Look back/ahead to the Top 100 College Basketball recruits in the SEC

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/746405138181554176

You probably remember the last revolution. Every elite basketball prospect leaving high school was going to look at how Brandon Jennings rejected college basketball to play in Italy and figure it made more sense to earn money in Europe.

That happened in 2009. There have been seven NBA Drafts since then. The "revolution" has consisted of two additional top-level players choosing to play overseas, and one of them being drafted.

At least some of the writers who sold the Jennings experience as a transformative event in the U.S. basketball development process got a trip to Rome out of the deal. Those trying to present Thon Maker as the next precedent probably won't even make it to Milwaukee.

And neither will they be correct.

Yes, Maker was chosen with the 10th pick in the 2016 draft after hiding in prep school for a year. And yes, Skal Labissiere was chosen 28th after playing a season at Kentucky. Each of those players, however, brought a very specific set of circumstances to draft night.

Maker was a refugee from the Sudan as a young child who grew up in Australia and then moved to the United States in attempt to polish his burgeoning basketball talent. However, that took him to a number of different high schools and created a complicated enough academic background that the difficulty encountered by Kansas recruit Cheick Diallo establishing NCAA eligibility convinced his people that entering the draft instead would be the prudent course.

Labissiere came to the United States from Haiti to play basketball following the devastating earthquake in his home country. He was injured and missed nearly his entire junior season of high school basketball, then transferred high schools and found himself ruled ineligible to compete as a senior. He arrived at Kentucky with almost no serious playing experience and found himself quite often physically overwhelmed by Division I opposition.

Each player is uncommonly skilled for someone taller than 6-10. But whereas Maker declined even to expose himself to the competition at the Nike Hoop Summit, Labissiere excelled in that game...

At this point, we don't know what will become of either player. We know that Maker will earn about $2 million more than Labissiere over the first two seasons.

What occurred with Washington forward Marquese Chriss, advancing from a top-60 prospect in the prep class of 2015 to No. 8 overall in the 2016 draft, was exceedingly rare. And what occurred with Labissiere because of his lack of pre-college basketball experience was even more so.

We have seen Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis, Jahlil Okafor and Ben Simmons all go from elite college prospects to the very top of the draft through the one-and-done process. That's been the norm.

It's possible this will not matter at all to Maker's eventual performance in the league. But it hasn't been so long since Ndudi Ebi showed up in Minnesota unprepared for the NBA experience, directly out of a Houston high school, and was out of the league after playing just 19 games.

[jbcarol]

Since John Calipari became Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball coach before the 2009-10 season, UK has had 27 players (not counting Enes Kanter, who never actually played for Kentucky) selected in the NBA Draft.

Of those 27, a 25 (all but Josh Harrellson and Darius Miller [Gillispie recruits]) have left UK with remaining college eligibility, 17 as one-and-done players.

Given that track record, it is noteworthy how few Calipari-era, UK players have blown what can be the tricky test of when to turn pro.

Of all the decisions Kentucky players have made these past seven years on whether and when to turn pro, there are five most open to second-guessing.

5. Alex Poythress

What he did: Having completed his senior season at UK, Poythress did not hear his name called in Thursday night's 2016 NBA Draft.

The alternative scenario: What if the Clarksville, Tenn., product had gone one-and-done? His recruiting hype (the number eight recruit in the 2012 Rivals 150) and the promise of his athleticism would [sic] have induced an NBA team to select him.

4. Daniel Orton

What he did: Orton was the most highly touted member of Billy Gillispie's 2009 UK signing class, but spent 2009-10 backing up another freshman center, DeMarcus Cousins, once Calipari brought a major talent infusion to Lexington. In that role, the 6-10 Orton averaged a meager 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 38 games. Yet late in the 2009-10 season, Orton's name started popping up in mock drafts. One that ran in the Los Angeles Times even had him going in the lottery at No. 12 overall.

Once Orton put his name in the 2010 draft, however, he barley went in the first round (29th, Orlando). Plagued by knee problems, he's played in only 41 NBA games since then. After bouncing around the NBA Development League, Orton played for a pro team in China this past season.

