Looking Back: Re-ranking the 2006 recruiting classes

Last summer, we ran a series called Looking Back where we went through past recruiting classes to see how the players from those classes developed.

Why?

Well, for starters, it was a fun and interesting thing to do. You're not interested in the fact that Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green were once considered the best high school basketball players in the country? Its also an interesting way to keep fans from getting too excited when a top 25 recruit pledges to their school. Projecting the long-term ability of 17 year old hoopers is an inexact science, and never is that more evident than when you look back at past recruiting rankings.

This summer, we are going to go back through the Team Rankings. In other words, we want to see if the team that the pundits said had the best recruiting class really did have the best recruiting class. The science here will be a bit inexact. For starters, its tough to find consistent rankings. Rivals has them dating back to 2003, Scout to 2005, and ESPN to 2007. Its also tough to determine exactly what players had what effect on a given season. Did UConn's 2007 recruiting class -- which featured Donnell Beverly and, well, Donnell Beverly -- really have much influence on the 2011 national title?

For our purposes, we will be looking at the success that each member of each program's recruiting class had individually in college as well as the success that the team at while those players were member of the program. Like I said, it will be inexact, but inexact science makes for better arguments. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Re-ranking the 2003 recruiting classes

Re-ranking the 2004 recruiting classes

Re-ranking the 2005 recruiting classes

Re-ranking the 2006 recruiting classes:

1. North Carolina (Rivals 1, Scout 1): Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Brandon Wright, Deon Thompson, Will Graves, and Alex Stephenson

Its tough to argue with a recruiting class that produces two first round picks, another second round pick, three conference regular season titles, two conference tournament titles, an Elite 8, a Final Four, and finally a national title. That's a lot of hardware. Lawson, Ellington, and Wright were all immediate starters for the Heels. While Wright bolted for the lottery after one season in Chapel Hill, Lawson and Ellington hung around for the 2008 Final Four appearance. They also both decided to return to school -- instead of possibly heading to the NBA -- for their junior year, when the Heels rolled to the 2009 national title. Thompson became a starter on that 2009 title-winning team. He had his best year as a senior, but a very young UNC team struggled, missing the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Graves was a key role player for a couple of seasons before getting kicked out of the program. Alex Stephenson transferred to USC for his last two seasons, averaging 9.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg as a senior for an NCAA Tournament team.



2. Ohio State (Rivals: 2, Scout: 2): Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, David Lighty, Othello Hunter, and Mark Titus

The 2006 recruiting class for the Buckeyes is a tough one to rank. Oden, Conley and Cook all last just a single season in Columbus. But that single season was quite successful, as the Buckeyes won both Big Ten titles and made it to the 2007 national title game. Oden went on to become an all-american and the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft. Conley went fourth and Cook was picked 21st. The following year, OSU failed to make the NCAA Tournament and Hunter graduated. But Lighty, who redshirted his third season due to a foot injury, became a key figure in his last two years, playing a major role in back-to-back seasons where the Buckeyes won both Big Ten titles and made the Sweet 16. Perhaps the most memorable player from this recruiting class will end up being Mark "The Shark" Titus of Club Trillion fame.


3. Duke (Rivals: 5, Scout: 4): Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, and Lance Thomas

Oddly enough, the 2006 Duke recruiting class only produced three conference championships -- the 2009 ACC Tournament title and both of the 2010 titles. But that doesn't mean this group wasn't successful, especially considering they won the 2010 national title. Henderson was a key role player as a freshman and eventually developed into a star by his junior season. He left after three years, getting selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Scheyer was a starter from day one, becoming one of the best players in the country as a senior and the leader for a team that won the title. Lance Thomas was a career role player, while Brian Zoubek looked to be heading in that direction. But midway through his senior season, something clicked, and Zoubek became the most important piece on that national title team; a guy that could rebound, block shots, and bang in the post.


4. Texas (Rivals: 3, Scout: 3): Kevin Durant, DJ Augustin, Damion James, Justin Mason, Dexter Pittman, Matt Hill, and Harrison Smith

Rick Barnes is notorious for being a coach that can lure gobs of talent to Austin but cannot turn that talent into banners. His 2006 recruiting class is the perfect example of that. In a class that produced two lottery picks, another first round pick, and a second round pick, Barnes was able to make it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament just once -- in 2008 -- and only won a share of one Big 12 title -- also in 2008. Durant was a once in a generation talent at the college level and has become arguably the best player in the NBA, but he wasn't quite good enough to lead a very young Longhorn team higher than third in the conference or past the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The following season, Augustin played his way into being a lottery pick and an all-american, but Texas lost in the Elite 8 to Memphis. James was a double-double machine over his last three years (and an all-american in 2010) and Pittman become a force in the middle by the time he got into shape as a fifth-year senior, but Texas finished with just nine conference wins in both 2009 and 2010. Mason was a starter and a defensive stopper by the time he graduated, while Hill and Smith were never more than role players.



5. Kansas (Rivals: 12, Scout: 8): Sherron Collins, Darrell Arthur, and Brady Morningstar

There may not be a more consistent basketball program in america than Kansas. They haven't missed an NCAA Tournament since the 80's, they've won at least a share of the Big 12 title every year since 2004, and they have won five of the last six Big 12 titles. Collins, Arthur and Morningstar were all key cogs in keeping that string alive. Arthur was the first to really become a star, moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore and playing well enough during the Jayhawk's run to the 2008 national title that he became a first round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Collins was a role player his first two seasons in Lawrence, but when Kansas had their talent drain after the 2008 title, Collins became a star and led KU right back to the top of the league and into the Sweet 16. Morningstar started as a walk-on and redshirted the 2007-2008 season, but by the end of his career, he was a starter, a defensive stopper and a key long-range threat for Bill Self.


6. Villanova (Rivals: 14, Scout: 24): Scottie Reynolds, Antonio Pena, Reggie Redding, Casiem Drummond, and Andrew Ott

Villanova basketball may not be at the level it currently is if it wasn't for Oklahoma. You see, Reynolds was a McDonald's all-american back in 2006, but he reneged on his commitment to Oklahoma and found his way to Jay Wright and the Wildcats thanks to Kelvin Sampson's inability to control his cell-phone usage. As a result, Reynolds went from being a stud freshman to an all-american by the time he was a senior. Redding spent his career as a key role player for the Wildcats, while Pena became a consistent double-double threat by the time he graduated in 2011. The irony of Nova's inclusion on this list is that they never won a conference title while these class was in school, although a large part of that was the result of the strength of the Big East conference. They made five NCAA Tournaments, the 2008 Sweet Sixteen and the 2009 Final Four.


7. Davidson (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Stephen Curry, Bryant Barr, Will Archambault, and Dan Nelms

Stephen Curry. Enough said? In terms of production, no player in the 2006 recruiting class comes close to Curry. He averaged 20 ppg from the second he stepped on campus at Davidson, bumping that up to 28.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.6 apg, and 2.5 spg as a junior. In the middle, Curry led the Wildcats on one of the most memorable NCAA Tournament runs of all-time, taking the SoCon school to within a possession of the Final Four in 2008. In Curry's three years on campus, Davison went 57-3 in league play, winning three regular season titles. Unfortunately, they lost in the title game of the 2009 SoCon Tournament. More impressive, still, is that both Barr and Archambault became key pieces in the Wildcat lineup before their careers were over.


8. Cornell (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Ryan Wittman, Jeff Foote, Louis Dale, Geoff Reeves, Jon Jacques, and Pete Reynolds

Cornell's basketball program had been on the rise for a couple of years, but this class took it to another level and led Steve Donahue to the head coaching gig at Boston College. After finishing third in the conference as freshmen, Cornell started a string of three consecutive Ivy League titles stretching from 2008-2010. In 2008, Dale was the Ivy player of the year. In 2010, Wittman won that honor. Those two, and Foote, were staples on the all-league teams. After losing in the first round of the Big Dance in both 2008 and 2009, the hard work finally paid off with a Sweet 16 trip in 2010.


