2016 SEC Basketball Recruiting

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Updated 2016 Top 25 Class Rankings

#1 Kentucky Wildcats
Although they were pushed by Duke, Wildcats have four of the nation's top 13 prospects headed their way, led by the No. 6 overall prospect De'Aaron Fox. To go with four five-star prospects, Kentucky also has No. 27 overall prospect in Sacha Killeya-Jones. The Cats will at the very least lose Tyler Ulis, Skal Labissiere and Jamal Murray to early entry...

#6 Mississippi State Bulldogs
Fresh off a top 15 class last year, Ben Howland has things rolling in Starkville with five top 100 recruits, which is tied with Kentucky for the most. Schnider Herard is a tough, physical post player that will boost their post play. Mario Kegler is a versatile forward that can score, while Lamar Peters is a terrific passer, Tyson Carter is a versatile combo guard that shoot sit well and Wright is a strong driver and scorer. The Bulldogs also have a pledge from rim protector Abdul Ado.

Notable Commitments: Schnider Herard, Mario Kegler, Lamar Peters, Tyson Carter, Eli Wright & Abdul Ado

#17 Auburn Tigers
Five-star Mustapha Heron is one of the biggest gets in the class. Bruce Pearl beat out a lot of suitors for Heron who is a big time scorer off the wing. Jared Harper is a solid floor general who can stretch the defense and Anfernee McLemore is a power forward who could develop into a starter in time.

Notable Commitments: Mustapha Heron, Jared Harper & Anfernee "Penny" Simmons

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https://twitter.com/ESPNRNHoops/status/728245239018881024

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Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 2h2 hours ago

Reclassified 2016 G Markell Johnson said Virginia Tech making strongest push. West Va, Florida, Louisville, Ohio St, NC State, Xavier in mix

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Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN May 10

Former Arkansas-Little Rock signee Deshawn Corprew told ESPN he will visit Texas A&M this weekend. Also considering Kansas and LSU.


High School: Quality Education Academy

AAU Team: Boo Williams

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Jeff Goodman Verified account
‏@GoodmanESPN

Turkish forward Omer Yurtseven told ESPN he has committed to NC State. Could be huge for Mark Gottfried & Co.


Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 30m30 minutes ago

Jeff Borzello Retweeted Jeff Goodman

Scouts and coaches love him. One told me he would be a top-25-caliber player in the 2016 class.

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Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels May 14 Hampton, VA

Keanu Pinder selects Arizona over South Carolina | Story: http://www.scout.com/college/basketball/recruiting/story/1669882-keanu-pinder-commits-arizona ...

Junior College post player Keanu Pinder verbally committed to Arizona, according to Team LiVon coach Randy Livingston.

Ponder, a native of Australia, selected the Wildcats over South Carolina. He visited both schools.

The Hutchinson Community College standout will join a loaded Arizona class that already ranks among the top three in the country.

To go with Pinder, Miller has signed five-star prospects Terrance Ferguson, Rawle Alkins, Kobi Simmons and Lauri Markkanen.

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Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 34m34 minutes ago

Texas A&M has landed Top 100 player Deshawn Corprew, his coach Isaac Pitts told ESPN. Former Arkansas-Little Rock signee.

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Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 2h2 hours ago

Difference between UK/Duke situation...assuming Lee stays in Draft, UK does not need Matthews' scholarship for Bolden


Matthews is transferring from UK.  Marcus Lee wants to go pro but had one of the worst combine workouts of any participant and 3 or 4 new five stars ready to join the UK front court.

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Jerry Meyer
‏@jerrymeyer247

I'm expecting an announcement 4 Duke tomorrow from Marques Bolden. Should find out tomorrow.

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Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 3h3 hours ago Kentucky, USA

Marques Bolden will announce between Duke & UK today. He told Scout it will come shortly after 2:30 ET. Announcing with a teammate at school

✊ ‏@MarquesB__ 13h13 hours ago Desoto, TX

Signing in the main gym tomorrow at 1:30 .