The alternative scenario: What if Orton had instead returned to Kentucky for his sophomore season (2010-11)? Remember, once Turkish recruit Enes Kanter was declared ineligible, 6-10 senior Josh Harrellson became an interior staple on a team that reached the Final Four.

What if Orton instead logged those center minutes for UK in 2010-11? [Or also, highly likely, what if his knees betrayed him?]

3. Skal Labissiere

What he did: After an uneven freshman season at Kentucky, the willowy Haitian big man put his name in the 2016 NBA Draft anyway. The good news is he was chosen in the first round by Phoenix at No. 28, but is slated to be traded to Sacramento.

While that will bring a guaranteed contract [He and his Memphis handlers take the money and run.]

2. Dakari Johnson

What he did: At UK, Johnson had a more effective freshman season (56.9 percent field-goal shooting) in 2013-14 than sophomore year (50.6 percent) in 2014-15. Yet, the 7-foot center was among seven Wildcats who left early for the 2015 NBA Draft.

It was the second round (pick No. 48) before he heard his name called by Oklahoma City. Johnson spent this past season playing effectively (12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds) for the D-League's Oklahoma City Blue.

The alternative scenario: Johnson should have come back to Kentucky for his junior year. The 2015-16 Wildcats turned out not to have a consistent back-to-the-basket scorer. Had Johnson stayed at UK, he would have gotten a chance to be a featured player. He then would likely [sic] have been a first-rounder in a 2016 NBA Draft that was not nearly as deep with talent as 2015.

1. Marquis Teague

What he did: After quarterbacking Kentucky's 2012 NCAA championship team as a true freshman point guard (10 points, 4.8 assists), Teague went one-and-done. He sneaked into the back of the 2012 draft's first round, going 29th to the Chicago Bulls.

Since then, Teague has played only 40 games in the NBA since and spent 2015-16 in the D-League (15.7 points, 5.9 assists for the Oklahoma City Blue).

Had Teague returned to Kentucky for 2012-13, he would have had the chance to show far more of what he could do on a UK team that craved leadership at the point.

His assumption is that if players returned they would improve their draft stock (Ulis, Cauley-Stein, Jones) but his first example is Poythress.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 3h3 hours ago

ESPN 100 forward Savion Flagg has visited Texas A&M, Houston and Texas recently. Will cut down his list after July.

[jbcarol]

I couldn't help but wonder -- after watching Thon Maker go 10th in the 2016 NBA Draft while Skal Labissiere went 28th -- if it really might be wise for projected top-10 picks to skip college to avoid the risk of being exposed.

Because, this time last year, nobody would've taken Maker over Labissiere.

Not a single general manager.

But Labissiere spent the past year struggling at Kentucky, and Maker spent the past year not struggling at a prep school (if only because it's impossible to struggle at a prep school), and their projected draft spots basically flipped. Almost everybody had Labissiere going in the top five a year ago. Literally nobody had Maker going in the top 10 ever. But Labissiere fell well outside of the top five. And Maker went 10th to the Milwaukee Bucks. So now Maker is guaranteed to earn more than twice as much money as Labissiere over the next two years.

But what if Labissiere would've never played a minute at Kentucky? Where would he have been drafted if all anybody had ever seen him do is perform well in workouts, summer-circuit games and events like the Jordan Brand Classic?

I asked various sources those questions Friday. And basically everybody -- both college and NBA people -- insisted Labissiere would've probably been a top-10 pick if nobody had ever seen him struggle at Kentucky. In other words, that one year of college likely cost Labissiere millions of dollars because people stopped being amazed by his potential once he showed them he could not consistently produce, which means he would've been better off, at least financially, if he'd never shown anybody anything other than what he showed them prior to enrolling at Kentucky. It's impossible to intelligently argue otherwise.

From Brandon Jennings to Emmanuel Mudiay to Enes Kanter to Thon Maker, history shows that struggling overseas, missing games because of eligibility issues or spending a post-graduate year doing little at a prep school won't damage a prospect's NBA stock. But struggling in college will. That's the truth. And once you acknowledge elite prospects already skip the combine and refuse to workout with other elite prospects strictly to protect their draft status, isn't it fair to wonder if avoiding college completely is the next logical step to ensuring you get picked where most thought you'd be picked on the day you graduated high school?