9. Louisville (Rivals: 9, Scout: 9): Earl Clark, Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, and Derrick Caracter

After missing the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Rick Pitino's 2006 recruiting class helped Louisville get back to the top of the Big East. Edgar Sosa immediately stepped in as a starter at the point for the Cardinals. Smith, Clark and Caracter were key role players on that team, who finished tied for second in the Big East. The following season, Clark teamed with Terrence Williams to form one of the most athletic and versatile forward combinations in the country. Smith became a starter at the two and Caracter was a productive malcontent. Sosa struggled to live up to the hype that his successful freshman season gave him. After another second place finish in the league, the Cardinals won both Big East titles in 2009, earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and making their second consecutive Elite 8. Caracter had already been kicked out of the program while Clark went in the 2009 NBA Draft lottery. Sosa and Smith returned for successful senior seasons.



10. Cal (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Ryan Anderson, Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, and Taylor Harrison

This recruiting class led to a resurgence in the Cal basketball program. The first two seasons that this group was on campus, they struggled, finishing at the bottom of the Pac-10. Anderson was a 20 and 10 forward as a sophomore and ended up declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft, where he was picked in the first round. Randle and Christopher returned and led the Bears to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and to the 2010 Pac 10 title.


11. West Virginia (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Da'Sean Butler, Joe Mazzulla, Wellington Smith, Cam Thoroughman, Johnnie West, and Devan Bawinkel

After missing the 2007 NCAA Tournament as freshmen, this group ended up going to three straight tournaments -- four if you include the fifth year that Mazzulla, Thoroughman, and West spent on campus. The star of this group was Butler, who became an all-american as a senior and led the Mountaineers to the 2010 Big East Tournament title and the Final Four the same season. They also made the Sweet 16 in 2008.


12. Stanford (Rivals: 11, Scout: 11): Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Landry Fields, Da'veed Dildy, and Will Paul

The Cardinal are an interesting case. Stanford has been down recently. Since this class enrolled in school, they've made just two NCAA Tournaments -- losing in the first round in 2007 and making the Sweet 16 in 2008. After that Sweet 16 run, both the Lopez brothers entered the NBA Draft -- Brook was picked third and Robin went 15th. The next two years were fairly ugly, as Stanford managed just 13 combined wins in the Pac-10. But Fields turned into one of the most underrated players in the country as a senior, averaging 22.0 ppg and 8.8 rpg, and was picked in the second round by the Knicks and becoming a key role player in NYC.


13. UConn (Rivals: 4, Scout: 5): Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson, Gavin Edwards, Curtis Kelly, Doug Wiggins, Ben Eaves, and Jonathon Mandeldove

The 2006 recruiting class was a very important one for the Huskies. If you remember, after the 2006 tournament ended, UConn lost essentially their entire team to the professional ranks; five players were drafted. The rebuilding effort was slow, as UConn struggled to an 11th place finish in the Big East in their first season. Midway through their sophomore campaign, things started to click. Robinson and Dyson were making plays with their athleticism, Thabeet was becoming a factor on the defensive end, and AJ Price (who was, for all intents and purposes, a member of this class after missing his sitting out his first two seasons in Storrs) was becoming a star. They made the tournament but lost in the first round. As juniors, everything clicked. UConn finished second in a loaded Big East, earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament, and made the 2009 Final Four. Thabeet went on to become the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft. The following season, the Huskies once again missed the tournament. Edwards became a solid starter as a senior. Kelly, Wiggins and Eaves all transferred out of UConn.


14. Arizona (Rivals: 25, Scout: 19): Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, and Nic Wise

The Wildcats were never quite able to perform up to their talent level while this group was on campus. They finished just two games over .500 in Pac 10 play in the three years that Budinger and Hill were on campus, although they made the NCAA Tournament every year and did make the Sweet 16 in 2009, but a large part of that can be attributed to a strong Pac-10 during that period. They also had a new head coach each season they were on campus. Budinger and Hill were both eventually drafted, while Nic Wise returned for a senior season that was terrific for him individually but ended a quarter-decade stretch of making the NCAA Tournament.


15. Maryland (Rivals: 19, Scout: NR): Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes, Landon Milbourne, Bambale Osby, and Jerome Burney

Clearly, the name that you are going to recognize on this list is Vasquez, who went from a talented but out of control freshman into arguably the most productive player in the country as a senior. Teaming with Hayes and Milbourne, he led the Terps to the 2010 ACC regular season title and would eventually get picked in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. Hayes and Milbourne were very good players for four years, but Maryland was never able to get through the first weekend in the three NCAA Tournaments they made while this group was on campus.


Take a look at some of the other recruiting classes that didn't make the top 15:

Clemson (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Trevor Booker, David Potter, AJ Tyler, and Karolis Petrukonis

Georgia Tech (Rivals: 8, Scout: 7): Thaddeus Young, Javaris Crittendon, Zach Peacock, and Brad Sheehan

Gonzaga (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Matt Bouldin, Will Foster, Theo Davis, Andrew Sorensen, and Abdullahi Kuso

Harvard (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Jeremy Lin, Pat Magnarelli, and Doug Miller

Hofstra (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Charles Jenkins, Mantas Leonavicius, Sal Patricio, and Greg Washington

Kentucky (Rivals: 16, Scout: 16): Derrick Jasper, Jodie Meeks, Perry Stevenson, Ramon Harris, Michael Porter, Marckus Boswell, and LaShun Watson

Northeastern (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Matt Janning, Manny Adako, Baptiste Batille, and Eugene Spates

Northern Iowa (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Jordan Egleseder, Adam Koch, Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Kerwin Dunham, Brian Haak, and Stephen Davis

Notre Dame (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson, Jonathon Peoples, Tim Andree, and Joe Harden

Oakland (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Keith Benson and Johnathon Jones

Old Dominion (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Gerald Lee, Frank Hassell, Keyon Carter, and Marsharee Neely

Siena (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Edwin Ubiles, Alex Franklin, Ronald Moore, and Cory McGee

Texas A&M (Rivals: 22, Scout: NR): Donald Sloan, Bryan Davis, Derrick Roland, Chinemelu Elonu, Bryson Graham, Jerrod Johnson, and Bryan Beasley

Tulsa (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Ben Uzoh, Jerome Jordan, Jamel McLean, Mark Hill, Rod Earls, and Sean Coleman

UCLA (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Russell Westbrook, Adam Keefe

USC (Rivals: 21, Scout: 17): Taj Gibson, Dwight Lewis, DJ Hackett, Kasey Cunningham, Kevin Galloway, Kyle Austin, and Davon Jefferson

Vermont (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Marqus Blakely, Joe Trapani, Kyle Robbins, and Nick Vier

Washington (Rivals: 7, Scout: 6): Quincy Pondexter, Spencer Hawes, Adrian Oliver, and Phillip Nelson

Wisconsin (Rivals: NR, Scout: 23): Trevon Hughes, Jason Bohannon, and JP Gavinski
Continue reading...

Looking Back: Re-ranking the 2005 recruiting classes

Last summer, we ran a series called Looking Back where we went through past recruiting classes to see how the players from those classes developed.

Why?

Well, for starters, it was a fun and interesting thing to do. You're not interested in the fact that Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green were once considered the best high school basketball players in the country? Its also an interesting way to keep fans from getting too excited when a top 25 recruit pledges to their school. Projecting the long-term ability of 17 year old hoopers is an inexact science, and never is that more evident than when you look back at past recruiting rankings.

This summer, we are going to go back through the Team Rankings. In other words, we want to see if the team that the pundits said had the best recruiting class really did have the best recruiting class. The science here will be a bit inexact. For starters, its tough to find consistent rankings. Rivals has them dating back to 2003, Scout to 2005, and ESPN to 2007. Its also tough to determine exactly what players had what effect on a given season. Did UConn's 2007 recruiting class -- which featured Donnell Beverly and, well, Donnell Beverly -- really have much influence on the 2011 national title?

For our purposes, we will be looking at the success that each member of each program's recruiting class had individually in college as well as the success that the team at while those players were member of the program. Like I said, it will be inexact, but inexact science makes for better arguments. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Re-ranking the 2003 recruiting classes

Re-ranking the 2004 recruiting classes

Re-ranking the 2005 recruiting classes:


1. North Carolina (Rivals: 5, Scout: 4): Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Marcus Ginyard, Bobby Frasor, Dewey Burke, Surry Wood, Thomas Wilkins, Will Robinson, and Michael Copeland

This crop of Tar Heels was as successful as any group in recent memory. After winning the 2005 title and losing Rashad McCants, Sean May, Raymond Felton, and Marvin Williams to the NBA, not much was expected out of the 2005-2006 team. But they finished 22-7 and second in the ACC, making the second round of the NCAA Tournament. From then on, this group won at least a share of the next three regular season titles, the 2007 and 2008 ACC Tournament titles, the Elite 8 in 2007, the Final Four in 2008, and the national title in 2009. Everyone knows what happened with Hansbrough. He was the first freshman to make 1st team all-ACC and never looked back, becoming a perennial all-american, a national player of the year, and one of the best college basketball players of all-time. Danny Green and Marcus Ginyard, who were both role players as freshman, became key starters by the end of their career while Bobby Frasor was a spot-up shooter and change of pace point guard for four years.