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DeSoto C Marques Bolden committed to Duke giving them the 2016 recruiting crown.


Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 6m6 minutes ago

I am frankly ashamed of how many hours of my life I've spent watching grainy live video of an empty table in a high school gym.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/KyleTucker_CJ/status/733367930214338565

Wildcats are now left to worry about what happens if rising-senior forward Marcus Lee, who led the team in rebounds and blocked shots last season, stays in the upcoming NBA draft. Their margin for error, injury and foul trouble would be uncomfortably thin in the frontcourt next season.

And about that bigger picture, in which Kentucky and Duke will continue to butt heads for the nation's best recruits?

"There's always going to be another one with these two," Scout.com analyst Evan Daniels said. "The past four classes, they've each ranked No. 1 or No. 2 (nationally). It's pretty clear these two schools are recruiting the top prospects in the country better than anyone. The winner of this battle is just the winner of the battle, but it's not the winner of the war. I don't think this is stopping.

"The rivalry between the two is certainly growing, and it doesn't appear that either side really cares for the other."

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https://twitter.com/EvanDaniels/status/734908205273321472

Vila, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward, took official visits to Texas A&M, as well Missouri and Wake Forest in late March.

Vila played for FC Barcelona junior team. He also played for Spain in 2014 FIBA U16 European Championships and in the 2015 FIBA U18 European Championships.

A&M now has four recruits in their 2016 class. Vila joins top 55 recruits Robert Williams and J.J. Caldwell, as well as three-star guard DeShawn Corprew...

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ESPN SEC 2016 High School Basketball Recruiting Prospects

5. Bam Adebayo      High Point Christian          UK

6. De'Aaron Fox       Cypress Lakes                  UK

9. Malik Monk          Bentonville                       UK

14. Wenyen Gabriel   Wilbraham & Monson        UK

24. Sacha Killeya-Jones  Virginia Episcopal        UK

25. Mustapha Heron   West Haven Sacred Heart  AU

33. Braxton Key      Oak Hill                            Bama

47. Mario Kegler       Oak Hill                           MS

50. Robert Williams  North Caddo                     A&M

64. Schnider Herard  Prestonwood Christian       MS

65. Eli Wright  Owensboro Apollo / 22ft Academy  MS

76. Abdul Ado  Chattanooga Hamilton Hts Christian  MS

82. Tyree Crump      Bainbridge                       UG

85. Sedee Keita    Philadelphia / 22ft Academy  SC

89. JJ Caldwell      Houston SATCH Homeschool  A&M

91. DeShawn Corpew  Norfolk Quality Education Academy  A&M

96. Jared Harper     Atlanta Pebblebrook          AU

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Jay Bilas, one of ESPN's analysts of the NBA Draft, said this is not a vintage year for players

"I don't think it's one of the better years we've had for the draft," he said. "We've got some good players at the top. But it's not as deep as it's been.

"That doesn't mean we're not going to get some great players out of it. We always seem to do that. We don't have quite as many sort of top-flight players as you might have in other years."

This begs a question: Why are there fewer great players? There is no reason because these things are cyclical, right?

"There is a reason," Bilas said. "The class is not as talented. It wasn't as good a high school class. Next year is going to be much, much better."

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Could Georgia still add one more hoops recruit this year?

Georgia men's basketball team could add someone for this upcoming season.

At least that's what head coach Mark Fox said Tuesday at SEC meetings.

"We're still actively recruiting," Fox said. "And I would anticipate that we will continue to do so, try to fill that scholarship. Whether we do or not, I don't know."

Georgia has one opening under the NCAA scholarship limit, after the departure of center Osahen Iduwe, who seldom played and had two years of eligibility. But Iduwe's transfer came after the one player Georgia was known to be pursuing – Ohio State transfer Daniel Giddens – announced for Alabama instead.