[jbcarol]

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2017

15. Austin Wiley                  AU   Spain Park

31. Dan Gafford                   UA  El Dorado

34. Davion Mitchell               AU  Liberty County (GA)

55. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander  UF  Hamilton Heights Christian

128. DeAundre Ballard          UF  Southwest Atlanta Christian

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/NextCats/status/747803033732423680

[jbcarol]

DeAundrae Ballard has been known as 'Ticket' since he was playing AAU basketball in eighth grade. The Atlanta product was his own ticket to Florida.

"They just want me to get better as a person and a basketball player," Ballard said. "They're going to stay on me and keep pushing me toward greatness, and I like that."

His father, Aundrae, always thought his son was a better baseball player as a kid. The elder Ballard considered DeAundrae a five-tool player on the diamond until a talk they had in middle school. That's when DeAundrae told his dad he wanted to focus on basketball.

DeAundrae is the ninth-ranked player in the state of Georgia, and 247Sports has him as the No. 74 recruit in the nation, right now. He's a versatile small forward at 6-foot-6...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/752702027289862144

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/753200762566475778

Here is the final roster:

Jarrett Allen (TEXAS)

Mohamed Bamba (Uncommitted)

James Banks (TEXAS)

Matt Coleman (Uncommitted)

Hamidou Diallo (Uncommitted)

Markelle Fultz (WASHINGTON)

Quade Green (Uncommitted)

Kevin Huerter (MARYLAND

Michael Porter Jr. (Uncommitted)

M.J. Walker (Uncommitted)

P.J. Washington (Uncommitted)

Trae Young (Uncommitted)

[jbcarol]

247 2017 rankings (SEC commits)

15. Austin Wiley                  AU   Spain Park

35. Davion Mitchell               AU  Liberty County (GA)

38. Dan Gafford                   UA  El Dorado

45. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander  UF  Hamilton Heights Christian

71. DeAundre Ballard          UF  Southwest Atlanta Christian

142. Saben Lee                  VU   Tempe Corona Del Sol

[jbcarol]

Jerry Meyer ‏@jerrymeyer247 16h16 hours ago

Head coaches from FSU, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M watching Simon Ejike-Obinna, Alex Reese, Garrison Brooks. Jamal Johnson hurt.


Jerry Meyer ‏@jerrymeyer247 23h23 hours ago

Iowa, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn head coaches watching Team Carroll v Pocket City (Jack Nunge, Garrison Brooks, Jamal Johnson, Alex Reese)

Mike Anderson also watching Team Carroll

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/755707369108021249

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/scoutrecruiting/status/756176767040139264

T.J. Starks could be classified as a breakout or top performer, considering the viewings of him have been so limited. But we gave him the nod here because of his strong play at the Great American Shootout.

Starks, a 6-foot-1 combo, led Urban DFW Elite to the title and showed he could impact the game on both ends in doing so. Starks is tough and aggressive. His first step is ridiculous fast and he consistently gets into the paint. Once there he's comfortable pulling up for mid-range jump shots, will often times attempt to get all the way to the rim or kick to an open teammate. Starks speed, toughness and strength help him on the defensive end, and he's tracking as a potentially elite on the ball defender at the next level.

Recruiting: Verbal commit to Texas A&M Aggies

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats

On the blog: Top-five basketball recruit Wendell Carter releases a list of his top 8 schools http://bit.ly/2ab6HNZ

Carter — a 6-foot-9 post player from Atlanta — told reporters at the Nike Peach Jam earlier this month that he had not heard from UK in several months. It's become clear that the Wildcats have moved on to other five-star big men in the 2017 class, but Carter is still keeping them on his list.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/756870528263086080

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 21h21 hours ago

Here's a suggestion for guys cutting down their lists. When you cut them, make sure it's a number around 5 or so — not 13 or 14.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/NextCats/status/757961067897221120

There's almost always a high level of turnover in point guard personnel at UK, and whichever top-ranked point guard signs with the Cats in the 2017 class is likely to be the day-one starter. Oklahoma star Trae Young remains at the top of John Calipari's wish list, and he's expected to pick either the Cats or hometown Sooners.