2. Kansas (Rivals: 1, Scout: 1): Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright, Brandon Rush, Micah Downs, and Matt Kleinmann

With Kansas graduating the likes of Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, and Aaron Miles in 2005, Chalmers, Wright, and Rush all played significant roles as freshman (Downs did as well, but he transferred to Gonzaga midway through his freshman season). All three of the players entered the NBA Draft by 2008, but in those three years, they were quite successful, winning at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title and the Big 12 tournament title every season. Wright entered the draft in 2007 and was picked in the lottery. Rush did as well, but he tore his acl during the workout process and had to come back to school as a junior. It was a blessing in disguise, as both Chalmers and Rush were starters on the Jayhawk's 2008 national title team. Rush was a first round pick in 2008 while Chalmers went in the second round but has become a key piece for the Miami Heat.


3. UCLA (Rivals: 16, Scout: 13): Darren Collison, Alfred Aboya, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Michael Roll, DeAndre Robinson, Kelvin Kim, Nican Robinson, and Ryan Wright

This recruiting class entered the UCLA program as the Bruins were experiencing a resurgence under Ben Howland. In their first three seasons in Westwood, the Bruins won the Pac-10 regular season title (and the tournament title in 2006 and 2008) and advanced to the Final Four, making the title game in 2006. Mbah a Moute was a starter from the minute he set foot on campus, while Collison was Jordan Farmar's back-up and Roll, Wright, and Aboya were all key bench players. With Farmar entering the draft in 2006, Collison moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and slowly developed into one of the best point guards in the country by his senior season. Mbah a Moute entered the draft after his junior season, becoming a starter for the Bucks despite being a second round pick. Roll and Aboya became starters by their senior season. Wright transferred to Oklahoma after his sophomore season.


4. Memphis (Rivals: 7, Scout: 6): Robert Dozier, Shawne Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Antonio Anderson, Kareem Cooper, Andre Allen, Chance McGrady, Travis Long, Jared Sandridge, and Ricky Sanchez

Half of this recruiting class -- Dozier, Williams, Cooper, and Allen -- were members of the 2005 recruiting class, but didn't end up playing with the Tigers after failing to qualify. The core of this group may have been the winningest recruiting class of all-time, going 149-15 overall and an astounding 73-1 in Conference USA play and winning both the league's regular season and tournament titles all four years. They made two Elite 8's, one Sweet 16, and the 2008 National Title game. Williams only lasted one season with the Tigers, entering the 2006 NBA Draft. Dozier and Anderson became all-league caliber players by their senior seasons while Douglas-Roberts became an all-american in 2008, entering the NBA Draft. Allen was the only other player from the class to get significant minutes with the Tigers as the back-up point guard, but his career ended in 2008 after failing a drug test during the NCAA Tournament.


5. St. Mary's (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Omar Samhan, Diamon Simpson, Ian O'Leary, and Wayne Hunter

Since Randy Bennett took over the St. Mary's program, the Gaels have been on a steady rise. But this class, as much as any in his tenure, keyed the surge that allowed them to challenge Gonzaga (and now BYU, I guess) as the premiere program in the West Coast Conference. The only player from this group to actually experience any kind of WCC title was Omar Samhan, who redshirted his first season in Moraga and was the centerpiece of the team that won the WCC Tournament title in 2010. But they finished second in the regular season in four of those five year (third in the other). Wayne Hunter (two years) and Ian O'Leary (four years) were key role players during their careers. Diamon Simpson had an immediate impact as a freshman before becoming a double-double machine forming one half of the best front court out west. The other half was Omar Samhan, who graduated in 2010 as one of the best true centers in college basketball. The Gaels qualified for both the 2009 and 2010 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2010 while knocking off No. 2 seed Villanova.


6. Marquette (Rivals: 22, Scout: 14): Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, Jamil Lott, and Matt Mortensen

This recruiting class didn't hang banners for the Golden Eagles, although they did have quite a bit of team success. After winning 20 games as freshmen, this group won at least 24 games their last three seasons. they never finished below fifth in the Big East standings and made the NCAA Tournament all four years. They won their first round game in both the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Tournaments. What makes this class so impressive is just how good James, McNeal, and Matthews ended up being. All three started for their four seasons at Marquette. James was one of the best point guards in the conference throughout his career despite having his last two seasons slowed with injuries and shooting woes. Jerel McNeal was a double digit scorer throughout his career and developed into one of the best all-around players in the country as a senior, getting the nod as the Big East player of the year according to us. The least heralded player of the group was Matthews, but he's gone on to have the best professional career.


7. Villanova (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Dante Cunningham, Shane Clark, Dwayne Anderson, Bilal Benn, and Frank Tchuisi

This crop of recruits joined the Wildcats at the peak of the Villanova program during the 2000's. As freshmen, Cunningham, Clark, and Anderson were all key bench players for the Big East regular season co-champions, a team that lost to national champion Florida in the Elite 8. The next two year, all three slowly saw their minutes and value to the program increase, but the Wildcats to find that same level of success as a team. They finished in the middle of the back in the Big East both seasons, although they did reach the Sweet 16 in 2008. As seniors, Cunningham became a star for Villanova as a face-up four while Clark and Anderson were the versatile, defensive-minded forwards that allowed the Wildcats to succeed. That team finished fourth in an absolutely loaded Big East (the three teams above them in the standings were all No. 1 seeds) and advanced to the Final Four. Cunningham would end up getting drafted.


8. Pitt (Rivals: 24, Scout: 23): Sam Young, Levance Fields, Tyrell Biggs, and Doyle Hudson

As with the rest of the Big East schools on this list, the accolades and the banners that were hung by Pitt during the tenure of this recruiting class won't be all that impressive due to the fact that they entered college just as the Big East changed to 16 teams and became the nation's premiere college hoops league. This group only won one Big East championship -- the tournament title in 2008 -- but they were a No. 1 seed in 2009 and won at least one game in four different NCAA Tournaments. They also made the 2007 Sweet 16 and the 2009 Elite 8. Biggs was a career role player for the Panthers and Hudson transferred out of the program, but Young and Fields both became stars. Young was a reserve power forward his first two seasons before moving to the wing as a junior and becoming one of the best small forwards in the country his last two seasons. Fields moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and by his senior year was the best distributor in the Big East and one of the premiere point guards in the country.


9. Syracuse (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Arinze Onuaku, Eric Devendorf, and Andy Rautins

Devendorf was the jewel of this recruiting class, and he played like it as a freshman, starting alongside Gerry McNamara for a team that made one of the most memorable runs through the Big East Tournament. After losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Orange would -- somewhat controversially -- miss the tournament the next two seasons. Onuaku missed the 2006-2007 season with a knee injury, but Devendorf became a star for the Orange while Rautins became a valuable shooter. In 2007-2008, both Devendorf and Rautins would miss the season with knee injuries while it was Onuaku's turn to move into the starting lineup. In 2008-2009, with all three players technically juniors, the Orange would return to the NCAA Tournament and make the Sweet 16. Devendorf went pro after the season, bouncing around basketball's minor leagues, while Onuaku and Rautins came back and played vital roles for the Orange's 2010 Big East regular season championship team. Rautins would eventually get picked in the second round of the draft.


10. Baylor (Rivals: 11, Scout: 18): Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells, Kevin Rogers, Muhammad Kone, and Jari Vanntaja

Scott Drew's 2005 recruiting class at Baylor didn't hang any banners. Hell, they only managed to make one NCAA Tournament, in 2008. But what they did was take a Baylor program that was still reeling from the the scandal in 2003 -- when Dave Bliss tried to frame Brian Dennehy as a drug-dealer after he was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson to cover up the illicit benefits he was providing -- and lay the groundwork for the program that Baylor is today, one that competes for the top recruits in the country and one that made the 2010 Elite 8. Jerrells, Dugat, and Rogers started throughout their careers. Jerrells was the best of the bunch, developing into one of the best point guards in the country by his senior season, while Dugat and Rogers averaged double-figures for their careers.

