2010 College Basketball Top 50 Recruits and Signings

MAXPREPS TOP PLAYERS:
Select Sport Season:
Boys Basketball Winter 09-10Winter 08-09 Select Category:
2010 Players to Watch2011 Players to Watch2012 Players to Watch2013 Players to Watch

RNK NAME POS HT/WT SCHOOLS
1. Brandon Knight
Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, FL) G 6-4/185
Joined LeBron James and Greg Oden as only juniors to earn Gatorade National Player of the Year as a junior.
2. Jared Sullinger
Northland (Columbus, OH) P 6-9/280 Ohio State
Whether it be high school or AAU ball, always in the lead for a successful team.
3. Will Barton
Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) G, W 6-6/165 Memphis
Scorer will prep at Brewster Academy after leading Baltimore's Lake Clifton to state title in Maryland last year.
4. Harrison Barnes
Ames (IA) W 6-6/190
Blue chipper led Little Cyclones to perfect season, state title as a junior.
5. Reggie Bullock
Kinston (NC) W 6-7/190 North Carolina
Blue chip guard hails from same high school that produced Jerry Stackhouse.
6. Joshua Smith
Kentwood (Covington, WA) P 6-10/280 UCLA
Broke the hearts of Washington fans with commitment to Bruins.
7. Perry Jones
Duncanville (TX) 6-11/220 Baylor
Blew onlookers away at Las Vegas Center Stage event with athleticism and shooting touch.
8. Fabricio De Melo
Sagemont (Weston, FL) P 7-0/270 Syracuse
Brazilian burst on summer circuit scene after sitting out at Sagemont as a junior.
9. Deshaun Thomas
Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, IN) W, P 6-7/220 Ohio State
Averaged 30.3 points, 15.1 rebounds per game for Indiana 2A state champions.
10. Tristan Thompson
Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) F 6-10/235 Texas
Has No. 1 player potential but needs to dial in the consistency.
11. Joe Jackson
White Station (Memphis, TN) G 6-0/170 Memphis
Arguably the top scoring guard in the class of 2010.
12. Terrence Jones
Jefferson (Portland, OR) P 6-9/220
Stock soaring with each stop on the summer circuit.
13. Kendall Marshall
O'Connell (Arlington, VA) G 6-3/175 North Carolina
Cemented elite status at NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp.
14. Josh Selby
Lake Clifton (Baltimore, MD) G 6-1/180
Recent decommitment has several powerhouse programs circling.
15. Ray McCallum
Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, MI) PG 6-1/170
Led loaded Country Day squad to 24-2 record, state title game as junior.
16. Jelan Kendrick
Wheeler (Marietta, GA) G, W 6-6/185
Athletic, smooth point forward-type led Westlake to 22-7 record as a junior before deciding to move on to defending state champion Wheeler.
17. C. J. Leslie
Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, NC) P 6-8/190
Thriving this summer after forming dynamic duo with John Wall at Word of God.
18. Doron Lamb
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) G 6-4/185
New York City native will be Oak Hill Academy's go-to scorer next winter.
19. Kyrie Irving
St. Patrick (Elizabeth, NJ) PG 6-1/175 Duke
Elite guard prospect will see plenty of time in spotlight as senior playing for powerhouse St. Patrick program.
20. Cory Joseph
Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) PG 6-3/180
Native of Canada looking to lead Findlay Prep to second straight national championship.
21. Tobias Harris
Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills, NY) P 6-8/230
Returning to Half Hollow Hills West after standout junior year at Long Island Lutheran.
22. Dwight Powell
IMG Academies (Bradenton, FL) P 6-10/210 Stanford
A long, skilled post player that could be on the verge of putting it all together and becoming an elite prospect.
23. Keith Appling
Pershing (Detroit, MI) G 6-3/175 Michigan State
Capped junior season with 49-point performance in state championship game.
24. Trey Zeigler
Mt. Pleasant (MI) G, W 6-5/185
Son of Central Michigan head coach Ernie Zeigler knows how to put the ball in the basket.
25. Dion Waiters
Life Center Academy (Burlington, NJ) PG 6-4/215 Syracuse
Forms a potent 1-2 punch with 2011 star Michael Gilchrist for travel circuit club Team Final.
26. Roscoe Smith
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) P, W 6-8/190
Long scoring wing could really blow up this winter at Oak Hill Academy.
27. Dwayne Polee
Westchester (Los Angeles, CA) W 6-6/180 USC
Length and athleticism give him the presence of a 6-10 player at times defensively.
28. Daniel Bejarano
North (Phoenix, AZ) W 6-5/200 Arizona
Wing put up 23.0 points, 10.1 rebounds per game as junior.
29. Jereme Richmond
Waukegan (IL) W 6-6/190 Illinois
Leads the way for a nice 2010 haul for Bruce Weber at Illinois.
30. Terrence Ross
Montrose Christian (Rockville, MD) G 6-5/185 Maryland
Transferred to Montrose from Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), where he played with Terrence Jones.
31. Bryce Jones
Taft (Woodland Hills, CA) G, W 6-5/175 USC
After sitting out due to tranfer rules at Taft last year, was extremely impressive at July's adidas Super 64.
32. Andre Stringer
Forest Hill (Jackson, MS) PG 5-10/160 LSU
Mississippi loaded with talent, but Stringer was a step above the rest as a junior averaging over 25 points per game.
33. Phil Pressey
Episcopal (Dallas, TX) PG 5-10/155 Missouri
Son of former NBA guard averaged 18.3 points and nearly 10 assists per game as junior.
34. Patric Young
Providence (Jacksonville, FL) P 6-9/225 Florida
Rebounding machine impressive at Reebok camp in Philadelphia this summer.
35. Tarik Black
Ridgeway (Memphis, TN) P 6-8/235
Muscling his way up the rankings with a very solid summer.
37. Michael Cobbins
Palo Duro (Amarillo, TX) P 6-8/200 Oklahoma State
District player of the year also an outstanding student.
38. Luke Cothron
Macdonald Academy (Red Springs, NC) P 6-8/220 North Carolina State
More than a dozen major conference college programs actively courting big man.
39. Ryan Harrow
Walton (Marietta, GA) G 6-1/150 North Carolina State
After first team Class AAAAA All-State honors as junior, reputation really soaring this summer.
40. Joshua Hairston
Montrose Christian (Rockville, MD) P 6-8/200 Duke
Face-up four man in the mold of recent Blue Devil forwards.
41. J. T. Terrell
West Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) G 6-2/175 Wake Forest
Streaky scorer lands at West Charlotte after playing at Burlington Cummings as a junior.
42. Allen Crabbe
Price (Los Angeles, CA) G 6-4/175 California
A star performer on the summer circuit with Compton Magic Black.
43. Terrell Stoglin
Santa Rita (Tucson, AZ) G 6-1/180 Maryland
Averaged 23.3 points per game as junior.
44. Terone Johnson
North Central (Indianapolis, IN) G 6-3/190 Purdue
Another exciting addition for Matt Painter's Boilermakers.
45. Taran Buie
State College (PA) PG 6-2/170 Penn State
Headed to State College early for final year of high school ball.
46. Charles Hankerson Jr.
Coral Reef (Miami, FL) G 6-5/215 Alabama
Well-built wing led Coral Reef to 6A state title.
47. Ian Miller
United Faith Christian Academy (Charlotte, NC) G 6-1/175 Florida State
Leonard Hamilton pulling together very solid 2010 class.
48. Phillip Taylor
Wheeler (Marietta, GA) PG 5-9/160 Florida International
Scoring point guard thrilled about the prospect of playing for Isiah Thomas.
49. Kendall Williams
Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) PG 6-3
Posted 22.8 points per game as junior.
50. Jordan Sibert
Princeton (Cincinnati, OH) G 6-4/180 Ohio State
Helped lead Princeton to a 25-2 record, state championship game appearance as a junior.