Bulldogs, while they have a good core returning, could still use at least one more player who could join the rotation. A graduate transfer with immediate eligibility would fit that bill.

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Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 16h16 hours ago Kentucky, USA

Eric Villa turned down a professional offer in Spain & will stick with his choice of Texas A&M, he told Scout. Skilled 6-9 forward.

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https://twitter.com/NextCats/status/739524406146433024

Kentucky basketball program has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country once again, according to the final rankings released this weekend by the Recruiting Services Consensus Index.

The RSCI has been computing consensus recruiting rankings since 1998, and its numbers include individual player rankings from all of the major recruiting services.

The result was UK's sixth No. 1 recruiting class under Coach John Calipari and the program's first such group since 2013.

The Wildcats edged Duke for the top spot, despite the Blue Devils beating out UK for the late commitment of No. 1 center Marques Bolden. Duke had earned the No. 1 team ranking from RSCI in each of the past two years.

Though the Cats are back in the No. 1 spot, this is the first year since Calipari arrived in Lexington that UK has not signed a top-five recruit...

[jbcarol]

Arizona could lose top commit Terrance Ferguson to Aussie pro league

Was a former long-time Bama commit

Arizona's highly rated 2016 recruiting class may lose centerpiece Terrance Ferguson, even as most of the new Wildcats have arrived for summer school.

A report in Australia on Tuesday said the Adelaide 36ers are "close to formalizing" a deal with UA's highest rated signee, and 24/7 Sports said the five-star wing is expected to play professionally next season and sign an endorsement deal with Under Armour.

Ferguson did not enroll at UA for the start of the first summer session this week, though he has been expected to arrive for a "bridge" session class on June 20. In any case, enrolling at the UA would only bind him collegiately; he could always leave for a pro contract.

Ferguson's high school and travel-ball coaches did not return messages left by the Star, and an attempt to reach UA coach Sean Miller via a spokesman was unsuccessful.

But 24/7 Sports analyst Jerry Meyer said Ferguson will likely go overseas and sign a contract with Under Armour, possibly because he may not be cleared to play collegiately anyway next season.

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https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/742904284552015872

Adrio Bailey, a 3-star forward from Lakeview High School in Campti, La., was named MVP of his game, while Brachen Hazen, a 3-star forward from Columbia City (Ind.) High School, also made a big statement.

Bailey scored 17 points to lead the East team to a 72-65 victory against the West team in I-20 Classic All-Star Game. Hazen notched 12 points and six rebounds as the Indiana all-star team defeated the Kentucky all-star team, 106-84, in the states' annual matchup.

Bailey is rated as the nation's No. 58 small forward and the No. 12 recruit in the state of Louisiana. Hazen is rated as the nation's No. 52 small forward and the No. 6 prospect in the state of Indiana.

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https://twitter.com/JasonHButt/status/741283970713673729

Georgia's coaching staff built a strong relationship with junior college transfer Pape Diatta

Assistant coach Jonas Hayes flew to Senegal to visit with Diatta's mother

Diatta is one of three players in Georgia's recruiting class of 2016

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Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 58m58 minutes ago

2016 big man Ted Kapita is officially no longer committed to SMU, source told @CBSSports. Currently on NC State's campus for a visit.

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https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/744190040222248960

Kapita, a onetime Arkansas commit, would likely have been NBA Draft eligible in 2016, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, but now could come out in 2017.

He averaged 14.8 points and 8.0 rebounds for DME (30-1)

"He has a chance to be a special player," said DME Academy coach Chris Chaney when he committed.

After he failed to qualify to enroll at Arkansas last summer, Kapita was awash in rumblings, rumors and inaccurate reports. He was said to have signed a professional contract to play overseas. And the controversial AmeriLeague out of Las Vegas said Kapita had signed with them.

"Ted Kapita The FUTURE of AmeriLeague," the league Tweeted in September.