11. VCU (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Eric Maynor

12. West Virginia (Rivals: NR, Scout: NR): Joe Alexander, Alex Ruoff, Nate Tallman, Josh Sowards, and Sean Martini

13. Notre Dame (Rivals: 18, Scout: 18): Kyle McAlarney, Ryan Ayers, Luke Zeller, and Zac Hillesland

14. Wisconsin (Rivals: NR, Scout: 20): Joe Krabbenhoft, Marcus Landry, DeAaron Williams, Devin Barry, Morris Cain, and Kevin Gulkison

15. Washington (Rivals: 4, Scout: 16): Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon, and Artem Wallace


The most disappointing classes:

- Duke (Rivals: 3, Scout: 2): Greg Paulus, Josh McRoberts, Eric Boateng, Jamal Boykin, and Martynas Pocius

This group never lived up to their lofty expectations. Josh McRoberts, who along with Gerald Green was considered one of the two best players in the high school class, never appeared tough enough to play major college basketball and left school after his sophomore season to enter the draft. Greg Paulus had a better-that-you-think collegiate career, but was bumped from the starting lineup as a senior for Nolan Smith. Pocius was a career reserve that could never really crack the rotation, while Boykin and Boateng transferred to Cal and Arizona State, respectively.

- Oklahoma State (Rivals: 2, Scout: 3): Byron Eaton, Mario Boggan, Gerald Green, Roderick Flemings, Terrell Harris, Jamaal Brown, Keith Brumbaugh, Kenneth Cooper, and Torre Johnson

For how hyped this group was, the Cowboys had minimal success with them. Two of the three five-stars recruits never played a game for Pokes. Gerald Green entered the NBA Draft while Keith Brumbaugh had a series of arrests before eventually starring at a JuCo and entering the 2009 NBA Draft. Roderck Flemings played one season and transferred to Hawaii. Kenneth Cooper played two years and transferred to Louisiana Tech and then UAB. Jamaal Brown lasted just one season with the Cowboys. Mario Boggans, a transfer via Florida and a JuCo, had two very good years for the Cowboys but was never able to get them to the NCAA Tournament. Byron Eaton did as a senior, when he was one of the best point guards in the Big 12. Terrell Harris was a solid scorer throughout his career. But with the amount of talent Oklahoma State signed, one NCAA Tournament from this group was a major disappointment.
Continue reading...

Looking Back: Re-ranking the 2004 recruiting classes

Last summer, we ran a series called Looking Back where we went through past recruiting classes to see how the players from those classes developed.

Why?

Well, for starters, it was a fun and interesting thing to do. You're not interested in the fact that Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green were once considered the best high school basketball players in the country? Its also an interesting way to keep fans from getting too excited when a top 25 recruit pledges to their school. Projecting the long-term ability of 17 year old hoopers is an inexact science, and never is that more evident than when you look back at past recruiting rankings.

This summer, we are going to go back through the Team Rankings. In other words, we want to see if the team that the pundits said had the best recruiting class really did have the best recruiting class. The science here will be a bit inexact. For starters, its tough to find consistent rankings. Rivals has them dating back to 2003, Scout to 2005, and ESPN to 2007. Its also tough to determine exactly what players had what effect on a given season. Did UConn's 2007 recruiting class -- which featured Donnell Beverly and, well, Donnell Beverly -- really have much influence on the 2011 national title?

For our purposes, we will be looking at the success that each member of each program's recruiting class had individually in college as well as the success that the team at while those players were member of the program. Like I said, it will be inexact, but inexact science makes for better arguments. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Re-ranking the 2003 recruiting classes

Re-ranking the 2004 recruiting classes:


1. Florida (Rivals: 12): Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Taurean Green, Jack Berry, and Cornelius Ingram

For my money, this recruiting class is as successful as any this decade, maybe ever. Seriously. As freshman, Noah, Horford, Brewer, and Green were all major contributors for a team that finished tied for second in the SEC and won the SEC Tournament. After getting knocked out in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Anthony Roberson and Matt Walsh both declared for the NBA Draft and David Lee graduated, meaning that Billy Donovan was left with a young team that few expected much from. But those Gators really meshed, winning their first 17 games. They struggled a bit through SEC play, but the Gators clicked again during the postseason, winning both the SEC and NCAA Tournament titles. All four players returned for their junior seasons, and the Gators once again rolled through the regular season, winning a second straight national title. Noah, Horford, and Brewer all went in the lottery of the 2007 NBA Draft, while Green was picked in the second round. Berry was never more than a bench player, and Ingram was a football player that played one season.


2. UCLA (Rivals: 5): Aaron Afflalo, Jordan Farmar, Lorenzo Mata-Real, Josh Shipp, and Marcus Everett

From the first day they stepped on the UCLA campus, Afflalo, Farmar, and Shipp were starters for the Bruins. As freshmen, they played a supporting role to senior Dijon Thompson, helping lead the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament. As sophomores, however, is when this group really started to shine. In 2006, Shipp was injured four games into the season, but Afflalo and Farmar carried the Bruins to an outright Pac-10 title, a Pac-10 tournament title, and a trip to the national title game. Farmar was a first round pick after his sophomore campaign, but the return of Shipp along with Afflalo gave Ben Howland a potent wing combo. As a junior, Mata-Real also went from being a role player to being a starter. That UCLA team won the Pac-10 regular season title and once again made it to the Final Four. Afflalo entered the 2007 NBA Draft and was taken in the first round, but with talents like Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Darren Collison in the program, UCLA against made the Final Four in 2008. Shipp and Mata-Real were starters, but not the stars, on that team. Shipp returned for a fifth year in 2008-2009 and helped lead UCLA back to the NCAA tournament, but the Bruins were knocked out in the second round. Everett was a football player.


3. Kansas (Rivals: 2): Sasha Kaun, Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson, Alex Galindo, and CJ Giles

The 2004 Jayhawk recruiting class were, simply put, winners. Galindo played just one season at KU and Giles played only two, but the other three -- Kaun, Robinson, and Jackson -- went 111-19 in their careers and 52-12 in Big 12 play. They won a share of the Big 12 title in each of their four seasons -- winning the outright league title in 2007 -- and were Big 12 Tournament champions every year except for their freshman season. Finally, in 2008, Kaun, Robinson, and Jackson were all key pieces on the 2008 national title team. None of the three were ever stars for the Jayhawks, as Bill Self continued to bring in talented players, but each of the three played an important role every season they were in Lawrence. Jackson and Kaun both were picked in the second round of the 2008 draft after graduating.


4. LSU (Rivals: NR): Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas, and Garrett Temple

Davis was the only member of LSU's 2004 recruiting class that actually played as a freshman. Both Temple and Thomas redshirted their first year with the Tigers, but Davis was an immediate impact player, combining with Brandon Bass to form one of the best frontlines in the country and helping to lead the Tigers to a first-place tie in the SEC West. LSU lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament that season, but the following year Davis became a certified star, winning SEC Player of the Year as LSU won the league's regular season title. Thomas became a starter and a double-figure scorer, while Temple was a reserve guard. LSU would go on to make the Final Four in 2006, which would lead to Davis and Thomas declaring for the NBA Draft. Temple played out his eligibility in Baton Rouge, become a starter as the Tigers struggled in 2007 and 2008. But during his senior season, he helped lead the Tigers to a 13-3 finish in the SEC and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. All three wound up playing in the NBA.

5. Georgetown (Rivals: NR): Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, Tyler Crawford, and Cornelio Guibunda

These four players weren't the only newcomers to the Georgetown program in 2004, as the Hoyas hired John Thompson III. Combined, this group helped usher in a new era for Georgetown hoops. After finishing second to last in the Big East in 2003-2004, this group helped Georgetown improve to 8-8 in Big East play and advance to the NIT in 2005. Green was the biggest contributor, winning the 2005 Big East newcomer of the year award. Hibbert was a reserve big man, while Crawford saw limited minutes off the bench -- which would be his role throughout his career. As sophomores, Green and Hibbert combined to form one of the more promising front lines in the conference, leading the Hoyas to a 21-9 record and a trip to the Sweet 16. As juniors, the Hoyas would win both the Big East regular season and tournament titles, advancing all the way to the Final Four. Green, who became a certified star, would leave school to become the fifth pick in the draft. Hibbert returned for his senior season, where once again he led the Hoyas to the Big East regular season title. After getting upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Stephen Curry, Hibbert was picked in the lottery.

