Big 12 Recruiting Breakdown
A boatload of talent arrives in the Midwest.
The Big 12 proved to be one of the more successful conferences top to bottom in the recruiting game this season with a majority of its teams going out and signing blue chip talent. In all, more than one-fifth of the top-100 players in the country inked their names to play with a Big 12 team in the upcoming year. There is talent galore in almost every class in the conference, but top honors absolutely go to the trio of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma who all landed some of the elite players in the country. The Longhorns added two top-10 perimeter players in Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton who are talented enough to take Texas well into the month of March if they continue to develop as players. Kansas ultimately won the second round of the Xavier Henry sweepstakes and added a couple more elite players to go along with their crown jewel in the 2009 class. Jeff Capel at Oklahoma did everything possible to bring in a fresh group of players that will help to fill the void left by the departure of number one pick Blake Griffin and he may have done that.
Certainly those three will receive the majority of the hype entering the season, but don’t sleep on Baylor or Kansas State either who also welcome in very strong classes that will help keep them in the conference hunt.
Baylor Bears
Under head coach Scott Drew, Baylor has continued to build a team that is near the top of the Big 12 and this year’s recruiting haul will only further aid that process. The six-man class features three top-100 players, including former Memphis commit Nolan Dennis. The 6-5 shooting guard had offers on the table f
rom nearly every major power in the country, but chose the Bears after the coaching shakeup involving John Calipari heading to Kentucky. Dennis is an outstanding slasher, who really knows how to get to the basket and finish with a variety of moves. He is certainly one of the more high profile recruits the program has seen in quite some time. Point guard A.J. Walton will join the backcourt as well out of Hall HS in Arkansas. The 6-1 floor general isn’t going to fill up the basket at this point in his development, but is an excellent passer with good court vision. His job will be to manage the offense with the minutes he gets early on in his career. Power forward Cory Jefferson was a highly touted recruit sought after by several Big 12 teams and it’s easy to see why. The Texas native is super thin at 6-9, 190-pounds, but he has the type of length and athleticism that makes college coaches drool when they think about the future. Jefferson’s appeal is all about upside right now as his game is pretty raw right now; he has shown a developing mid-range jumper though and he can score in the post with his quickness right now. Givon Crump and Dragan Sekelja will also be joining the frontcourt alongside Jefferson. Crump is a slightly undersized power forward, but more than makes up for it with his versatility. The Brewster Academy graduate has a long 6-7 frame, a sweet perimeter shot and is improving at putting the ball on the floor and creating off the dribble. Sekelja is a 7-footer out of Croatia whose game is built on finesse. He has shown the ability to score with either hand in the paint and connect on elbow jumpers when given space. The final member of the Bears 2009 class is shooting guard Mark McLaughlin. Originally a member of Nevada’s 2008 recruiting class, the Washington native spent a season at prep school in New Hampshire and will be a welcome addition to Baylor’s roster thanks to his great range.
Colorado Buffaloes
Don’t expect Colorado to be challenging for a conference title any time soon, but the Buffaloes did bring in size at several positions that should help next season. Combo-guard Alec Burks will be an immediate impact player thanks to his versatility and solid 6-4 frame. A graduate of Grandview Sr. HS in Missouri, Burks knows how to get into the lane and create scoring opportunities for himself and teammates. Australian center Shane Harris-Tunks will help the frontcourt right away thanks to his strong 6-11 frame that is more than ready to handle the rigors of playing in the paint at the big time Division 1 level. Having recently left the Australian Institute of Sport, Harris-Tunks has a polished post game that includes the ability to consistently hit the mid-range jumper. California small forward Keegan Hornbuckle had offers on the table from the likes of Arizona and Arizona State, but went with less of a sure thing in CU. The 6-5 wing earned his attention thanks to his sharpshooting from the perimeter that will help to spread out opposing defenses. Colorado also added a pair of junior college transfers in point guard Shannon Sharpe and small forward Marcus Relphorde. Sharpe (no relation to the football player) averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists as a senior at Centennial HS in California before missing his one season of JuCo. The 6-0 floor general is super explosive, very fast in the open floor and has a build that can handle contact on the way to the basket. He is definitely a guy who will excel when he can get out and push the tempo of the game. Relphorde spent his freshman year at St. Louis before transferring to Indian Hills-Ottumwa for his sophomore campaign. Now back at the D-1 level, the 6-8 small forward will be a match up problem for Big 12 defenders thanks to his ability to post up and operate on the perimeter as well.