The league's now disgraced head Glendon Alexander, aka Cerruti Brown, also told me Kapita had signed with the league, and I reported it, as did others.

"Actually, I'm glad you mentioned that because that almost messed up my NCAA eligibility," Kapita, 19, told me in November. "I didn't sign anything for anybody."

The AmeriLeague was targeting players such as Kapita who failed to qualify for the NCAA (Alexander/Brown told me and other reporters as much), and Kapita said he spoke with Alexander/Brown about potentially playing in the Las Vegas outfit.

"He calls me, but I haven't committed or decided that I'm going to sign," Kapita said. "He called me but I didn't sign anything."

Kapita added that the fact that he was now playing for a post-grad team was proof.

"The fact that I'm here playing in high school, this is post-grad, this is almost high school," he said. "I wasn't qualified if you read my article online, so this is my post-grad."

It was also reported that Kapita signed a contract to play in France.

Kapita said he's not on Twitter and can't control what people report about him.

"I cannot stop people from saying stuff they want to say, we're in America," Kapita said.

Chaney also said Kapita never signed a pro contract, and sources close to at least one college recruiting him said they failed to find any evidence that Kapita signed with anyone.

Kapita emphasized in November the only thing holding him back from being college-eligible is his test score.

"I'm clear, but I didn't pass my test," he said. "My test score wasn't high enough. I gotta work on that and that's the only thing left."

Asked if he believes he will ultimately qualify for college, he said, "Yes, the only thing is my test. I don't have anything with NCAA, I don't have any problem with transcript, I don't have any problem. The only thing was my test score was low."

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Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 16h16 hours ago Atlanta, GA

NC State had a heck of a close to 2016. Reeled in 5-star Omer Yurtseven, Darius Hicks & now 4-star Markell Johnson all in spring.


https://twitter.com/jerrymeyer247/status/745072687064702977

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ESPN's recruiting analysts still think Kentucky's class is better. (Duke ranks No. 2.)

UK still has four top-20 players of his own, and five five-star guys overall, arriving this summer. Forward Bam Adebayo and guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk all look like immediate all-SEC-level players.

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Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 13h13 hours ago Barcelona, Spain

In case you're wondering, next years NBA Draft should have far superior talent. Much deeper. 2016 recruiting class = Best I've seen.

Evan Daniels ‏@EvanDaniels 16m16 minutes ago Saragossa, Spain

Jumping on the horn with @DougGottlieb on @KySportsRadio ....

Struggled when asked why Skal was #1 recruit in '15 class

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https://twitter.com/TexAgs/status/746880515358097408

6-0, 175-pound playmaker is best known for leading Bridgeport (Texas) High School to an improbable run through the class 4A UIL state tournament to win the 2015 state title as a junior.

Smith transferred to Notre Dame Prep in Fritzburg, Mass. for his senior season to shore up his academic record

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https://twitter.com/PackPride/status/746436690122784768

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https://twitter.com/jerrymeyer247/status/746709484131622918

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https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/747946551574683649

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Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 3h3 hours ago

UCLA announces freshman guard Kobe Paras has withdrawn from school due to academic conditions of his admission not being met.

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https://twitter.com/JoshGershon/status/748205568687411202

Paras should be able to qualify for another D-I institution but didn't pass admissions to UCLA.

Paras, a 2016 prospect originally from the Philippines, moved to the states before his junior season. He played at Los Angeles Cathedral as a junior and prepped at Middlebrooks Academy as a senior.

The four-star wing should be able to play both the two and three offensively at the next level. He's got long arms, a smooth stroke, vision and is bouncy. He'll need to improve his intensity on defense and efficiency on offense, but if he takes coaching his upside is high.

According to sources, multiple other high major programs have begun inquiring about Paras...

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https://twitter.com/tblackmar/status/748577791495507968

Ex-Bama commit

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Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 39m39 minutes ago

MSU freshman big man Schnider Herard has lost 30 pounds since arriving on campus, a school spokesman told @CBSSports. Was 290. Now 260.