UPDATE: As a commenter pointed out, we -- inexcusably -- left Jonathan Wallace off this list. Wallace (who didn't show up on the lists of recruiting classes we looked at, probably because he was a walk-on) started as a freshman for the Hoyas and was an incredibly important piece in their two Big East titles. With Wallace in the mix, there's an argument to be made for Georgetown moving up as high as third on this list.


6. UConn (Rivals: 10): AJ Price, Rudy Gay, Ed Nelson, and Antonio Kellogg

In their first year with the Huskies, Gay and Nelson (who transferred in from Georgia Tech) helped the Huskies win a share of the Big East regular season title. Nelson played a limited role off the bench while Gay was a starter from his first day with the team. The following season, UConn was as loaded with talent -- four first round picks, five overall in the 2006 draft -- as any team the past decade. But after winning another share of the league title, the Huskies lost in the first round of the Big East Tournament and struggled to make the Elite 8, where the were upset by George Mason. Gay went pro and Nelson graduated, and the following season -- the first that AJ Price would play due to an aneurysm and a suspension for stealing laptops -- the Huskies struggled. Price became a star and a leader for UConn his last two seasons, however, carrying the team to a 2008 NCAA Tournament appearance and a Final Four appearance in 2009, despite having torn his acl in that 2008 NCAA Tournament. Kellogg transferred without having an impact.


7. Texas (Rivals: 3): LaMarcus Aldridge, Mike Williams, Daniel Gibson, Dion Dowell, Connor Atchley, and Kenton Thornton

This was a loaded recruiting class for the Longhorns, but not everyone stuck it out with the program. Williams and Dowell both transferred after their sophomore seasons without becoming impact players. Thornton never made it to Texas, eventually playing football for North Carolina. Gibson had a monster freshman season, but due to a series of injuries, the Longhorns struggled, finishing 9-7 in the Big 12 and losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The following season, Aldridge blossomed into one of the best and most versatile big men in the country. Gibson's numbers took a bit of a hit, but he became more of a point guard. Texas won a share of the Big 12 title, made the Big 12 Tournament title game and advanced all the way to the Elite 8. Both Gibson and Aldridge went pro following the season, but Atchley -- who redshirted his first year in Austin -- played out his eligibility. He was a key role player throughout his career, joining Kevin Durant in 2007 and playing a part of the 2008 Texas team that won a share of the Big 12 regular season title and, again, lost in the Big 12 tournament title game and the Elite 8.


8. Kentucky (Rivals: 1): Rajon Rondo, Patrick Sparks, Randolph Morris, Joe Crawford, Ramel Bradley, Lonnell Dewalt, and Adam Williams

The Wildcats didn't have as much team success as Big Blue Nation likely hoped from this group. They made the NCAA Tournament every season from 2005-2008, winning the SEC regular season title in 2005 and reaching the Elite 8. But that was the only year they made it out of the first weekend. That said, this recruiting class had plenty of individual success. Sparks, a transfer from Western Kentucky, made an immediate impact as a clutch shooter, averaging double figures over the course of two seasons. Rajon Rondo only lasted two seasons in Lexington before becoming a first round pick and one of the best point guards in the NBA. Morris went pro after his freshman season, but was undrafted. The NCAA allowed him to return to school, and he eventually became a force in the paint. After his junior year, the Knicks signed him to a contract immediately after UK's season ended. Crawford and Bradley slowly developed, but by their senior seasons, they were one of the best back courts in the country. Williams transferred out of Kentucky after one year, while Dewalt was a football player.


9. North Carolina (Rivals: NR): Marvin Williams, Quentin Thomas, and JR Smith

Obviously, Smith never made it to campus, heading straight to the NBA. Williams joined Smith in the league a year later, but not before he became a valuable sixth man for the Tar Heel's in 2005. And that 2005 was stacked, with Sean May, Ray Felton, and Rashad McCants the reason that Williams was forced into a supporting role. UNC won the ACC regular season title in 2005 before earning Roy Williams his first national championship as a head coach. Thomas would never become more than a back up point guard, but he was a part of a number of very, very good basketball teams. In 2007 and 2008, the Heels won the ACC regular season and tournament titles before advancing to the Elite 8.\


10. West Virginia (Rivals: NR): Mike Gansey, Darris Nichols, and Luke Bonner

The Mountaineers never had much regular season success with this group. But they were as good as anyone once the postseason started. Gansey, who transferred into WVU from St. Bonaventure, immediately became a star in John Beilein's system. He -- along with Kevin Pittsnogle -- was a huge reason for the Mountaineer's 2005 run from the bubble to the Big East title game, a seven seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the Elite 8, where they lost a thriller to Louisville. In 2006, the Mountaineers once again made an NCAA Tournament run, this time to the Sweet 16 where they, again, lost in a thriller to Texas. Gansey graduated in 2006, but Nichols was one of the players that stepped up in his absence. WVU missed the 2007 NCAA Tournament, but still made a postseason run, winning the NIT. In 2008, Joe Alexander became the West Virginia star, but Nichols played a major role for the Mountaineers as they won the Big East Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16, which included an upset of Duke.


11. BYU (Rivals: 17): Trent Plaisted, Lee Cummard, Keena Young, Chris Miles, David Burgess, Sam Burgess, Josh Reisman, and Matt Pinegar

12. Villanova (Rivals: NR): Kyle Lowry and Dwayne Anderson

13. Indiana (Rivals: 4): Josh Smith, DJ White, Robert Vaden, AJ Ratliff, James Hardy, and Lucas Steijn

t14. Butler (Rivals: NR): AJ Graves, Brandon Polk, and Gary Patterson

t14. Gonzaga (Rivals: NR): Josh Heytvelt, David Pendergraft, JP Batista, and Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes

15. Tennessee (Rivals: NR): Chris Lofton, Erik Ainge, Andre Patterson, and Damien Harris


The most disappointing classes:

- Alabama (Rivals: 8): Its tough to really find fault with Alabama in the 2004 recruiting class, as five-star recruit Ron Steele's knees simply never cooperated with him. He did averaged double figures in two different seasons, but never quite lived up to the hype. JuCo transer Jean Felix played two seasons as a role player. Albert Weber lasted just one year in Tuscaloosa, while Glenn Miles never played a game. The Crimson Tide did make the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments, but never got past the first weekend.

- Louisville (Rivals: 7): The Cardinals signed a ton of talent in 2004, the issue was getting that talent on the court in college. Both Sebastian Telfair and Donta Smith went to the NBA. Lorenzo Wade transferred to San Diego State after one season. Brian Johnson transferred to Mississippi State after two. Terrence Farley played four years with the Cardinals, but averaged more than 10 minutes per game just once. Juan Palacios was the only impact player from the 2004 class for Louisville, but he struggled as a junior and senior after a promising first two seasons.
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Looking Back: Re-ranking the 2003 recruiting classes

Last summer, we ran a series called Looking Back where we went through past recruiting classes to see how the players from those classes developed.

Why?

Well, for starters, it was a fun and interesting thing to do. You're not interested in the fact that Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green were once considered the best high school basketball players in the country? Its also an interesting way to keep fans from getting too excited when a top 25 recruit pledges to their school. Projecting the long-term ability of 17 year old hoopers is an inexact science, and never is that more evident than when you look back at past recruiting rankings.

This summer, we are going to go back through the Team Rankings. In other words, we want to see if the team that the pundits said had the best recruiting class really did have the best recruiting class. The science here will be a bit inexact. For starters, its tough to find consistent rankings. Rivals has them dating back to 2003, Scout to 2005, and ESPN to 2007. Its also tough to determine exactly what players had what effect on a given season. Did UConn's 2007 recruiting class -- which featured Donnell Beverly and, well, Donnell Beverly -- really have much influence on the 2011 national title?

For our purposes, we will be looking at the success that each member of each program's recruiting class had individually in college as well as the success that the team at while those players were member of the program. Like I said, it will be inexact, but inexact science makes for better arguments. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Re-ranking the the 2003 recruiting classes:


1. UConn (Scout: 9, Rivals: 14): Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams, Ryan Thompson

The Huskies were the clear winner of the 2003 recruiting class. Boone, Villanueva, and Williams all played key roles for the 2004 UConn team that won the Big East and NCAA Tournament titles. They became stars on the 2005 team that won a share of the Big East regular season title. Villanueva left school after his sophomore year, becoming the seventh pick in the NBA Draft, while Boone and Williams returned for their junior seasons. UConn again won a share of the Big East regular season title, but lost to George Mason in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. Williams and Boone left school after their junior years and ended up getting picked in the first round of the draft.