Iowa State Cyclones
It was a solid recruiting year for ISU as they will be welcoming a four-man class that should provide quality minutes at least by the end of the season as they adjust to the college game. Chicago guard Chris Colvin is top dog in 2009 for the Cyclones, a top 100 player who will provide scoring from day one. He is more than two-guard then floor general, but he is capable of playing either position when called to do so. Colvin’s game is built around his quickness and solid handles; he has a nose for the basket and knows how to break down defenders in one-on-one situations. Fellow shooting guard signee Antwon Oliver out of Wisconsin has a little more size but a similar game, relying on his craftiness to get to the rim and finish. Iowa State also opted to go the JuCo route and is bringing in two more players to complete their class. Small forward Marquis Gilstrap out of Gulf Coast CC is a versatile 6-6 wing who spends the bulk of his time operating on the perimeter, but isn’t afraid to mix it up with bigger players thanks to his 210-pound frame. Gilstrap has solid range and can create scoring opportunities for himself pretty well. Lastly there is power forward LaRon Dendy, a native of South Carolina, who comes to the Cyclones from Indian Hills CC. Dendy is a long, raw big man who is a great athlete. He is going to do the bulk of his scoring by running the floor in transition and cleaning up on the offensive glass.
Kansas Jayhawks
Folks in Lawrence are thinking national championship once again, and while a lot of that has to do with the return of Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins, another highly touted recruiting class for Bill Self will be in the mix as well. It all begins with small forward Xavier Henry, a top five player, who originally had committed to Memphis but reopening his recruitment after John Calipari bolted for K
entucky. Henry has a loaded arsenal of weapons offensively; range well out beyond the arc, athleticism, a nose for the basket and a budding mid-range game that will be very tough to handle. The McDonald’s All-American is going to be a nightmare to cover in transition and he absolutely is the type of talent to go one and done at the college level. Brewster Academy product Thomas Robinson will join an already loaded frontcourt and provide yet another weapon for the Jayhawks inside. The 6-8 power forward is tough, very athletic and brings an impressive amount of versatility to the position. Robinson hits the glass incredibly hard at both ends of the floor; he is the type of player who will make opposing teams pay over and over again if they don’t get a body on him. The athletic four has proven he can handle the ball in transition fairly well and his mid-range jumper is improving to the point where it will be a viable option come November. Lastly the Kansas faithful will welcome in shooting guard Elijah Johnson this fall. The Las Vegas native may be the most intriguing of the freshman joining the team next season due to his incredible athleticism. A bit of a combo-guard, Johnson has already been compared to former Jayhawk Mario Chalmers in some ways, but he brings even more potential offensively. Johnson can get into the lane at will and is tough enough to handle the contact that comes from being a guy who does so much damage around the rim. His range extends beyond the arc and he has the length and quickness to be a game changer on the defensive end. Kansas has done it again with another stellar recruiting class, all three players are top-50 prospects and all of them will make a major impact at the college level whether it be this year or in the future.