Some Top Signings Ncaa College Basketball
www.si.com
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky coach John Calipari has added another top recruit. The Wildcats signed 6-foot-5 small forward Stacey Poole Jr. on Wednesday during the beginning of the fall signing period.
Poole averaged 17.3 points as a junior last year for Providence High in Jacksonville, Fla. Poole is the son of former University of Florida star Stacey Poole Sr., who still ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring list.
Poole is rated the fourth-best small forward in the Class of 2010 by Rivals.com.
Calipari said Poole will play multiple positions with the Wildcats and said his defensive ability and work ethic should help him fit in with the Wildcats. Calipari said he hopes to add more players during the fall signing period.

Iowa signs four
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa has signed prep basketball players Ben Brust, Cody Larson, Devyn Marble, and Zach McCabe to national letters of intent.
Brust is a point guard from Illinois who averaged 27.5 points per game last season.
Larson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Sioux Falls, S.D., was a first-team all-state pick in 2008-09.
Marble, a 6-foot-5 wing player, is the son of former Hawkeyes legend Roy Marble.
McCabe was a teammate of current Iowa post player Brennan Cougill. McCabe is from Sioux City and helped lead Bishop Heelan to a state title last season.
Hawkeyes coach Todd Lickliter praised his latest recruiting class for its skills, versatility and basketball knowledge.
Wednesday marks the start of the early signing period for recruits.

