VAN COLEMAN
Van is one of the nation's premier recruiting experts. E-mail
We have a new No.1 as Kansas with the addition of Quintrell Thomas and JUCO super Tyrone Appleton top the new rankings as we head down the stretch to the spring signing period.
Another school which made a big move was Maryland, which has jumped from unranked to the No.11 spot after adding two of the nation's top fifteen junior college talents. Oklahoma moved into the top fifteen, while over the past weekend Tennessee with the addition of our No.18 rated senior Scotty Hopson jumped to the No.16 spot after being one of the near misses to our rankings last fall. Other schools that cracked the top thirty with spring additions are New Mexico, Iowa, and Texas Tech; will others follow?
It could happen as recruiting is far from over. Currently there are now a number of available talents, especially since a number of coaching positions have opened and are starting to be filled. We have at least ten high school and JUCO talents, led by our No.4 rated senior Tyreke Evans, who can make an impact on the national rankings this spring. We will look at those players in the second part of this column.
But first I thought we ought to have a starting point, recruiting-wise, as we head down the stretch toward the spring signing period that lasts through May 15th. So with that in mind here is our first look this spring at the Pre-Signing Day Top 30 Recruiting Classes:
1.Kansas- 6 Recruits: Mario Little 6-foot-5 SF Chipola CC (Fla.); Tyrone Appleton 6-foot-3 PG Midland CC (Tex.); Marcus Morris 6-foot-9 SF Pennsauken Apex Academies (N.J.); Markieff Morris 6-foot-10 C Pennsauken Apex Academies (N.J.); Travis Releford 6-foot-4 SG Shawnee Mission Bishop Miege (Mo.); Quintrell Thomas 6-foot-8 PF Elizabeth St. Patrick (N.J.)
2.UCLA- 4 Recruits: Jrue Holiday 6-foot-3 PG North Hollywood Campbell Hall (Calif.); Malcolm Lee 6-foot-4 PG Riverside J.W. North (Calif.); Drew Gordon 6-foot-9 PF San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) (Calif.); Jerime Anderson 6-foot-2 PG AnaheimCanyon (Calif.)
3. Louisville-5 Recruits: Samardo Samuels 6-foot-8 PF Newark St. Benedict (N.J.); Terrence Jennings 6-foot-10 C Fitchburg Notre Dame (Mass.); Melquan Bolding 6-foot-3 SG Fitchburg Notre Dame (Mass.); Jared Swopshire 6-foot-8 SF Bradenton Pendleton School (Fla.); Kyle Kuric 6-foot-5 SG Evansville Memorial (Ind.)
4. Florida- 5 Recruits: Eloy Vargas 6-foot-10 PF Plantation American Heritage (Fla.); Erving Walker 5-foot-8 PG Middle Village Christ the King (N.Y.); Ray Shipman 6-foot-3 SG Miami Monsignor Pace (Fla.); Kenny Kadji 6-foot-10 C Bradenton Pendleton School (Fla.); Allan Chaney 6-foot-9 PF New London (Conn.)
5.Arizona- 4 Recruits: Brandon Jennings 6-foot-1 PG Mouth of Wilson Oak Hill (Va.); Emmanuel Negedu 6-foot-7 PF Wolfeboro Brewster Academy (N.H.); Jeff Withey 7-foot-0 C San Diego Horizon (Calif.); Brendan Lavender 6-foot-5 SG Mesa Mountain View (Ariz.)
6.Georgetown- 4 Recruits: Greg Monroe 6-foot-10 PF Harvey Helen Cox (La.); Chris Braswell 6-foot-9 PF Chatham Hargrave Military (Va.); Jason Clark 6-foot-2 SG Arlington Bishop O'Connell (Va.); Henry Sims6-foot-9 PF Baltimore Mount St. Joseph's (Md.)
7.Ohio State- 5 Recruits: William Buford 6-foot-5 SG Toledo Libbey (Ohio); B.J. Mullens 6-foot-11 C Canal Winchester (Ohio); Anthony Crater 6-foot-1 PG Wolfeboro Brewster Academy (N.H.); Walter Offutt 6-foot-3 SG Indianapolis Warren Central (Ind.);Walk-on: Terrelle Pryor 6-foot-6 SF Jeanette (Penn.)-Football signee
8. Florida State- 6 Recruits: Chris Singleton 6-foot-8 PF Dunwoody (Ga.); Derwin Kitchen 6-foot-4 PG Iowa Western CC (Ia.); Xavier Gibson 6-foot-11 C Dothan Northview (Ala.); Luke Loucks 6-foot-4 PG Clearwater (Fla.); Deividas Dulkys 6-foot-3 PG Henderson Findlay Prep (Nev.); Pierre Jordan 5-foot-11 PG Dunwoody (Ga.)
9.Minnesota-5 Recruits: Devron Bostic 6-foot-5 SF Southwestern Illinois CC; Paul Carter 6-foot-8 SF Missouri State-West Plains CC; Colt Iverson 6-foot-10 C Yankton (SD); Devoe Joseph 6-foot-3 SG Ajax Pickering (Ontario); Ralph Sampson Jr. 6-foot-11 C Duluth Northview (Ga.)
