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Alabama, SEC big winners in hoops signing period
Jeff Borzello
WINNERS
Alabama: It's hard to argue that the Crimson Tide weren't the biggest winners of the early signing period. Duke might have picked up a better player, and Kentucky might have a better duo, but it's Alabama we're talking about. Alabama basketball. Avery Johnson now has the third-best recruiting class in the country, after reeling in the five-star backcourt duo of Collin Sexton (No. 10) and John Petty (No. 25). He beat out Kansas for Sexton and Kentucky for Petty, getting in on the ground floor of Sexton's recruitment before he blew up and then convincing Petty to stay home and play for Alabama. Those two will immediately comprise one of the most dangerous offensive backcourts in the country next season.
Kentucky: As if John Calipari would stay quiet any longer? Kentucky entered the early signing period without a single commitment, but took just two days to land two five-star frontcourt prospects. The Wildcats were long considered the favorites for both Nick Richards (No. 12) and P.J. Washington (No. 16), and each player visited Lexington twice this fall. Still, Calipari was able to remain in the driver's seat for several months before closing the deal on Thursday. Then he went out and landed former Florida commit Shai Alexander (No. 44), an ESPN 100 point guard. With those three players in tow, Kentucky can now focus on the perimeter -- as well as five-star forwards Kevin Knox (No. 7) and Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 23) -- moving into the spring.
Gary Trent Jr. (No. 8) as the Blue Devils' top shooting guard target, and Duke landed him Thursday. He's the best shooting guard in the country, and will immediately be counted on as a go-to scorer as a freshman. Moreover, Trent is close with Wendell Carter (No. 3) and Kevin Knox (No. 7), and Duke wants both of them.
UCLA: Steve Alford had the nation's fourth-ranked recruiting class after Thursday's flurry of commitments, but that will likely change very soon. The Bruins were able to pull five-star forward Kris Wilkes(No. 14) out of the state of Indiana, with Wilkes choosing UCLA over Indiana and Illinois. Wilkes is now the centerpiece of an elite recruiting class for the Bruins, giving them their first five-star prospect in 2017. He joins three other top-50 prospects in the class. Although Lonzo Ball could leave early after this season, UCLA will have one of the most talented rosters in the country next season. Oh, and it can't hurt Alford's job security.
Oregon: The news could get better for the Ducks, too, so keep an eye on this one. They struck before the early signing period even began, getting five-star perimeter prospect Troy Brown Jr. (No. 18). He's a versatile wing who can play multiple positions, and even fill in something of a point-forward role. His commitment pushed Oregon's recruiting class into the top 10. Dana Altman then brought five-star forward Brandon McCoy (No. 6) into Eugene for an official visit this past weekend. McCoy isn't ready to commit just yet, but Oregon getting him on campus is important.
Georgia: There were more high-profile commitments last week, but Mark Fox getting Rayshaun Hammonds (No. 38) was huge. He's the highest-ranked player to commit to the Bulldogs since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked Georgia back in 2011, and he's also an in-state player. Will Hammonds change the program? No, but it's a nice momentum boost on the recruiting trail and will give the Bulldogs a talented piece in the 2017-18 season.
Pac-12: Having three of the top four recruiting classes and four of the top 10 will generally get you into the win column. Arizona has the nation's best recruiting class, led by DeAndre Ayton, the No. 1 prospect in the country. Washington follows Arizona, led by Michael Porter Jr. (No. 2) and top-50 prospect Daejon Davis, who recommitted to the Huskies last Monday. UCLA is at No. 4 and Oregon is No. 10. More importantly, Arizona, UCLA and Oregon are still in the mix for five-star prospects -- UCLA already got its target in Wilkes -- and could move up the rankings.
SEC: Kentucky is always a staple near the top of the recruiting class rankings, and that's no different this season. The Wildcats have the No. 6 recruiting class, and Calipari still has his eye on a handful of five-star prospects and point guard Shai Alexander (No. 44). But it's the other league teams that have made this a successful cycle for the SEC. Alabama has the nation's No. 3 recruiting class, led by five-star guards Collin Sexton and John Petty. Auburn did most of its work early in the process, but the Tigers have the No. 7 recruiting class. Bruce Pearl has completely changed recruiting at Auburn, and five-star center Austin Wiley (No. 17) is a major catalyst for the resurgence.