Ohio State signs one of the top recruiting classes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A six-player recruiting class, dubbed by some analysts as the best in the nation, has signed with No. 16 Ohio State.
The centerpiece is 6-foot-9 power forward Jared Sullinger from Columbus' Northland High School. The brother of former Ohio State player J.J. Sullinger is joined by his high school teammate, 6-6 small forward J.D. Weatherspoon.
Deshaun Thomas, a 6-7 native of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; and Lenzelle Smith, Jr., a 6-4 guard from Zion, Ill.; also became Buckeyes on the first day for the signing of Division I national letters of intent.
Rounding out the class are guards Aaron Craft from Findlay Liberty-Benton and 6-4 Jordan Sibert of Cincinnati.
Coach Thad Matta said all six are versatile players who come from winning programs that have won or played for state championships.

Isiah Thomas signs 3 recruits to play for FIU
MIAMI (AP) -- Isiah Thomas' first recruiting class at Florida International already appears to be the best in school history.
Thomas got three players to sign letters of intent Wednesday, including 6-foot-8 forward Dominique Ferguson -- who originally committed to Kentucky and was ranked among the nation's top 50 prospects by multiple recruiting services.
Thomas called it "a special day."
DeJuan Wright, a 6-foot-4 guard who will transfer in from Gillette (Wyo.) Junior College, also signed. So did 6-foot-3 guard Richaud Pack of Birmingham, Mich.
Wright committed to FIU on the day Thomas was hired.
All three players will be eligible next season for FIU.

Izzo: Recruiting class fits Michigan St. program
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says his latest recruiting class fits a program with five Final Four appearances in 11 seasons.
The Spartans on Wednesday signed guard Keith Appling from Detroit Pershing, center Adreian Payne from Dayton Jefferson in Ohio, swingman Russell Byrd from Blackhawk Christian in Fort Wayne, Ind. and forward Alex Gauna from Eaton Rapids.
The 6-foot-2 Appling was the 2009 Associated Press Class A Player of the Year in Michigan. The guard averaged 23.9 points, six assists and five rebounds and led his team to a state title with 49 points.
The 6-foot-10 Payne averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. The 6-foot-7 Byrd averaged 19.1 points and 8.3 rebounds, and the 6-foot-9 Gauna averaged 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Arizona star signs with Jayhawks
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- No. 1 Kansas has signed Royce Woolridge, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Phoenix who averaged almost 29 points per game last year.
The Jayhawks announced the signing Wednesday.
Playing for Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, Woolridge made 50 percent of his field goals and was 34 percent from behind the 3-point arc as a junior. He also averaged 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals last year.
Woolridge verbally committed to Kansas in 2008. He was ranked the No. 31 shooting guard by Rivals.com. and led his high school to a 24-5 record last year.
Woolridge is the son of former Notre Dame and NBA player Orlando Woolridge.

Michigan signs NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway's son
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan's men's basketball coach John Beilein says the son of five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway has signed a letter of intent to play for the Wolverines.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is a 6-foot-5-inch forward from Palmetto High School in Miami. He averaged 23.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals last season.
Beilein also announced Wednesday Michigan has received a letter of intent from 6-9 forward Evan Smotrycz from New Hampton Prep in New Hampton, N.H. He averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season.

Washington signs Desmond Simmons
SEATTLE (AP) -- Washington has signed Bay Area high school standout Desmond Simmons to a letter of intent.
Coach Lorenzo Romar said Wednesday the power forward reminds him of energetic former Huskies team leader Bobby Jones.
Simmons is expected to enroll in time for the 2010-11 season.
Romar says the 6-foot-7 Simmons has mental and physical toughness and a "motor (that) is always running."
Simmons scored 31 points and 19 rebounds for Salesian High School of Richmond, Calif., in the Northern California championship game last spring.
He will join former Utah prep scoring leader C.J. Wilcox as additions next season. Romar has announced Wilcox will redshirt as a freshman this season.

