would be interesting to see what they have to say.

http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/9234719/top-five-sleeper-recruiting-classes-2013-basketball-class-rankings

[The Process]

No one is killing Penn State's or UK's program.

Penn St had to give a ton of money up as punishment for the Sandusky Era.  Watching many of their players transfer out after sanctions were issued did effectively damage the program, likely for awhile.  And that's really where I'm going with that.

Back to the recruiting class...

It's great to have a highly ranked class - now the key for Buzz will be to sustain this year over year.

[Ardmore Mug]

1. Marquette (No. 11 class)
Coach Buzz Williams has a class that is tough, athletic and can score on the perimeter with a trio of top-100 recruits. ESPN 100 shooting guard JaJuan Johnson can score at a high rate in a variety of ways and plays with great urgency. ESPN 100 small forward Deonte Burton is a power driver who scores through contact and is tough as nails. ESPN 100 point guard Duane Wilson can score as well as any point guard in the class and is excellent in drive, draw and kick situations. Rounding out the five-man class, three-star combo guard John Dawson excels on and off the ball either scoring or setting up the offense, while juco power forward Jameel McKay will add rebounding and the ability to finish in the paint. Burton, Wilson and McKay are all local kids as well, so wearing that Marquette uniform will mean a great deal to them. This class has all of the ingredients to be a very productive group from day one and keep the Golden Eagles in the postseason for years to come.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Luke Fischer also went up a lot, Matt Thomas dropped.

From 141 to 34

[willie warrior]

These rankings are all subjective Scout has us in a tie for 6th

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=14&cfg=bb&yr=2013

while Rivals has us at 9.

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1435977

Don't getRivals ranking Loserville higher than MU. We have one more recruit and several with higher ranking. Louisville: 50; 80 in 2012; and 87 while ours are 35; 51 and 56 with a three star (Dawson) and both have a 4 star JUCO. Should be the other way around.

[Lennys Tap]

From 141 to 34

Who said TC couldn't develop players

[Stretchdeltsig]

The question is still on the table, how can Kentucky have 17 scholarship players on their roster?

[Spotcheck Billy]

well obviously they can't so something will have to change but Calipari may be the only one with the answers right now

[dwaderoy2004]

The question is still on the table, how can Kentucky have 17 scholarship players on their roster?

Chill.  People will leave, go off scholarship and "pay their own way", some may not qualify, etc.  It's not a big deal...