10.North Carolina- 3 Recruits: Tyler Zeller 7-foot-1 C Washington (Ind.); Ed Davis 6-foot-9 PF Richmond Benedictine (Va.); Larry Drew 6-foot PG Woodland Hills Taft (Calif.)
11.Maryland- 4 Recruits:Bobby Maze 6-foot-3 SG Hutchinson CC (Kan.); Ken Bowman 6-foot-9 PF Hutchinson CC (Kan.); Sean Mosley 6-foot-4 SG Baltimore St. Frances (Md.); Gus Gilchrist 6-foot-9 PF Hyattsville Progressive Christian (Md.)
12. Arkansas- 5 Recruits:Daniel Payne 6-foot-7 PF Coffeyville CC (Kan.); Courtney Fortson 6-foot-1 PG Patterson School (N.C.); Rotnei Clarke 6-foot-0 SG Claremore Verdigris (Okla.); Andre Clarke 6-foot-9 PF Mendenhall Genesis One (Miss.); Brandon Moore 6-foot-9 C New Orleans Holy Cross (La.)
13. Oklahoma- 4 Recruits: Willie Warren 6-foot-4 SG Fort Worth North Crowley (Texas); Orlando Allen 6-foot-11 C Paris CC (Texas); Kyle Cannon 6-foot-8 PF San Jacinto CC (Tex.); Ray Willis 6-foot-5 SF Atlanta Westlake (Ga.); Jamel Guyton 6-foot-2 PG Odessa CC (Tex.)
14.WakeForest-3 Recruits: Al-Farouq Aminu 6-foot-9 WF Norcross (Ga.); Tony Woods 6-foot-10 C Rome (Ga.); Ty Walker6-foot-10 C Wilmington New Hanover (NC)
15. Oregon-5 Recruits:Michael Dunigan 6-foot-9 C Chicago (Farragut) (Ill.); Matt Humphrey 6-foot-5 SG Chicago Hales Franciscan (Ill.); Drew Wiley 6-foot-6 WF Vida McKenzie River (Ore.); Josh Crittle 6-foot-8 PF Chicago Hales Franciscan (Ill.); Teondre Williams 6-foot-4 SG Norcross Meadowcreek (Ga.)
16.Tennessee- 4 Recruits: Scotty Hopson 6-foot-6 SG Hopkinsville University Heights (Ky.); Renaldo Woolridge 6-foot-7 WF North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake (Calif.); Phillip Jurick 6-foot-10 C ChattanoogaEast Ridge (Tenn.);Daniel West 6-foot-2 PG Saginaw (Mich.)
17. Missouri- 6 Recruits: Kim English 6-foot-5 WF Fitchburg Notre Dame (Mass.); Keith Ramsey 6-foot-9 PF Okaloosa-Walton CC (Fla.); Miguel Paul 6-foot PG Lakeland Kathleen (Fla.); Steve Moore 6-foot-8 PF Independence Truman (Mo.); Marcus Denmon 6-foot-2 SG Kansas City Hogan Prep (Mo.); Laurence Bowers 6-foot-7 PF Collierville St. George (Tenn.)
18. USC- 4 Recruits: Demar Derozan 6-foot-5 Compton (Calif.); Donte Smith 5-foot-11 PG Mt. San Antonio CC (Calif.); Malik Story 6-foot-5 SG Mouth of Wilson Oak Hill (Va.); Percy Miller 6-foot PG Beverly Hills (Calif.).
19. LSU- 4 Recruits: J'Mison Morgan 6-foot-11 C Dallas South Oak Cliff (Tex.); Storm Warren 6-foot-8 PF Monroe Richwood) LA; Delwan Graham 6-foot-6 PF Dunwoody (Ga.); Dennis Harris 6-foot-9 PF Jonesboro Mundy's Mill (Ga.)
20. Pittsburgh-5 Recruits: Jermaine Dixon 6-foot-3 SG Tallahassee CC (Fla.); Nasir Robinson 6-foot-5 WF Chester (Penn.); Travon Woodall6-foot-0 PG Jersey City St. Anthony's (NJ); Aston Gibbs 6-foot-2 SG West Orange Seton Hall Prep (NJ); Dwight Miller 6-foot-8 C Houston St. Pius X (Tex.)
21.New Mexico-5 Recruits: Isaiah Rusher 6-foot-8 PF Jackson Mississippi Elite Christian Academy (Miss.); Phillip McDonald 6-foot-5 SG Cypress Community Christian (Tex.); Will Brown 6-foot-8 PF Lenoir Patterson School (NC); Curtis Dennis 6-foot-4 SG Henderson Findlay Prep (Nev.); Nathan Garth 6-foot-1 PG Memphis Hamilton (Tenn.)
22.Texas Tech- 6 Recruits: Darko Cohadarevic 6-foot-9 PF Seward County CC (Kan.);Nick Okorie 6-foot-0 PG South Plains CC (Tex.); Darryl Arnold 6-foot-4 SG Jacksonville CC (Tex.); Corbin Ray 6-foot-8 WF Katy Taylor (Tex.); Tyree Graham 6-foot-2 SG Fayetteville Village Christian Academy (NC); Robert Lewandowski 6-foot-9 PF Overland Park Blue Valley West (Kan.)
