Sunday, July 31, 2011

Class of 2012 Overview

Big Men

        Leading all big men in my rankings is extremely athletic center from Connecticut, Andre Drummond at number one overall in all of the rankings. Andre has a lot of speculation surrounding him, whether he will decide to stay in high school for a prep year for the 2011-12 season, whether he will go over seas, or whether he will go to college. Recently, a source close to the men's basketball program at UConn said "your guess is as good as mine" (told zagsblog.com) as to where Drummond will be next season. Drummond is expected to announce his decision soon.
        Sitting at number three overall in my rankings, energetic power forward Mitch McGary , is a beast in the paint. Mitch is definitely a name to remember as he will be a force at the next two levels as he is a potential lottery pick after college. (that is if he goes). Mitch will be taking a prep year at Brewster Academy next year, making him eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft as well. He will likely go to college.
        At number four overall in my rankings, seven footer Isaac Austin will make a huge noise in the Big 12 in two seasons from now for the Baylor Bears. The goggles Isaac where's makes him even more intimidating. Attending Grace Prep Academy in Texas, Austin should keep on dominating in to the next level and be a lottery pick in the League. Baylor fans should be excited.
        Right behind Austin in my rankings is a guy who looks like he could be a beast at football as well. Weighing in at 270 pounds, DaJuan Coleman's body is more than ready for the next level. DaJuan plays AAU ball for Albany City Rocks and he should be playing for Albany City Boulders! From the area, DaJuan is considered a Syracuse lean. DaJuan could be a huge addition to the Big East's paint night in and night out.
        Coming in at the seventh spot in my rankings is raw power forward Brandon Ashley. Brandon is considered the best power forward in the class of 2012 by some, as he uses his raw skills and talent together phenomenally. Brash recently cut his list to six schools: Arizona, Oregon, UCLA, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Texas. In particular, Arizona and Oregon should be the most excited as they seem to have the best shot with his talents.
         Possibly the truest center in the class, Kaleb Tarczewski is at number 11 overall in my rankings. To be honest, I spell his last name perfectly as I was a big fan of his when UConn was really in the running for him. Now Kaleb has a final four of Kansas, Arizona, UNC, and Kentucky. Expect the seven footer to decide real soon.
        Right behind the big man Kaleb is another big man from Fort Bend, Texas. Cameron Ridley, another true center, has a chance to dominate the post in the Big 12, as he is Texas Longhorn bound. The Longhorn faithful should be excited as they'll have a tree to their own in their house.
         At number 14 in my rankings, William "Shaq" Goodwin is a football player- literally. The reason why the big man is listing UCLA, Memphis, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida is because the beast of a big man knows he can play football on their turf as well. Shaq wants to play basketball and football at whatever lucky school he chooses.
         Canadian Anthony Bennett isn't just a power forward, he is an attention grabber. Anthony's stock has blown up in the past few months and college coaches from all over the country have been spotted watching him destroy his opponents. Anthony Bennett has the most interest from the likings of UConn, Florida, Missouri, Marquette, Ohio St, Kentucky, and Washington.
          In Wichita, Kansas lives a star in Perry Ellis. Perry has is on a lot of college coaches radars. He was watched by so many coaches during his AAU season. Perry is a special player. He lists Kansas, Kansas St, Wichita St, Kentucky, and Duke.
           Robert Carter is a BIG MAN. Weighing 245 pounds, he also has interest in football. Robert uses his body well in the post making him a center with lots of potential as he is often compared to Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Robert has interest from Kentucky, Florida, Florida St and more.