2. Gonzaga (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Adam Morrison, Derek Raivio

We all know about Adam Morrison. The kid that no one wanted managed to contribute to one of the most talented teams that Mark Few has fielded in Spokane as a freshman before becoming the 'Zag's go-to player as a sophomore and the co-national player of the year with JJ Redick as a junior. Morrison would eventually become the third pick in the NBA Draft. Derek Raivio didn't have quite as immediate individual success, but he played a key role on three teams before leading the transition -- and winning the 2007 WCC player of the year award in the process -- from the Adam Morrison era to the Matt Bouldin era. Gonzaga was 40-2 in WCC play in the three years Raivio and Morrison were both in the program, and Raivio was a member of four straight outright champions, winning both the WCC regular season and tournament titles every season. The only year Gonzaga made it out of the first weekend in the NCAA Tournament was in 2006, when they blew a 17 point lead to UCLA.


3. Wake Forest (Scout: 22, Rivals: 16): Chris Paul, Kyle Visser, Jeremy Ingram, Todd Hendley

Chris Paul. Enough said. Paul -- who ranked third behind Shannon Brown and Drew Lavender for point guard -- was as good in college as he has been since he entered the NBA. In his two seasons, Paul led Wake Forest to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, the Sweet 16 as a freshman, and a second place finish in the ACC regular season as a sophomore. He also managed to win national freshman of the year honors and was a consensus first-team all-american as a sophomore before becoming the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. The only other impact player from this class was Kyle Visser, who played a role for three years before becoming a third-team all-acc selection as a senior after averaging 17.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg.


4. Oklahoma State (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): John Lucas III*, Marcus Dove, David Monds, Tremaine Fuqua

(*The inclusion of John Lucas III deserves an asterisk. He was originally in the class of 2001, but he transferred to Oklahoma State from Baylor after the death of Patrick Dennehy and the resulting scandal.)

In their first season, this group had the best season in recent Cowboy history. They won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Final Four before losing to Georgia Tech. John Lucas III became a star on a team that already included Tony Allen and the Graham twins, while Fuqua and Monds were role players. In 2005, Lucas led the Cowboys to another Big 12 Tournament title and OSU's second straight two seed before bowing out in the Sweet 16. Lucas graduated in 2005, and for the next three seasons, Dove (who red-shirted in 2004) and Monds were role players and starters on three straight NIT teams.


5. Pitt (Scout: 21, Rivals: 9): Aaron Gray, Chris Taft, Dante Milligan, Antonio Graves

Jamie Dixon's first recruiting class at Pitt spawned two eventual second-round picks. Chris Taft was the player with the most immediate impact. He was a starter from day one, averaging double-figures as a freshman on a Panther team that won the Big East regular season title and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Taft left school after his sophomore season, getting scooped up in the second round of the 2005 Draft. Taft's departure opened up space for Gray, who became a double-double machine his last two years, anchoring a Panther squad that finished second in the Big East and made the Sweet 16 in 2007. Gray was picked in the second round in 2007. Graves was a typical Pitt guard -- contributed for four years, a starter his last two.


6. Florida (Scout: 16, Rivals: 12): Chris Richard, Lee Humphrey, Mohamed Abukar

Florida's 2003 is easily the most interesting to discuss and probably the most controversial in these rankings. None of the three players ever really advanced beyond being a role-player. Abukar transferred as a sophomore to SDSU (where he was all-MWC), but Richard and Humphrey stayed where they became members of three straight SEC Tournament title winners, the 2007 SEC regular season champ, and, most importantly, the 2006 and 2007 national champions. Humphrey started and shot a bunch of threes during the two title runs, while Richard played impressively enough in his limited minutes off the bench to spelling Joakim Noah and Al Horford that he became a second round pick.



7. Syracuse (Scout: 6, Rivals: 7): Louie McCroskey, Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols, Darryl Watkins

The year before these four arrived on campus, the Orange rode the coattails of freshman Carmelo Anthony to the 2003 NCAA title. But none of these four freshmen were as lucky, as all four were at the back-end of a short Jim Boeheim rotation, one freshmen rarely crack. The 2004 NCAA Tournament was the only year that this group made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As sophomores, all four were still coming off the bench but all four had seen their roles increase. The Orange won the 2005 Big East Tournament, but lost to Vermont in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. As juniors, Demetris Nichols, Terrence Roberts, and Darryl Watkins all became starters, but if it wasn't for the heroics of Gerry McNamara in leading the Orange to a second-straight Big East tournament title, Syracuse (who went 7-9 in the Big East) would have missed the NCAA Tournament. McCroskey transferred to Marist as a senior while Nichols became an 18.9 ppg and an all-Big East first team selection, but the Orange went to the NIT despite finishing 10-6 in Big East play.


8. Maryland (Scout: 3, Rivals: 3): Ekene Ibekwe, DJ Strawberry, Mike Jones, Will Bowers, Hassan Fofana

As freshmen, Ekene Ibekwe, DJ Strawberry, and Mike Jones all played key roles for a Maryland that ran through the ACC Tournament and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament despite finishing just 7-9 in ACC play. The Terps went to back-to-back NIT's the next two seasons before returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2007, where they beat Davidson but lost to Butler in the second round. Ibekwe, Strawberry, and Jones all developed together. As sophomores and juniors, their roles expanded before becoming starters, and in Strawberry's case a star, as seniors.


9. Wisconsin (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Brian Butch, Kammron Taylor, Zach Morley

The Badgers just barely get the nod over the Spartans. Kammron Taylor was the only typical recruit in this class for Bo Ryan. A seldom-used back-up to Devin Harris as a freshman, Taylor became the No. 2 option for the Badgers behind Alando Tucker as a junior and senior. Morley was a JuCo transfer that played valuable front court minutes in his two seasons, including the 2005 Elite 8 run. Butch was the most interesting recruit. A top ten player coming out of high school, he redshirted a season in 2004, something you don't see very often in hoops. Butch played a role as a redshirt freshman, slowly developing into the third option as a junior and the focal point as a senior, when he led the Badgers to Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.


10. Michigan State (Scout: 5, Rivals: 13): Brandon Cotton, Shannon Brown, Drew Naymick

Brandon Cotton, a McDonald's all-american, last all of three games with the Spartans before transferring to Detroit. Drew Naymick never became more than a limited role-player in his five seasons in East Lansing. Shannon Brown, as you know, ended up going in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft after becoming a second-team all-Big Ten pick. Brown played a supporting role for the 2005 Michigan State team that made the Final Four.



11. LSU (Scout: 2, Rivals: 4): Brandon Bass, Tack Minor, Darnell Lazare, Regis Koundjia, Robert Neltner

12. Oregon (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Aaron Brooks, Mitch Platt, Ray Schafer

13. Florida State (Scout: 1, Rivals: 1): Von Wafer, Alexander Johnson, Diego Romero, Antonio Griffin

14. Arkansas (Scout: 10, Rivals: 5): Ronnie Brewer, Olu Famutimi, Anthony Gray, Vincent Hunter, Darian Townes

15. Louisiana Tech (Scout: N/R, Rivals: N/R): Paul Millsap, Donnell Allick, Solomon Brown, Fred Marshall, JueMichael Young


The most disappointing classes:

- Kansas (Scout: 4, Rivals: 8): The Jayhawks brought in a six man recruiting class, but only two of the six players finished their career in a Kansas uniform. David Padgett transferred to Louisville, where he became a fixture for a very good Cardinals team. JR Giddens left Lawrence under some duress, transferring to New Mexico where he eventually became a first round pick of the Celtics. Omar Wilkes transferred to Cal to play with his brother. Nick Bahe finished his career with Creighton. Only Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case, neither of whom were stars, graduated a Jayhawk.

- Oklahoma (Scout: 14, Rivals: 2): The only player from Oklahoma's vaunted six-man recruiting class in 2003 that played their entire career in Norman was Longar Longar, and that was after he spent a year at a prep school. Drew Lavender started as a freshman but transferred to Xavier after his sophomore season. Brandon Faust transferred to Southeast Missouri, Lawrence McKenzie transferred back to Minnesota, and Jimmy Tobias went to a JuCo after one season and finished his career with Georgia Southern. Jaison Williams spent two years in a limited-role off the bench after transferring in from a JuCo.