Alabama, SEC big winners in hoops signing period
Jeff Borzello
- The early signing period isn't quite finished yet, with a couple of days left for uncommitted prospects to make a college decision or for unsigned players to send in their letters of intent. But it's been a very busy week thus far. Although the signing period began on Wednesday, we saw two top-50 players commit on Monday and then six top-40 prospects -- including five five-stars -- announce their decisions on Thursday. As the signing period winds down, who were the big winners and losers of the past week? And who has the most questions to answer moving forward?
WINNERS
Alabama: It's hard to argue that the Crimson Tide weren't the biggest winners of the early signing period. Duke might have picked up a better player, and Kentucky might have a better duo, but it's Alabama we're talking about. Alabama basketball. Avery Johnson now has the third-best recruiting class in the country, after reeling in the five-star backcourt duo of Collin Sexton (No. 10) and John Petty (No. 25). He beat out Kansas for Sexton and Kentucky for Petty, getting in on the ground floor of Sexton's recruitment before he blew up and then convincing Petty to stay home and play for Alabama. Those two will immediately comprise one of the most dangerous offensive backcourts in the country next season.
Kentucky: As if John Calipari would stay quiet any longer? Kentucky entered the early signing period without a single commitment, but took just two days to land two five-star frontcourt prospects. The Wildcats were long considered the favorites for both Nick Richards (No. 12) and P.J. Washington (No. 16), and each player visited Lexington twice this fall. Still, Calipari was able to remain in the driver's seat for several months before closing the deal on Thursday. Then he went out and landed former Florida commit Shai Alexander (No. 44), an ESPN 100 point guard. With those three players in tow, Kentucky can now focus on the perimeter -- as well as five-star forwards Kevin Knox (No. 7) and Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 23) -- moving into the spring.
Gary Trent Jr. (No. 8) as the Blue Devils' top shooting guard target, and Duke landed him Thursday. He's the best shooting guard in the country, and will immediately be counted on as a go-to scorer as a freshman. Moreover, Trent is close with Wendell Carter (No. 3) and Kevin Knox (No. 7), and Duke wants both of them.
UCLA: Steve Alford had the nation's fourth-ranked recruiting class after Thursday's flurry of commitments, but that will likely change very soon. The Bruins were able to pull five-star forward Kris Wilkes(No. 14) out of the state of Indiana, with Wilkes choosing UCLA over Indiana and Illinois. Wilkes is now the centerpiece of an elite recruiting class for the Bruins, giving them their first five-star prospect in 2017. He joins three other top-50 prospects in the class. Although Lonzo Ball could leave early after this season, UCLA will have one of the most talented rosters in the country next season. Oh, and it can't hurt Alford's job security.
Oregon: The news could get better for the Ducks, too, so keep an eye on this one. They struck before the early signing period even began, getting five-star perimeter prospect Troy Brown Jr. (No. 18). He's a versatile wing who can play multiple positions, and even fill in something of a point-forward role. His commitment pushed Oregon's recruiting class into the top 10. Dana Altman then brought five-star forward Brandon McCoy (No. 6) into Eugene for an official visit this past weekend. McCoy isn't ready to commit just yet, but Oregon getting him on campus is important.
Georgia: There were more high-profile commitments last week, but Mark Fox getting Rayshaun Hammonds (No. 38) was huge. He's the highest-ranked player to commit to the Bulldogs since Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked Georgia back in 2011, and he's also an in-state player. Will Hammonds change the program? No, but it's a nice momentum boost on the recruiting trail and will give the Bulldogs a talented piece in the 2017-18 season.
Pac-12: Having three of the top four recruiting classes and four of the top 10 will generally get you into the win column. Arizona has the nation's best recruiting class, led by DeAndre Ayton, the No. 1 prospect in the country. Washington follows Arizona, led by Michael Porter Jr. (No. 2) and top-50 prospect Daejon Davis, who recommitted to the Huskies last Monday. UCLA is at No. 4 and Oregon is No. 10. More importantly, Arizona, UCLA and Oregon are still in the mix for five-star prospects -- UCLA already got its target in Wilkes -- and could move up the rankings.
SEC: Kentucky is always a staple near the top of the recruiting class rankings, and that's no different this season. The Wildcats have the No. 6 recruiting class, and Calipari still has his eye on a handful of five-star prospects and point guard Shai Alexander (No. 44). But it's the other league teams that have made this a successful cycle for the SEC. Alabama has the nation's No. 3 recruiting class, led by five-star guards Collin Sexton and John Petty. Auburn did most of its work early in the process, but the Tigers have the No. 7 recruiting class. Bruce Pearl has completely changed recruiting at Auburn, and five-star center Austin Wiley (No. 17) is a major catalyst for the resurgence.