Kansas State Wildcats
KSU welcomes in a massive six player recruiting class that spans the gauntlet from blue chip to unheralded. For the second time in three seasons the Wildcats landed a McDonald’s All-American when they locked up a letter of intent from power forward Wally Judge. The 6-8 graduate of Arlington Coun
try Day School has a versatile offensive game thanks to his length and great athleticism. Judge has the post game and strength to score inside, but is equally adept at facing up and either shooting over defenders from the mid-range, or taking slower players off the dribble and finishing above the rim. Judge’s high school teammate Rodney McGruder will also be donning purple come next season. The slightly undersized small forward is a player who knows how to put the ball in the basket. He is strong off the bounce, gets to the rim surprisingly well and has a solid mid-range game to boot. McGruder’s perimeter game has been a work in progress, but he will hit the open three if given that look. The Wildcats signed a trio of guards as well in Martavious Irving, Devon Peterson and Nick Russell. Irving is a well built point guard out of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida with an attackers mentality. At 6-2, he has good size for the position, and is at his best when he can get out and push the ball in the open floor. Peterson played his high school ball at famed Lincoln HS before spending a year in the junior college ranks. The 6-2 shooting guard has good range on his jumper and has proven to be more than capable of creating scoring opportunities for himself with his athleticism and solid understanding of how to break down defenders. Russell, another shooting guard, may be the most talented of the backcourt players signed by Kansas State for next season; at least he showed enough promise to garner offers from nearly half of the Big 12. He plays bigger than his listed 6-4 thanks to his ability to elevate and is equally as dangerous in transition as he is in the half court set. Look for Russell to rotate behind a lot of plays and beat defenses with his perimeter shot when things slow down. The last addition to the roster next season will be New York big man Jordan Henriquez, a super thin southpaw who shows some promise. At 6-11 220-pounds, there is clearly a need for the center to hit the weight room hard this offseason, but he shows a soft touch around the rim that could make him a nice scoring option as he gets stronger and more able to hold his position.
Missouri Tigers
Missouri announced its return to basketball prominence with a run to the Elite Eight last season and with a respectable group of players signed for next season, the Tigers will look to continue their newfound success. Mizzou needed some reinforcements inside after the departure of DeMarre Carroll and they may have found their man in 6-9 power forward Keith Dewitt. The super athletic big man had offers from the ACC, Big East and Big 12 as a result of the tremendous amount of potential that he brings to the floor. Dewitt is long, runs the floor well and shows the ability to step out and operate on the perimeter. Don’t expect him to be as hardnosed as Carroll right away, but some time in the weight room should help make him a bigger physical presence inside. Tyler Stone and Jon Underwood will be joining the frontcourt as well and like Dewitt, add a fair amount of athleticism to the mix. Stone, a Memphis native, is a little undersized as a 6-7 power forward but he hits the boards hard and does a good job of moving without the basketball. Underwood is a very thin center at 6-9 and just 195-pounds. With that said, he is a raw but athletic prospect who right now makes his living as a defensive menace, blocking shots in and out of his immediate area. His offensive game is underdeveloped, but he will make up for it with his hustle as his game grows. Rounding out the class is in-state product Michael Dixon, a 6-1 point guard with excellent quickness. Dixon handles the ball very well and is a great on ball defender who will earn his minutes early with his tenacious play at the other end of the floor.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Cornhuskers welcome in a monster group of seven new players to their roster for the 2009-10 season, including several junior college transfers. Center Vander Joaqium, a 6-10 prospect out of Mountain State Academy in West Virginia, is a raw athlete with lots of upside. He blocks shots, rebounds, handles the ball surprisingly well for his size and shows flashes of being able to hit the foul line jumper at a consistent rate if given space. Joining him inside will be power forwards Quincy Hankins and Brandon Ubel. At 6-8 235-pounds, Hankins provides some bulk inside and proved to be a solid scorer with his back to the basket at Polk CC in Florida. Ubel joins the team from Overland Park, Kansas where at 6-9 he created matchup problems with his ability to step away from the paint and knock down open jumpers. He also has the ability to finish inside with either hand, proving to be a versatile big man. German import Christian Standhardinger will also be a tough player to handle in one-on-one situations for many Big 12 defenders next season as well. The 6-8 small forward is very versatile, able to bury shots from the perimeter while also be athletic enough to do some damage when he puts the ball on the floor. Then there is the trio of guards that were signed in Lance Jeter, Reyes Gallegos and Myle Holley. Jeter is a very solidly built guard who stands 6-3 and weighs around 230 pounds; this makes more sense when you learn that he spent as year as a wide receiver at Cincinnati before transferring to Polk CC. The stocky guard rebounds well for his position and knows how to get into the lane and create for teammates. Gallegos is a quick guard who needs to get a little stronger to handle being bumped off the ball, but he shows good basketball instincts and is definitely someone who can hurt defenses with a  strong mid-range game. Myles Holley, a 6-5 shooting guard from Norfolk, Virginia, is another guard who excels on the glass and will help make Nebraska a tough defensive team. His bread and butter on the offensive end is shooting off the dribble where he shows a smooth stroke.