- Mississippi State (Scout: 13, Rivals: 20): The Bulldogs 2003 recruiting class is one example of why I don't want to see the NBA allow players to go straight to the NBA again. Neither Jackie Butler nor Travis Outlaw ever made it to Starkville, which set MSU's class off on the wrong foot. Gary Ervin never really found a home with the Bulldogs, transferring after his sophomore year to Arkansas. Bill Begley finished his career at Nicholls State. There were some successful recruits in this class, however. Dietric Slater became a solid role player as a junior and senior. Iowa State transfer Shane Power averaged double figures in his two seasons in Starkville, although he was technically part of the 2002 class. And then there is Lawrence Roberts, who, like John Lucas III at Oklahoma State, transferred out of Baylor due to the scandal.
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Looking Back: The class of 2005

We have now officially entered the dog days of summer. As the temperature rises, news in our college hoops universe comes to a standstill. Recruiting news, on the other hand, doesn't. There are two extremely important observation periods during the month of July, and more than a few scholarships, and spots on top 100 lists, are on the line. Unfortunately, BIAH doesn't pay the rent (click on some ads people!!!), which means we can't be out on the road at events like Nike's Peach Jam. In other words, we won't be putting out top 100 lists for the class of 2013. But since it is July, and since basketball in July is dedicated to recruiting, we are going to spend these next few weeks looking back past recruiting classes and rankings. Some of the results will surprise you.

Class of 2003

Class of 2004

Class of 2005:

The Class of 2004 was as strong at the top as it was deep, with a number of quality pros -- not too mention Florida's class that won two national titles -- coming from way beyond the top 20, the top 50, and even the top 100. The Class of 2005 is the opposite. There may never be an NBA all-star from this class (although, Monta Ellis is getting close). There is still time to turn it around, considering these kids are just 23 and 24 years old right now and a number of the higher ranked players have become decent contributors at the NBA level. That said, the top two of the 2005 class have been massively disappointing.

One thing to note about the Class of 2005 -- it was the last year that high schoolers could enter the NBA Draft. In 2006, the one-and-done rule officially went into effect.

Click the chart to enlarge.

1. Gerald Green: Green went straight to the NBA out of high school, and while many expected the insanely athletic, 6'8" Green to be picked early, he fell to 18th to the Boston Celtics. Green played sparingly as a rookie in Boston, but in his second season, he managed to work his way into the starting line-up due to injuries. He wound up averaging 10.4 ppg, but was traded during the off-season to Minnesota as a part of the deal for Kevin Garnett. Green would bounce from Minnesota to Houston and then Dallas over the next two seasons, before spending the last year in Russia. This summer, Green played with the Lakers.

1. Josh McRoberts: McRoberts spent two seasons at Duke, where he made the all-ACC freshman team in 2006. And even though he improved as a sophomore, McRoberts never quite lived up to the hype he left high school with. McRoberts left Duke after his sophomore season, getting drafted 37th by Portland. After one season with the Blazers, McRoberts was traded to his hometown Indiana Pacers. He's played a grand total of 83 games in his three seasons in the NBA.


3. Monta Ellis: Monta Ellis originally committed to Mississippi State, but he instead went directly to the NBA where he was picked 40th overall by Golden State in 2005. After a slow start during his rookie season, Ellis really developed in his second season, earning the NBA's Most Improved Player award, upping his numbers to 16.5 ppg and 4.1 apg. Ellis became a starter, and eventually developed into one of the most explosive scorers in the NBA. This past season, he averaged 25 points and 5 assists.

4. Martell Webster: Webster decided to forego college, going sixth in the draft to Portland in 2005. Webster was a part-time starter in his first two seasons, eventually becoming a full-time starter and double-digit scorer in 2007-2008. It was enough to earn him a four-year, $20 million contract from he Blazers. After missing all but five minutes of the 2009 season, Webster returned to form last year. During the summer, he was sent to Minnesota for the right to pick Luke Babbitt.

5. Andray Blatche: Blatche is another guy that went straight to the 2005 NBA Draft, getting picked 49 by the Wizards. His career was a bit bumpy at the start -- he was shot before training camp his rookie season during an attempted carjacking, he got picked up for attempted solicitation in 2007 -- but Blatche has continued to improve every season. He became a starter by the end of this season for the Wiz, averaging 14.1 ppg and 6.3 rpg.

6. Louis Williams: Williams had a storied career at South Gwinnett High School, becoming the second all-time leading scorer in Georgia history and twice winning state player of the year. Originally committing to Georgia, Williams went straight to the NBA. He was picked by the Sixers, and after struggling to find minutes backing up Allen Iverson, Williams was sent down to the D-League. After tearing up the competition, Williams was eventually recalled, and became a dynamic scorer off the bench for the Sixers. He's averaged double digits the last three years, with career highs of 14 ppg and 4 apg in 2009-2010.

7. Andrew Bynum: Bynum committed to UConn out of high school, but instead decided to enter the 2005 NBA Draft at the ripe age of 17. He was picked 10th by the Lakers, becoming the youngest player ever to be draft, and eventually the youngest to ever play in an NBA game. Bynum was able to break into the Lakers starting lineup by his second season in the league, and by his third year he was averaging double figures. Since then, Bynum has been battling injuries to his knees, but when he is healthy, he is capable of averaging a double-double.

8. Julian Wright: Wright headed to Kansas out of Chicago's Homewood-Flossmor High School where he was voted the Big XII's preseason freshman of the year. While he didn't quite live up to the hype, he did manage to make his way into the starting lineup and average 8.5 ppg and 4.6 rpg for a team that won both the Big XII regular season and tournament titles. Kansas lost in the first round of the tournament that year, but Wright came back for his sophomore season. Wright would average 12.0 ppg and 7.8 rpg as the Jayhawks went 32-5, again winning both Big XII titles and reaching the Elite 8. It was enough for Wright to earn third team all-america honors and head to the NBA Draft, where he would become the 13th pick by New Orleans. Wright has spent three seasons with the Hornets, and while his career averages are 4.0 ppg and 2.3 rpg, he has become a part time starter.


9. Tyler Hansbrough: If you read this blog, than you know the career Hansbrough had at North Carolina. Four time first team all-ACC. Four time all-american. 2008 national player of the year. 2009 national champion. He went 13th to the Pacers in the 2009 draft, and averaging 8.5 ppg and 4.8 rpg in a season cut short by inner ear problems.

10. Richard Hendrix: Hendrix started all but nine games in his three year career at Alabama, developing into one of the best big men in the South. His sophomore season was when he really broke out, posting 14.8 ppg and 8.9 rpg. As a junior, Hendrix averaged 17.8 ppg and 10.1 rpg, earning first team all-SEC honors. He entered the draft, getting picked 49th by Golden State, but was cut midway through his rookie season. He spent some time in the D-League before heading to Spain last year.

11. Keith Brumbaugh: Brumbaugh is an interesting story. As chronicled in this excellent Andy Staples piece from 2008, Brumbaugh initially tried to enter the 2005 NBA Draft, but after finding out that he would not be a first round pick, he decided to enroll at Oklahoma State. An arrest for shoplifting and a low score on an ACT retake cost him his scholarship there. After spending some time back in Florida, and some time in jail after being arrested six times in 26 months, Brumbaugh cleaned up his act with John Lucas, dominated at Hillsborough Community College, then entered the 2008 NBA Draft. He would go undrafted, spending the last two seasons putting up solid numbers in the D-League.

11. Brandon Rush: Rush arrived at Kansas with Julian Wright, averaging about 14 points and 6 boards in his first two years. Rush had every intention of entering the 2007 NBA Draft, but he tore his acl in May of that year, forcing him to return to Kansas for his junior season. It was a good decision, as Rush continued the produce, despite the Jayhwaks loaded roster, and helped Kansas win the 2008 national title. Rush went pro after his junior year, getting picked 13th by the Blazers before eventually being traded to the Pacers. Rush became a starter by his second season, averaging 9.4 ppg and 4.2 rpg.

13. CJ Miles: Miles committed to Texas, but decided to go straight to the NBA, where he was picked 34th by the Jazz. Miles bounced from the D-League to the NBA and back for his first two seasons, becoming a permanent member of the Jerry Sloan's rotation. Miles moved into the starting lineup in 2008-2009, and while he was back into a spot-starting role last season, he averaged a career-high in points and minutes.