Small Forwards and Guards


            Arguably the best player in the class, Shabazz Muhammad is without a doubt the best guard in the class. The lefty uses his quickness and athleticism so well together. He is a great finisher and is a future NBA star. He has likings from schools like Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, Arizona, and UNLV.
             Next is a true point forward from New Jersey. Kyle Anderson plays with prestigious St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City. The star helped give legendary coach Bob Hurley another National Championship. Some schools are recruiting him like a point guard. He has a final five of Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John's, UCLA, and Georgetown. He is expected to decide on September 20th.
             Rodney Purvis is arguably the best scorer in the class of 2012. The former Louisville commit gets to the rim with ease and destroys defenders. He can play point guard as well as shooting guard and a wing guy. Duke has dropped out of the race for him. He now is listing Missouri, and NC St, with interest from Louisville, Kentucky, UConn, and more.
             Playing for a decent but not loaded, Arkansas Wings AAU team, Archie Goodwin is clearly the leader and will definitely be a leader in college. Archie recently dislocated his wrist but is back and playing like nothing ever happened. Archie is currently listing Arkansas, Kentucky, UConn, Missouri, Kansas and more.
               From Providence, Rhode Island, Ricardo Ledo is a very lanky shooting guard/small forward. Ricardo has grown a lot over the pass few years making him a very valuable player. Ricardo will be playing for the Puerto Rican national team this summer as well. He has a top four of UConn, Providence, Kentucky, and Syracuse. He plans to visit them all before school starts.
               Gary Harris, another player that has college interest in football, can be the best guard in the class. A wide receiver in football, Gary uses his length well in basketball as well. With Michigan St, and Purdue on top, Louisville, Indiana, and Notre Dame finish out his top five. He'll most likely be playing in the BIG-10.
                Combo forward Alex Poythress is a great player. Alex raised his stock once again this July and his stock will likely keep raising. He says he wants to play small forward for the majority in the college but he's valuable because he can play well in the paint too. Poythress was very excited when he recently received an offer from Duke. He's also listing Tennesse, Vanderbilt, UConn, Texas, Kentucky and more. He's expected to cut his list soon.
                 Jarnell Stokes' game is very similar to Alex's. Jarnell is from Memphis, Tennessee and he is often called the "King of Memphis". He decided to leave Memphis and play for prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season. Jarnell has a top five of Memphis, Arkansas, Tennessee, UConn and Florida.
         
              

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Mr. 3,000

Today, history was made as Derek Jeter aka Mr. Yankee got his 3,000th hit! Not only did he get hit number 3 thousand, he added 3 more on top of that. Jeter entered the game just 2 shy of the record, he went 5 for 5 in today's game against the Rays and had what wound up being the game winning single. I would say I was shocked, but this is just "classic" Jeter. Everything the man does is with great presence and timing. The best part of it may have been that the Yankees won, often when players are on the doorstep of breaking records their team struggles. The Yankees had been in a midst of a slide, Jeter hasn't exactly been an offensive spark himself this season. I believe he came into this game batting just .262 and his backup Edurado Nunez has more home-runs than him in much less playing time. I remember this past offseason I had written a piece on the subject of whether Jeter was worth keeping or not due to his declining play, well that was answered today. I'm not as impressed by the record as I am about him going 5-5 and carrying the load on offense in a division game. Jeter led the Yankees to a 5-4 win over the Rays, David Price surrendered the historic hit. That's what Jeter means to me, Jeter=winning so Charlie Sheen was a little off. It was only fitting that Jeter accomplished this feat in New York, as not only a Yankees fan, but a sports fan in general...you couldn't have asked for more! If there is one thing this guy does, it's win!! I'd like to congratulate Mr. Jeter on yet another milestone in his prolific career, we all Cooperstown is waiting for him!!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

2012 11-20 rankings

Here's rankings 11-20

11. C- Kaleb Tarczewski 7'0 (Claremont, New Hampshire)


Kaleb is one of the truest center in the top 20 rankings. He has great size and length. He finishes strongly and has good post moves. He has a good hook shot with high release. He's a solid offensive rebounder and is good at boxing out. Kaleb has a bit of a temper that could affect his game. He should become a little more independent as he usually is more productive with a solid point guard at hand. His favorite three schools are North Carolina, Kansas, and Arizona. He is also considering UConn, Boston College, Kentucky, and a few other schools.

12. C- Cameron Ridley 6'10 (Fort Bend, Texas)


Cameron, another true center, is in very good shape so he runs the floor well. He improves at a steady rate and he is a good rebounder at the offensive end. He has good post moves and is very energetic. Cameron always plays hard. He needs to stay in shape, because his game is based around his energy and quickness. Cameron is headed to Texas to play basketball.