Illini sign three in top 100
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- A year after signing a class of recruits that helped pushed Illinois back into the Top 25 this season, Illini have signed three players considered to be among the country's 100 best.
Forward Jerome Richmond, guard Crandall Head -- the younger brother of former Illinois standout and current Indiana Pacer Luther Head -- and center Meyers Leonard signed letters of intent Wednesday indicating they'll join the 23rd-ranked Illini next season, Illinois basketball spokesman Derrick Burson said.
Coach Bruce Weber was not available for comment. He delayed a news conference to discuss the signings until Thursday because of Veterans Day, Burson said.
The 6-7 Richmond is from Waukegan High School in Waukegan. College sports Web site Rivals.com calls him the 36th best player among college recruits this year.
He'll be joined by Crandall Head, a 6-5 shooting guard from Rich South High School in Richton Park. Rivals.com considers him No. 81 on the list of the top recruits. Luther Head was part of the Illini team that went to the 2005 NCAA championship game, losing to North Carolina.
Leonard is a 7-0 center from Robinson High School in Robinson. He is No. 39 on Rivals' list of top recruits.
The Illini, who start play Friday against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, added four top recruits to this season's team: guards D.J. Richardson, Joseph Bertrand and Brandon Paul and forward Tyler Griffey.
Richardson and Paul are both expected to get serious minutes this season and, combined with returning junior Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale, a part of the reason Illinois is in the Top 25 and considered one of the Top Big Ten teams.

Texas signs top 10 recruit
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Texas has signed forward Tristan Thompson of Brampton, Ontario, to play for the Longhorns starting in the 2010-2011 season.
Thompson plays at Findley College Prep in Henderson, Nev. The 6-foot-9, 240-pounds forward is ranked as a top 10 recruit by some recruiting services.
He played 21 games last season at St. Benedict's Prep Academy in New Jersey before transferring to Findley, where he played five games with current Texas freshman Avery Bradley.

South Carolina has impressive showing, signs five
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina coach Darrin Horn signed five players for next year, a class that one recruiting service lists among the country's top 10.
The Gamecocks announced Wednesday they had signed guards Bruce Ellington, Brian Richardson and Eric Smith; and forwards Damontre Harris and RJ Slawson.
Scout.com put South Carolina No. 10 in the country. Rivals.com had the Gamecocks signees at No. 12.
The 5-foot-10 Ellington is considered one of the top point guards in the country. He averaged 28.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists his junior year at Berkeley High.
Harris, a 6-9 forward from Fayetteville, N.C., was rated as the country's No. 5 center according to ESPN.com.
Horn said his second full signing class moves South Carolina closer to where he wants it to be.

Tulsa signs 3, including top Texas prospect
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Conference USA favorite Tulsa signed three basketball players on Wednesday, including a top Texas high school prospect.
Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik signed guards Jordan Clarkson of San Antonio and Tim Peete of Memphis, Tenn., along with forward Blondy Baruti of Mesa, Ariz.
Clarkson has led Wagner High School to a 67-12 record the past two seasons and the 6-foot-4 guard is rated by one recruiting service as the fourth-best prospect in Texas. He averaged 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a junior.
The 6-foot-4 Peete has helped Memphis Central High School to 72 wins the past three seasons. He averaged 14.4 points per game last season.
Baruti, a 6-foot-9 native of the Congo, was a high school teammate of current Tulsa guard Donte Medder. Baruit averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds per game in his first season of high school competition.

Penn State signs star's brother
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State has signed touted high school guard Taran Buie to a letter of intent.
The 6-foot-2 Buie is very familiar with Happy Valley -- his half-brother is Penn State junior and point guard Talor Battle.
The Nittany Lions say they landed one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the basketball program's history.
Buie led his high school team in Albany, N.Y., to a state title and two straight undefeated regular seasons. He and his family moved over the summer to State College, where he will play his high school senior year.
Scout.com listed Buie as the No. 28 shooting guard prospect in the country, while Rivals.com listed him at No. 32 at point guard.
Battle and Buie would play together for Penn State next year.

Tide's Grant signs 2 out-of-state players
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama coach Anthony Grant has signed two out-of-state players in the early signing period.
Grant said Wednesday that Kansas point guard Trevor Releford and Florida guard/forward Charles Hankerson Jr. have signed to play for the Crimson Tide next season.
He said both come from great high school programs and know what it takes to be successful.
Releford was rated the No. 11 point guard prospect nationally by Scout.com. He led his team to the 5A state championship game as a junior, averaging 18.6 points and 6.3 assists.
Hankerson is also rated a four-star prospect after averaging 21.6 points and six rebounds a game to lead Coral Reef High School to its first state title.

Cottrill signs with West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Guard Noah Cottrill has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at West Virginia.
WVU coach Bob Huggins announced Cottrill's signing Thursday.
Cottrill is a senior at Logan High School. He averaged nearly 26 points per game last season at Mountain State Academy in Beckley and spent his first two years at Poca High School.
Cottrill made news after his freshman season when he gave a verbal commitment to the Mountaineers.