23.Iowa- 6 Recruits: Matt Gatens 6-foot-5 WF Iowa City City High (Ia.); Devan Bawinkle 6-foot-4 SG Highland CC (Ill.); Anthony Tucker 6-foot-4 SG Minnetonka Hopkins (Minn.); Andrew Brommer 6-foot-8 PF Rosemont (Minn.); Jermain Davis 6-foot-4 SG Kirkwood CC (Ia.); Aaron Fuller 6-foot-7 WF Mesa (Ariz.)
24.Alabama- 3 Recruits: JaMichael Green 6-foot-8 PF Montgomery St. Jude (Ala.); Tony Mitchell 6-foot-7 WF Swainsboro (Ga.); Andrew Steele 6-foot-3 CG Birmingham John Carroll (Ala.)
25.Michigan State- 3 Recruits: Delvon Roe 6-foot-8 PF Lakewood St. Edward (Oh.); Korie Lucious5-foot-11 PG Milwaukee St. Pius X (Wis.); Draymond Green 6-foot-7 PF Saginaw (Mich.)
26.Washington- 4 Recruits: Isaiah Thomas 5-foot-8 PG SouthKentSchool (Conn.); Elston Turner 6-foot-4 SG Roseville (Calif.); Scott Suggs 6-foot-5 SG Washington (Mo.); Tyrese Breshers 6-foot-7 PF Los Angeles Price (Calif.)
28.Auburn-5 Recruits: Tay Waller 6-foot-2 SG Okaloosa-Walton CC (Fla.); Frank Sullivan 6-foot-1 PG Uniontown R.C. Hatch (Ala.); Johnnie Lett 6-foot-10 Okaloosa-Walton CC (Fla.); Kenny Gabriel 6-foot-7 PF Kings Mountain Hope Christian (NC); Andre Malone 6-foot-4 SG College Park North Clayton (Ga.)
29.Kentucky- 3 Recruits: DeAndre Liggins 6-foot-6 WF Henderson Findlay Prep (Nev.); Darius Miller 6-foot-7 WF Maysville Mason County (KY); Kevin Galloway 6-foot-6 WF Southern Idaho CC (Idaho)
30.Connecticut- 3 Recruits: Nate Miles 6-foot-7 WF Lenoir Patterson School (NC); Kemba Walker 6-foot PG New York Rice (NY); Scottie Haralson 6-foot-4 SG Jackson Provine (Miss.)
30.West Virginia- 3 Recruits: Kevin Jones 6-foot-7 PF Mt. Vernon (NY); Roscoe Davis 6-foot-11 C Chatham Hargrave Military (Va.); Darryl Bryant6-foot-1 PG Bronx St. Raymond's (NY)
Editor's Note: These early rankings are done from our point system based only on the player rankings.No allowances or bonus points have been given for filling team needs or based on a player's impact to the program.Those additions will be made when we do our final rankings of the classes in May once the signing period is complete.
As we mentioned earlier there are a number of players who can have an impact on the spring recruiting rankings. Below is a quick look at the players who will certainly affect our final recruiting rankings this spring:
No.4 rated Tyreke Evans 6-foot-4 SG from Aston American Christian (Penn.) is down to four schools Memphis, Connecticut, Texas and Villanova. He will make his announcement April 16th.
No.13 rated Devin Ebanks 6-foot-9 PF from Oakdale Thomas Moore (Conn.) has a list that includes Memphis, Texas, Rutgers, West Virginia, and of course Indiana. He will take three or four visits this month, so stay tuned.
No.46 rated Wesley Witherspoon 6-foot-7 WF from Lilburn Berkmer (Ga.) has visited LSU, Florida, Texas, and Virginia. He is looking to visit Clemson, but has also had recent interest from North Carolina.
No.111 rated Brad Tinsley 6-foot-3 CG from Oregon City (Ore.) has narrowed his list to seven schools, they include Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USC, Arizona State, Butler, and Oregon.
No. 140 rated Terrell Holloway 6-foot-1 PG from Cincinnati Harmony Community (Ohio) has reopened his recruiting, but still has Indiana at top of his list, but is looking at Cincinnati, St. John's, Tennessee, and a number of others.
No.143 rated L.A. Pomlee 6-foot-8 PF from Davenport Central (Ia.) has made big strides in the classroom and looks to Wisconsin, Illinois and IowaState as his early leaders this spring.
No.147 rated Verdell Jones 6-foot-4 PG from Champaign Central (Ill.) has visited Kentucky and Minnesota and has Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Illinois, and Kansas showing interest.
No.3 rated JUCO Juan Patillo 6-foot-7 CF from College of Southern Idaho has Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, UNLV, and OklahomaState as his early leaders.
No.7 rated JUCO Montrell McDonald 6-foot-6 WF from Cowley County CC (Kan.) has visited Kansas State and Oregon, he's also looking at Kansas, Miami, Texas Tech, and Wichita State.
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