13. SG- Gary Harris 6'4 (Indianapolis, Indiana)


Gary has a lot of strength for a guard. He's a slasher and finishes strongly at the rim; many and one finishes. He is a tough defender and is quick to steal passes often. He could work on his jumper as it is just decent. He's a bit streaky. He is being recruited for football as well. His favorite five right now is Purdue, Notre Dame, Louisville, Michigan St, and Indiana.

14. PF- Shaq Goodwin 6'8 (Decatur, Georgia)


Shaq is a physical player. He can play a bevy of positions. He's one of the more versatile players in the class. He can put the ball on the floor and take it to the rim. He's active on the glass on both ends but he's outstanding on the offensive side. Shaq can play more consistent and should talk a bit more when he's on the floor and become a leader. His top five schools are UCLA, Florida, Georgia, Memphis, and Alabama.

15. PF- Anthony Bennett 6'9 (Brampton, Ontario, Canada)


Anthony Bennett has really blown up in the past few months. Dropping more than 50 spots in some rankings, his stock has really risen for the next level. His power/finesse combination really makes him a tough match-up for his defender. His stock should only keep rising because of who he will be practicing against in the winter at prestigious Findlay Prep in Nevada. He needs to learn a few more post moves as well. He's hearing from a plethora of schools, UConn, Cincinnati, West Virigina, Pittsburgh, Ohio St, Arizona, UNLV, Washington, Washington St, Oregon, Oregon St, Florida, Florida St, and he was recently called by North Carolina.

16. PF- Perry Ellis 6'8 (Wichita, Kansas)


Perry plays hard, strong, and with passion. He runs the floor very well. He is great facing up and has great mid range game. He has a good jump shot. He also handles the ball well for his size. He has troubles scoring on the perimeter and needs the ball in his hands often. He needs to work on some low post moves. Schools interested in him are, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Kansas St, Wichita St, Memphis, Oklahoma, and Minnesota.

17. PF- Robert Carter 6'8 (Thomasville, Georgia)


The wide big man has an advantage in the paint. He's strong and uses his wideness to get position on defenders and also to box them out. He also being recruited for football. He should stay away from playing with finesse as that is really not his style. He needs to get in better shape and run the floor more. Robert's college list consists of, Florida, Florida St, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio St, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech.

18. SF/PF- Alex Poythress 6'8 (Clarksville, Tennessee)


Alex is a combo forward with great quickness. He runs the floor well and he is solid in the paint for his size. He's a good ball handler with great leadership skills. To become a better big forward, he needs to develop a better inside presence and low post moves. He also needs to continue to add some strength. He is being recruited by, Tennessee, Memphis, Vanderbilt, UConn, Duke, West Virginia, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, and a few more schools. He plans to cut his list soon.

19. SF/PF Jarnell Stokes 6'8 (Memphis, Tennesse)


Jarnell isin great condition. He finishes well, even when drawing contact. He drives the lane strong and he scores easily around the basket. Stokes has good strength, and he knows how to use it. He needs to work to create matchup problems. Jarnell should work on his jumper a little more. His six favorite schools are, Arkansas, Tennesse, Memphis, UConn, Kentucky, and Florida.



20. PF- Grant Jerrett 6'9 (La Verne, California)






The Arizona bound power forward uses his length very well. Grant is arguably the best rebounder in the class of 2012. Hee runs the floor well and is very strong. He can shoot the three pointer well. He is a matchup nightmare. He needs to finish when he draws contact more often and needs a better presence on the defensive end of the floor.


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My top 10 for the class of 2012

Here's my top 10 highshool basketball prospects for the class of 2012.


1. C- Andre Drummond 6'11 (Middleton, Connecticut)

Andre is definitely the most athletic player in the class of 2012. Many experts question his inconsistency but he has many assets to make him be at the peak. He runs the floor well and is a great defender. He's solid when he's facing up or has his back to the basket. He has great shot blocking ability as well. He is eligible for the 2012 NBA draft and may not go to college. He has many schools on him like UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, Pitt, Kentucky, Duke, and UNC.


2. SG- Shabazz Muhammed 6'6 (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Shabazz is the top shooting guard in the class of 2012 for many reasons. The lefty attacks the rim very strongly. He has a very reliable jump shot as well. He is a great scorer especially by the rim. His body is NBA ready and he is a future NBA lottery pick. He needs to work on a consistent three point shot. He also makes not smart mistakes on the defensive end. He's got a great list of schools, UCLA, UNLV, Kentucky, Duke, Arizona, Kansas and others.