13. Greg Paulus: Paulus was a storied high school athlete, earning Mr. Basketball in the state of New York as well as becoming a prized quarterback recruit. Paulus started for three seasons with the Blue Devils, but he was quite inconsistent. His numbers were far from terrible -- he averaged 11.4 ppg as a junior, was a good three point shooter, and picked up a fair number of assists -- but he had a knack for untimely turnovers and mistakes. As a senior in 2008-2009, Paulus was benched in favor of Nolan Smith, playing limited minutes. After he used up his eligibility in basketball, Paulus transferred to Syracuse and played quarterback for the Orange. He got a couple tryouts with the Saints, but it is looking more and more likely that Paulus is going to get into coaching.


15. Mario Chalmers: Chalmers, an Alaskan native, came to Kansas with Rush and Wright. As a freshman, he started out on the bench, but by conference play he had earned a starting spot. As a sophomore, Chalmers developed into one of the better point guards in the Big XII, being named to the all-Big XII third team and the co-defensive player of the year. Chalmers junior season was his best, as he played a vital role in the Jayhawks run to a title, hitting the three that forced overtime in the title game against Memphis. Chalmers entered the draft, and was the 34th pick by the Heat. He started all 82 games as a rookie, averaging 10.0 ppg and 4.9 apg. He was limited last season to due an injury to his thumb.

16. Tasmin Mitchell: Mitchell had a very solid five year career with LSU. He started immediately as a freshman, averaging 11.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg on a team that made a run to the 2006 Final Four. LSU would never find that much success as a team, but Mitchell would individually. Mitchell missed the 2007-2008 season due to a stress fracture in his ankle, but would come back to average over 16 ppg in both his junior and senior seasons. Mitchell went undrafted this past June, but he latched on with the Cavs in summer league play and will attend their training camp this fall.

17. Magnum Rolle: Rolle went with Mitchell to LSU, where he would see limited minutes in two seasons. He decided to transfer to Louisiana Tech after his sophomore season, sitting out 2007-2008. In two seasons at Tech, Rolle put up solid numbers, averaging 13 points, 8 boards, and 2 blocks per. He graduated with a degree in sociology, and was picked 51st in the 2010 NBA Draft, eventually ending up with Indiana.

18. Shawne Williams: Williams was a talented player, but he could never seem to steer clear of the law. After averaging 13.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg as a freshman at Memphis, Williams went pro, getting picked 17th by Indiana in 2006. He played limited minutes as a rookie, and before the start of his second season, he was arrested when a car he was driving was found to have weed and a stolen handgun in it. In January of 2010, Williams was arrested on felony charges of selling codeine cough syrup. And just this past week he was again arrested, and again it was because a car he was driving had weed and a gun in it. Williams has spent time with New Jersey, Dallas, and Indiana in the NBA.

18. Byron Eaton: Eaton was a big time recruit in both football and basketball in high school, but he chose to run the point for Oklahoma State. Eaton had a solid career in Stillwater, averaging 10.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, and 3.0 rpg in his four year career, capped by a 14.3 ppg and 5.7 apg senior season. Eaton wasn't drafted, in large part because he has always dealt with a weight problem. He lost a good deal of weight before his senior season, but packed it all back on, and more, after he graduated. The 5'10" point guard played just two games with the Tulsa 66ers last season before being cut.

20. Amir Johnson: Johnson, originally a Louisville commit out of LA's Westchester high school, has the dubious distinction of being the last player ever drafted straight out of high school. He was picked by the Pistons, and spent most of his first two seasons in the D-League. During the 2007-2008 season, Johnson was able to crack the rotation, and by the end of the 2009 season, he had worked his way into the Piston's starting line-up. Detroit traded Johnson to Toronto prior to last season, and Johnson averaged 6.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg. It was enough to earn himself a five year, $34 million contract from Toronto.


Other Notable 2005 Prospects:

29. Jon Brockman: Brockman was a force in the paint in college. He played four seasons at Washington, becoming the school's all-time leading rebounder and second all-time leading scorer. He was picked 38th in the 2009 NBA Draft, and averaged 2.8 ppg and 4.1 rpg last season as a rookie in Sacramento.

33. Eric Devendorf: The tattoed and chin-strapped Devo quickly became one of the most hated players in the country, in part because of how much trash he talked on the court, and in part because he was a 17 ppg scorer that had a reputation for knocking down big shots. Devo missed his junior season with a knee injury, and was nearly kicked out of school the next season because of an incident with a female on campus. He is currently playing in the New Zealand professional league.


35. Tyler Smith: Smith started out his career at Iowa, but was allowed to transfer back to his native Tennessee to be closer to his ill father. Smith became one of the most versatile forwards in the country as a Vol, but his career was cut short as a senior after he was arrested for being in a car with weed, vodka, and a gun. He finished last season playing in Europe.

36. Devan Downey: The 5'9" Downey began his career at Cincinnati before transferring back to South Carolina, where he became arguably the best pound-for-pound scorer in the country. He averaged 22.5 ppg as a senior, which included an incredible performance he had against Kentucky this past season.

44. Wilson Chandler: Chandler went to DePaul, where he was a good player for two seasons, averagign 14.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg before heading to the 2007 NBA Draft. He was taken 23rd by the Knicks, where he worked his way into the starting lineup. Last season, Chandler averaged over 15 points and 5 boards.

47. Jeff Adrien: Adrien played limited minutes as a freshman on a loaded UConn team before becoming their star and workhorse over the next three years. He helped lead the Huskies to the 2009 Final Four, but was not drafted. He's played in NBA summer leagues the past two seasons, and has a contract with a team in Spain.

55. Terrence Williams: T-Will is an incredible athlete with an excellent all-around game. After helping lead Louisville to a Big East regular season title, a Big East tournament title, and the No. 1 overall seed in 2009, Williams became a lottery pick, going to the Nets. He had a solid rookie campaign, averaging 8.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 2.9 apg.

Derrick Brown: Brown redshirted his first season at Xavier, but over the next three seasons, he slowly developed into one of the more dangerous players in the A-10. He graduated after his junior season, entering the NBA Draft in 2009. The Bobcats picked Brown 40th, although he saw limited minutes as a rookie.

Darren Collison: Collison had a tremendous four year career at UCLA, making three Final Fours and multiple all-american teams. He was picked 21st in the 2009 draft as a backup to Chris Paul, and he proved himself more than worthy. On the year, Collison averaged 12.5 ppg and 5.7 apg, but in 37 starts with Paul out with injury, Collison averaged 18.8 ppg and 9.1 apg.

Chris Douglas-Roberts: CDR has an unorthodox game, but it was effective in John Calipari's dribble-drive offense. He developed into an all-american by his junior season, although it was his missed free throws that helped cost Memphis a national title. CDR went pro, and was picked 40th in the 2008 NBA Draft. He moved into a starting role in New Jersey this season, averaging 9.8 ppg.

Tyree Evans: Evans was a troubled youngster, bouncing around from school to school before finally landing at Kent State, when he graduated this past spring. Read this excellent profile by Dan O'Neil on him.

Jimmy Graham: Graham is quite an interesting kid. He was a double major at Miami in business and marketing. He played four years of basketball there, developing into a solid big man off the bench. He then played one season of football for the 'Canes, finishing with five TD's. He was then taken early in the 2nd round by the New Orleans Saints.

Wes Matthews: Matthews, a former Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin, was a starter from Day 1 at Marquette. He played four seasons, becoming an all-american and 19 ppg scorer as a senior. Matthews would go undrafted, but he signed with the Jazz and developed into a talent and valuable rookie, starting and averaging 9.4 ppg. He signed a five year, $34 million contract with Portland.


Emanuel "Tiki" Mayben: You know who Tiki Mayben is for all the wrong reasons. Originally at UMass, Mayben bounced around for a while before eventually landing with Kevin Broadus and Binghamton. It was here that Mayben was arrested for dealing crack, an arrest which essentially sparked the collapse of the Binghamton program. Mayben plead guilty to the charge and got five years of probation.

Jerel McNeal: Like Matthews, McNeal was a four year starter for Marquette, becoming a Big East player of the year candidate after averaging 20.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 3.9 apg as a senior. McNeal wasn't drafted, either, but has played in NBA summer leagues the past two years and spent last season in Belgium.
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