Philly native Quade Green was the Nike assists leader this summer and has emerged as another top UK target, though Duke has made Green its No. 1 priority at point guard. If the Cats miss on both, Connecticut native Tremont Waters seems to be the backup plan.

Bahamian 7-footer DeAndre Ayton is widely considered the No. 1 recruit in the 2017 class, but there are still many questions about his future. Ayton, who plays his high school ball in Arizona, has denied rumors that he won't be eligible academically to play college basketball or that he intends to skip college and jump straight to the pros. UK, Arizona and Kansas are the three at the top of his list...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/EvanDaniels/status/759060194609487872

Michael Porter and DeAndre Ayton ran away with the best prospect voting, combining for 65 of the possible 106 votes.

Porter, a 6'8" wing that has already pledged to Washington.

Ayton, a 7'0" post prospect out of the Bahamas, has been regarded as the top prospect on Scout since the initial 2017 player rankings.

"I love his skill set," one NBA Scout said.

Best-defender voting came down to two prospects: Bamba and Mitchell Robinson.

Both elite-level shot blockers, Bamba and Robinson, an early pledge to Western Kentucky [for Rick Stansbury], have had their fair share of impressive performances on the defensive end.

Out of 106 votes, Bamba, a 6'11" center with a 7'7" wingspan, checked in at No. 1, pulling in 24 votes, which was nine more than Robinson. What makes Bamba such a strong force on the defensive end?

"His length, timing ability and he's very active," one high-major coach said.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 2h2 hours ago

Gary Trent Jr. (@THAT_KID_GARY) told ESPN he has cut his list to five: Arizona, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan state and UCLA.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 24m24 minutes ago

ESPN 100 No. 42 Malik Williams announces he has committed to Louisville.

[jbcarol]

http://247sports.com/Season/2017-Basketball/CompositeRecruitRankings?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

18. Austin Wiley                   .9939  AU   Spain Park

35. Davion Mitchell               .9851  AU  Liberty County (GA)

38. Dan Gafford                   .9846  UA  El Dorado

45. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander  .9804  UF  Hamilton Heights Christian

57. Chuma Okeke                 .9773  AU  Fairburn Westlake

62. Galen Alexander             .9721  LS  Breaux Bridge

71. DeAundre Ballard            .9657  UF  Southwest Atlanta Christian

124. Khalil Garland              .9255   UA  Parkview

[jbcarol]

Bovada has made the odds of ex-Cat Jamal Murray being next season's NBA Rookie of the Year as 12-1. LSU one-and-doner Ben Simmons is a 13-4 favorite to be Rookie of the Year.

Bovada set 7-1 odds on ex-Cat Karl-Anthony Towns being the NBA Rookie of the Year last season. Jahlil Okafor was Bovada's 7-2 favorite. D'Angelo Russell was a 4-1 second choice.

Of course, Towns won the award.

[jbcarol]

100+ coaches name the NCAA player they'd most like to have on their team

There isn't a single First Team or Second Team AP All-American from last season playing college basketball this season, meaning the sport is missing obvious star power --

    T13. Malik Monk (Kentucky) 2 percent

Players who received only one vote are not listed

If you're keeping track by school, Duke had three players (Grayson Allen, Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum) receive votes, which led all teams. Kentucky (Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo), Villanova (Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins) and Kansas (Devonte Graham, Josh Jackson) each had two players get votes. For what it's worth, those four schools are first, second, third and fourth in the CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 (and one).

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 5h5 hours ago

ESPN 100 Wyatt Wilkes will take an official visit to Missouri the weekend of October 21.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/764161963446398976

http://247sports.com/Season/2019-Basketball/RecruitRankings?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

[jbcarol]

Scouting reports on eight of the prospects seen at adidas Nations that haven't been covered on DraftExpress prior: Chol Marial, Deng Gak, Makai Ashton-Langford, Chris Smith, Thomas Allen, Nathan Mensah, Onyeka Okongwu and Jericho Sims.