Oklahoma Sooners
Jeff Capel continues to prove that he is one of the best young recruiters in the game, landing a five player class that features four top-100 prospects and a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans. Center Keith “Tiny” Gallon out of Oak Hill Academy is certainly going to receive the most attention entering the season as a result of Blake Griffin’s departure for the NBA. Don’t expect Gallon to be a replacement for the number one overall pick as he will be a talented player who can help fill the void. Gallon has a
big frame at 6-8 300-pounds, but has incredible nimble feet and soft hands for a player of his size. He shows a good understanding of how to play in the post and has range out beyond the arc when given space; he has the potential to be a special player if he stays out of foul trouble. Point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin is the other All-American joining the Sooners and he should join Willie Warren to form a devastating backcourt duo. Mason-Griffin is built very well for a floor general, packing 190 pounds onto his 5-11 frame. He is an excellent passer with strong handles, and though he will be distributing the ball a lot of a bevy of talented teammates, he has range well beyond the arc if given the green light to fire. OU signed another blue chip center in Andrew Fitzgerald out of Brewster Academy (they have been breeding Big 12 bigs) who at 6-8 and 240-pounds, will team with Gallon to create a menacing frontcourt. Fitzgerald is excellent with his back to the basket, already possessing an advanced post up game and a soft touch around the rim. He has improved his conditioning in the last year, but still doesn’t elevate very well which hinders his ability to rebound on a consistent basis. Shooting guard Steven Pledger is a gunner from Virginia Beach who will help to stretch out defenses. The 6-4 wing has good size, elevates well and has NBA range on his shot that will make him an immediate contributor to the offense. Lastly there is another center, Kyle Hardrick, an in-state product who brings a big 6-9 230-pound frame to the table. The Lawton, OK native is a hustle player who rebounds well and passes at a high level for a big man. With the kind of talent Oklahoma brings in for next season in addition to the players they already return, Blake Griffin might not be missed as much as some might think.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
OSU welcomes in seven newcomers to their roster next season, including a trio of players who rank in the top 100 in their class. Raymond Penn, a pint sized point guard from Texas, stands just 5-9 but has the quickness and shooting ability to be an impact player at the college level. He has range beyond the pro three-point line and can get into the lane at will, where he easily distributes the ball to teammates. Small forward Roger Franklin out of Duncanville, Texas has drawn some early comparisons to Chuck Hayes, as a hard working player who helps out wherever he can. Though not a superb athlete, Franklin rebounds well for his size (6-5) and is a pretty solid passer on the perimeter. The third blue chipper to sign with the Cowboys for next season was power forward Karron Johnson out of Laurinburg Prep in North Carolina. At 6-8 and 205-pounds, what Johnson lacks in size and strength, he makes up for with athleticism and hustle. He runs the floor very well, is super long and has good overall quickness. He’s shown a propensity for stepping away from the basket and knocking down open jumpers when given the space to operate. Think Kevin Jones (West Virginia sophomore) with maybe more athleticism. Travis Ford added two more frontcourt players in Jarred Shaw out of Dallas and Torin Walker from Georgia. Shaw is another power forward who is a bit raw in terms of polish and bulk, but is a good athlete who gets points by running the floor and hitting the offensive glass. Walker, at 6-10 and 225-pounds, was brought in for defensive purposes and to take up space. The Northside HS graduate is a strong shot blocker and will be an asset on the boards. Oklahoma State also added two more point guards to their rotation aside from Penn by adding Fred Gulley and Reger Dowell. Gulley has interest from ACC and SEC schools in addition to OSU and is very much a pure point guard at heart. He looks to find open teammates, penetrates and kicks very well and when he can’t get the ball to others, has proven he can put the ball in the basket with a developing mid-range game. Dowell - who was high school teammates with Franklin - is a great athlete who is very effective in isolation situations. Based on his high school career though, he looks to be more of an undersized shooting guard than a point guard at this point in his development though.