3. PF- Mitch McGary 6'10 (Chesterton, Indiana)


Mitch is the top power forward in the class. McGary's best asset is running the floor. Mitch plays with such great intensity and often has the most heart on the floor. He has excellent strength and draws many fouls in the paint. He can stretch the defense and has a smooth southpaw jumper. He needs to improve his right hand and needs to work on his back to basket game. He can also improve on his basketball I.Q. He is pretty open in his recruitment and has many schools after him. Maryland, UConn, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, West Virginia, Florida and a bunch more of schools are on him.

4. C- Isaiah Austin 7'0 (Mansfield, Texas)


Isaiah is the nephew of ex-NBA player Isaac Austin. His size is definitely his best asset. He has great skill making his footwork very good. Isaiah has solid ball handling skills for his size and he can take and make the three. Isaiah's a great rebounder. He's a great shot blocker as well. He needs to add some strength and add some back to the basket moves. He also needs to be more consistent. He is Baylor bound.

5. C- DaJuan Coleman 6'10 (DeWitt, New York)


DaJuan is a beast in the paint. He gets up and down the floor well for his size of 280 lbs. He has awesome strength and scores well with his back to the basket. He scores well in the lane also. He can finish with both hands equally and draws fouls. He is a great rebounder. He needs to get into a little better shape and work on his defensive positioning. He has two favorites in the recruiting scene with Syracuse and Kentucky. Those schools are followed by UConn, Louisville, West Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio State.

6. PG/SG/SF- Kyle Anderson 6'8 (Fairview, New Jersey)


Kyle doesn't know what position he wants to play at the next level. He is a point forward, so he has fantastic ball handling skills for his size. He has solid range for his shooting. He has great court vision with a good passing asset. He also posts up smaller defenders and shoots over them. He is a good weapon on the perimeter. Kyle struggles with speed and quickness. He needs to add strength and play harder. His current list is Seton Hall, St. John's, Georgetown, UCLA, and Florida.

7. PF- Brandon Ashley 6'9 (Oakland, California)


Brandon has great length. His very athletic with quickness, and good hops. He loves to use the spin move. He has great college/pro potential because of his ability at the small forward/power forward/ center positions. He needs to add more strength and needs to play more physical. He says the two schools in best shape with him are Arizona and Oregon. Other schools that are recruiting him are UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky,Wake Forest, Ohio State, UConn, Texas and the rest of the PAC-12.

8. SG- Rodney Purvis 6'4 (Raleigh, North Carolina)


The former Louisville commit is arguably the best scorer in his class. He is a great athlete with good strength. He has great court vision and great ball handling skills, making him a combo guard. He has good hops and is a solid rebounder. His jumper is a solid. He could work on his jumper a bit more and could play with more intensity at times. He has a top 3 schools list of Duke, Missouri and North Carolina State.


9. SG- Archie Goodwin 6'5 ( Little Rock, Arkansas)


Archie is long and athletic. He has good ball handling skills that help get to the tin. He has a nice jump shot and is a great dunker. He has good length, helping him be a better defender. Archie needs to polish his jumper from three point land. He should add some more strength as well. He has many schools on him such as, Kentucky, Arkansas, UConn, Baylor, Lousiville, Memphis, and Ole Miss.

10. SG- Ricardo Ledo 6'6 (Providence, Rhode Island)


Ricardo is probably the best scorer in the class. His inconsistency is what stops him from being ranked higher. In some games he tends to disappear for quarters at a time. He is a great three point shooter and can score at will. He can handle the ball well. He slashes with aggressiveness. His favorite schools are, Providence, Kentucky, UConn, and Syracuse. Other schools showing interest are Texas, Florida, Louisville, Arizona, UCF, and Maryland.


11-20 to come next week

Bio




Hello, my name is Joey Natale. I'm a 15 year old kid from Rockaway New Jersey and I am really interested in college basketball and college basketball recruiting. I am a huge UConn husky fan. I really like to blog and write articles about college basketball. I am a moderator at UConnball.com. My favorite thing to blog about is UConn basketball recruiting. I really just want to get my name out there and want to hopefully do this stuff for a living one day.