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https://twitter.com/sportstalksc/status/754565382707539969

USC basketball coach Frank Martin has one scholarship remaining for the 2016 class thanks to the departure of guard Marcus Stroman and he said recently he might use it if he can find the right player.  Perhaps he has identified that individual.

6-9 Ran Tut of Monroe JC, NY will make an official visit to USC on Sunday.  Tut is coming off of a visit to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  He said he also is considering San Francisco, Kansas State and Murray State.  He said Martin has not yet offered him.

Tut is a native of Melbourne, Australia and played two seasons at Monroe leaving him two to play at the next level.

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Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 23h23 hours ago

The early name that's standing out in Starkville among Mississippi State's top-five recruiting class: Lamar Peters. Southpaw PG has "IT".

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https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/758441046602899458

6-9 Tut was waiting for clearance from the South Carolina admissions office. Tut visited South Carolina on July 17 and officially received an offer from the school earlier today.

Tut, originally from Melbourne, Australia, averaged 8.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 30 games at Monroe College.

Tut is the sixth commitment of this year's class, joining Sedee Keita, Khadim Gueye, Maik-Kalev Kotsar, Rakym Felder and Hassani Gravett.

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https://twitter.com/TeamWill1/status/763737722653585408

https://twitter.com/TexasTechMBB/status/761197763702816769

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Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 5h5 hours ago

Mississippi State freshman Mario Kegler has been cleared by the NCAA, sources told @CBSSports. Fully eligible for the 2016-17 season.

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Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 13h13 hours ago

2016 PF Troy Baxter has committed to UNLV, his father told @CBSSports. Former USF commit. Huge news for the Runnin Rebels. #UNLVmbb

[jbcarol]

This year's SEC freshman class is loaded

An influx of name-brand coaches — including Johnson — has led to an influx of Top 100 recruits at schools other than UK.

Mississippi State's Ben Howland landed five Top 100 players as part of the nation's No. 9 overall class, per 247Sports.com.

Bruce Pearl brought the country's No. 23 player, Mustapha Heron, to Auburn. Billy Kennedy brought the No. 61 player, Robert Williams, and the No. 65 player, J.J. Caldwell, to Texas A&M (though Caldwell is ineligible to play this season). Johnson nabbed Braxton Key, the No. 57 player, for the Crimson Tide.

There are several more 4-star freshmen on SEC campuses, and most of them will see lots of playing time.

"The only thing it does is raise the height of our league," said LSU coach Johnny Jones, who brought in the nation's No. 1 player, Ben Simmons, last year. "Kentucky's done an exceptional job, year in and year out, of getting those guys, and I think to be competitive you have to get those guys, or you have to have 4-year guys."

Many programs don't have a strong group of upperclassmen, so the recruiting pitch is easy.

"Playing time, playing time, playing time," Howland said.

The Bulldogs will start "two or three" freshman from that highly ranked incoming class, something that Howland said he's never had to do before. The "Top 100" tag makes his team a target, he added.

"When they're playing against juniors and seniors for the first time, it's hard," Howland said. "Especially when guys come in 'Top 100,' guys can't wait to kill that kid. 'You're supposed to be hot? Can't wait to stick it to you!'"

What about Kentucky, though? Calipari has been able to win consistently with freshman-heavy teams.

"They are getting four or five of the Top 15 players every year," Howland. "And those Top 15 guys are really, really incredible. I think he got way ahead of the curve with his philosophy. I think it's been brilliant."

It won't take four or five of those players to turn another SEC program around, though. Ask Calipari.

"The greatest thing about basketball: You don't need the cavalry," Calipari said. "You need a couple guys."

One reporter noted, with that logic, Calipari could stop hoarding all the 5-star players.

"Well," he said, smiling, "we need the cavalry."