Born in Cairo, Deng Gak is a raw 18-year old South Sudanese big man (via Sydney, Australia) who has made significant strides every time we've seen him the past two years. Still at an early stage of his development skill-wise and physically, but has huge potential to continue to grow based on the flashes he shows. Getting recruited at the highest levels of college basketball, and for good reason.

[jbcarol]

Some of the SEC commits from the recently updated Scout rankings

13. Austin Wiley  6-10, 235   5-star  AU  Hoover Spain Park

33. Dan Gafford  6-10, 220   4-star  UA  El Dorado

37. Davion Mitchell 6-1, PG   4-star  AU  Liberty County (GA)

41. Chuma Okeke  6-8, 220  4-star  AU  Fairburn Westlake

46. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander  4-star  UF  Hamilton Heights Christian

92. S. Lee  6-1, PG               4-star  VU  Tempe Corona Del Sol

NR. Galen Alexander  6-6      4-star  LS  Breaux Bridge

NR. DeAundre Ballard 6-4     4-star  UF  Southwest Atlanta Christian

NR. Khalil Garland  6-4         3-star  UA  Parkview

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_AJC 11s11 seconds ago

New Story || Calipari says Willis "under a different eye" after arrest, but no missed games. Talks microscope, too:  https://www.seccountry.com/kentucky/calipari-uks-derek-willis-under-a-different-eye-after-arrest

Calipari on Thursday spoke to local reporters for the first time since Derek Willi's arrest in mid-June for public intoxication and said the senior forward will not miss any game time. That doesn't mean he won't be, or hasn't been, punished.

"You guys know I don't throw people under the bus. You guys know how I am. We deal with every situation in its own right. We gather information," Calipari said, although he'd never had a player arrested since coming to UK before the 2009-10 season. "Derek knows that he's under a different eye now than he was, but I'm not going to tell you specifically what we did. I'm not going to write your stories and do all that stuff. But obviously he and I have talked a few different times."

A few days shy of his 21st birthday, Willis was found passed out on ["a subdivision built out in the country"] street next to the open driver's side door of a vehicle. It wasn't a great start to what is expected to be a huge season for Willis, a 6-foot-9 sharpshooter who led the Wildcats in 3-point percentage in 2015-16.

"That's being here. That's being at Kentucky. You can't talk your way out of it," the coach said. "And that includes our staff. I can't go anywhere that they're not taking pictures of me sending them somewhere. Then I gotta explain when my wife calls me and say, 'You didn't tell me you were in L.A.' Like, what do you mean? 'Somebody took a picture with you and ...' I'm out recruiting, what are you talking about? I've been in three states today.

"So you can't – these kids know: they're under a microscope. But I tell them, the downside of being here is that side. The good thing about being here is you're at Kentucky and everybody wants to be here and you're here ... so you've got to deal with the other side."

[jbcarol]

 Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 21h21 hours ago

UF 2017 commits in Top 100 - http://brockway.blogs.gatorsports.com/13514/uf-2017-commits-top-100/ ...

ESPN unveiled its most recent recruiting rankings for the 2017 class on Wednesday.

The good news? A pair of current Gator commits made the top 100. Point guard Shai Alexnander (6-5, 175 pounds) is ranked 44th in the nation in ESPN's Top 100, while swingman DeAundrae Ballard (6-6, 195 pounds) is ranked 65th.

[jbcarol]

Some of the SEC commits from the recently updated ESPN rankings

17. Austin Wiley  6-10, 235   94  AU  Hoover Spain Park

44. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander  88  UF  Hamilton Heights Christian

48. Dan Gafford  6-10, 220   86  UA  El Dorado

55. Khalil Garland  6-4          86  UA  Parkview

61. Davion Mitchell 6-1, PG   85  AU  Liberty County (GA)

65. DeAundre Ballard 6-4      85  UF  Southwest Atlanta Christian

68. Chuma Okeke  6-8, 220  84  AU  Fairburn Westlake

71. Galen Alexander  6-6      84  LS  Breaux Bridge


NR. Saben Lee  6-1, PG        80  VU  Tempe Corona Del Sol

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/NickDePaula/status/771347432839884800

Former Bama commit

[Swinesong1]

*Reggie Perry  is a 4 star ranked #20.  Cutoff for 5 stars is #18

*Ethan Henderson is a 4 star ranked #85
*Keyshawn Embery is a 4 star ranked #106
*Desi Sills is a 3 star ranked #140

*Rodgerick Brown is a 3 star ranked #143

[FineAsSwine]

*Reggie Perry  is a 4 star ranked #20.  Cutoff for 5 stars is #18

*Ethan Henderson is a 4 star ranked #85

*Desi Sills is a 3 star ranked #140

*Rodgerick Brown is a 3 star ranked #143

No Joe?