Texas
Rick Barnes may have outdone himself with this three-man class. Let’s start with Avery Bradley, arguably the top incoming freshman in the country, fresh off a nati
onal championship at Findlay Prep. Bradley is a freak athlete who can finish well above the rim despite being just a 6-2 shooting guard. His mid-range game at times is downright scintillating and he has drastically improved his ability to connect on shots from beyond the arc. What really makes Bradley so intriguing is the way he plays defense. At the ESPN National Invitational Tournament, facing the top teams in the country, Bradley locked down everyone he covered and seemingly took the ball away at will. His defense alone could make him an All-Conference performer as a freshman if he can continue to put it all together. The Longhorns went out and signed another top-10 player in small forward Jordan Hamilton out of famed Dominguez HS in Compton. Hamilton’s name wasn’t in the news much this past season mainly because he didn’t play as a senior due to a ruling that made him ineligible based on his attending a previous high school. Regardless, the 6-7 wing is one of the top scoring threats in the country, with a vast array of moves to complement his excellent athleticism. Rounding out the class is in-state product Shawn Williams, a 6-6 small forward with serious potential. Williams is a great athlete who is at his best attacking the basket and finishing around the rim. He has improved his perimeter shot a tremendous amount though and is now a legitimate catch and shoot threat from beyond the arc as well. As if this class wasn’t strong enough to ensure Texas is a top flight program again next year, the Longhorns will be welcoming Florida transfer and former All-American Jai Lucas to the roster as well.
Texas A&M Aggies
Give the Aggies credit in going out and landing five players in their 2009 class, including three in the top 100, that should provide immediate help next season. Naji Hibbert and Kris Middleton will bring instant star power to the backcourt, particularly Hibbert who was a star at famed Dematha Catholic in Maryland. A 6-5 shooting guard, Hibbert is excellent off the bounce when he can break defenders down, but he also has the range to connect from the outside on a regular basis. Middleton is a 6-6 wing out of Charleston, South Carolina and an absolute gunner. This kid is a threat to start shooting the minute he steps in the building; even though his game is very vanilla right now, he will be a force just based on his shooting. Power forward Kourtney Roberson (the final top-100 prospect) is a 6-8 rebounding machine at both ends of the floor. As a senior at Arcadia HS in Louisiana, he averaged 23 ppg thanks mainly to the effort he put in on the offensive glass. Joining Roberson inside will be another 6-8 power forward in Ray Turner. The Houston native is a great athlete who hustles at both ends of the floor. His post game is still raw at this point in most facets, but he has shown the ability to consistently score with a jump hook to the middle. Shooting guard Jeremy Adams is a strong perimeter player, packing nearly 200 pounds onto his 6-4 frame. While he is a solid perimeter shooter, the extra strength he carries allows Adams to back down smaller guards and score in the post when the opportunity presents itself. Overall, this was a great class for Texas A&M, and with none of these players likely to jump ship after one season, it looks like a bright future for Aggies fans.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech was focusing on the perimeter with this class, signing two point guards, a shooting guard and two small forwards for their 2009 group. Three junior college transfers will be joining the roster this fall in David Tairu, Brad Reese and Theron Jenkins. Tairu, a 6-3 shooting guard originally from Philadelphia, is a great athlete who does his damage offensively with a smooth mid-range game and moves that he can execute in the lane. Reese is a very intriguing 6-7 small forward who comes to the Red Raiders from Gulf Coast CC. Originally an Oklahoma State recruit before going to the JuCo route, Reese is a very good athlete with an above average shot; his range is well out to the three-point line and will make him a match up problem for a lot of teams. Jenkins, a 6-6 small forward, is very much in the same mold as Reese but is better off the bounce going to the rim. The incoming freshman in this class are combo-guards Jaye Crockett from New Mexico and Aaron-Mike Davis, a Houston product. Crockett is a 6-5 athlete with good range on his jump shot, but the rest of his game is somewhat raw right now. Davis is a little shorter at 6-2, but is strong enough to deal with contact on the way to the rim and shows a good overall feel for the game. He has proven to be a catch and shoot threat from the perimeter as well.
This story is filed under: College, High School, The First Take
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