[Hawg Red]

No Joe?

Unranked 3-star.

[Adam Stokes]

*Reggie Perry  is a 4 star ranked #20.  Cutoff for 5 stars is #18

*Ethan Henderson is a 4 star ranked #85

*Desi Sills is a 3 star ranked #140

*Rodgerick Brown is a 3 star ranked #143

Does anyone know what they were previously at before the update?

Weird that Perry is ranked 41, 38, and 20 on the three major sites but his 247composite is #79. Maybe they still have to update their composite.

[Swinesong1]

Does anyone know what they were previously at before the update?

Weird that Perry is ranked 41, 38, and 20 on the three major sites but his 247composite is #79. Maybe they still have to update their composite.

Perry was #73, Sills wasn't ranked and Henderson was #83.  Not sure about Brown.

[RealHog]

Our 18 class is loaded. Good to see Mike Getting it done. The SEC is full of ace recruiters now and he'll have to work to keep up.

Also I'll mention Perry is ranked #9 overall at Hoopseen. Corey Evans is the main guy there and he about as plugged in as anyone, #2 on accuracy for 247 Crystal Ball picks. If things he's top 10 I put more stock in that than most services.

[poloprince]

It's cool, he was a 5 star in my eyes the day he committed.  :razorback:

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 22h22 hours ago

Visits:
- No. 4 Mohamed Bamba: Michigan
- No. 10 Collin Sexton: NC State
- No. 18 Troy Brown: Ohio State
- No. 30 Chaundee Brown: Kansas
- No. 33 Makai Ashton-Langford: UConn
- No. 73 Savion Flagg: Texas A&M
- No. 80 Justin Smith: Xavier
- No. 83 Christian David: Pitt
- No. 90 Victor Bailey Jr.: Texas A&M
- No. 100 Usher: Yale

[jbcarol]

One that got away:

Adam Finkelstein Verified account
‏@AdamFinkelstein

ESPN 100 PG Makai Ashton-Langford tells me he has A committed to UConn. Led @RivalsNation to 4 championships this summer.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/jerrymeyer247/status/772846600758685696

[redleg]

According to 247Sports, Arkansas currently has the #1 recruiting class in the nation for the 2018 class! I am sure those rankings will change over time, but it's great to see this, regardless!
WPS!
:razorback:

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 17m17 minutes ago

Jeff Borzello Retweeted Mike Jones

ESPN 100 No. 47 D.J. Harvey ready to commit. Took officials to Notre Dame and Alabama in the last two weeks.

[jbcarol]

 Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 6h6 hours ago

Multiple coaches telling me recently that they are bowing out of recruitments when Rick Stansbury gets involved.


#DoneDeal

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/EvanDaniels/status/779345282022645760

No. 11 junior, E.J. Montgomery, commits to Auburn

In 2015 and 2016, Auburn has picked up at least one prospect ranked among the top 25 players in the country.

No. 13 Spain Park big, Austin Wiley is a verbal to Auburn in the '17 class.

[jbcarol]

New Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury has turned heads by getting commitments from five-star big man Mitchell Robinson and four-star shooting guard Josh Anderson. Both are rated as top-50 prospects in the class of 2017. Both are from Louisiana.

A story often told by Stansbury might help explain how intently he recruits. It involves him becoming head coach at Mississippi State in 1998 and his pursuit of Jonathan Bender, arguably one of the most ballyhooed prospects to come out of Mississippi.

"I'd been recruiting him for three years as an assistant," Stansbury said last month. "I'd just gotten married the year before. . . . I fell asleep thinking of Jonathan Bender. I didn't fall asleep thinking of my wife. Now, she didn't like that. I've told that story, but that was the truth."

Bender committed to Mississippi State, then decided to go directly from high school to the NBA.

"A player like that, the best in the history of Mississippi State, to be taken away from me at the last minute," Stansbury said. "That was hard because I put so much into it for four years recruiting that kid. It was a heart-stopper. And the next one didn't hurt quite as much."

Later, highly regarded prospects Travis Outlaw and Monta Ellis also committed to Mississippi State, then decided to go from high school to the NBA.

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN Sep 21

Multiple coaches telling me recently that they are bowing out of recruitments when Rick Stansbury gets involved.

Steve Lappas ‏@stlappas Sep 21 Pennsylvania, USA

@GoodmanESPN I recruited against him one time and that was it. Done !He actually showed up during my home visit with a kid!! Believe that?

[jbcarol]

Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels Sep 28 Kentucky, USA

Five-star point guard Trae Young won't be signing early, per his father. Wants to watch the schools recruiting him during the season.

[jbcarol]

Eric Bossi ‏@ebosshoops Sep 28

These ten freshmen will be counted on for big seasons and for a number of reasons. http://rvls.co/BossiBest

Bam Adebayo was considered a heavy lean to stay home and attend N.C. State. Instead, John Calipari was able to turn the tide towards Kentucky once he began to prioritize Adebayo during the summer before his senior year.

Why he's so important: As usual, the Wildcats have recruited a ridiculously talented freshman class that should have several difference-makers. However, the biggest question mark for the 2016-17 team is who will step up as a low post threat. Adebayo isn't known for being the most skilled post player, but he's got NBA ready strength and athleticism and the tools to emerge as a double-double type guy.


A one-time Pittsburgh commitment, Mustapha Heron surprised the recruiting world with a quick commitment to Auburn prior to the start of his senior season.

Why he's so important: Bruce Pearl and his staff have made all kinds of noise on the recruiting trail, but the Tigers have only managed a total of nine SEC wins during the last two seasons. Year three is the one where more wins will be expected and a big part of taking the next step will be Heron making the most of his strength, skill and versatility. Another thing to consider is this, while Pearl and his staff have cleaned up regionally -- particularly in the Atlanta area -- on the recruiting trail, Heron is one of the few out-of-region talents to pick the Tigers. If things go well for him, Auburn has a chance to extend their recruiting footprint.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/783819179539521536

It was media day for the Georgia men's basketball team, and Tyree Crump [ESPN Class o' '16 #82 overall], a freshman guard, was dancing because he feels no pressure. Not with what he's already endured in his life.

For the past five years, his mother Shantell has battled Lupus, a potentially fatal disease. Her name is tattoed on her only son's right arm.

His father was shot and killed before Crump was born. His name was Tyree Wilburn. His name lives on in his son.

All of this, Tyree Crump acknowledges, has a direct line to how Georgia fans will see him play over the next few years.

"I just go hard as I can every time I step on the court – and do it for her," Crump said.

Crump, a 6-foot-1 combo guard, can light it up from outside. That's the reputation he comes to Georgia having, after scoring 2,209 career points at Bainbridge High...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/783985049137975296

Bam Adebayo, Kentucky: No freshman in college basketball will be as physically imposing next season as Adebayo. The 6-9, 240 pound power forward has a body that's chiseled like an ice sculpture and his presence should give John Calipari what he was sorely lacking last season: a true interior scoring threat.

De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky: If speed kills then all of Fox's opponents are in major trouble. The 6-3, 160-pound floor general leaves opposing point guards stuck in the mud on defense and has all the requisites to join the long line of one-and-done play makers that have flourished under Calipari at both Memphis and Kentucky.

Malik Monk, Kentucky: The Wildcats went to the state of Arkansas to get this 6-3 guard, who will immediately be one of the top athletes in the sport. An above-the-rim finisher that can score the ball in a number of ways, Monk should really complement the skills of both Fox and Isaiah Briscoe on Kentucky's perimeter.

Mustapha Heron, Auburn: Tough, nasty, and downright driven, Heron plays every possession like it's life or death. A 6-4 guard with great versatility, this lefty has the chance to become an elite defender as the centerpiece of Bruce Pearl's second rebuilding job in the SEC.