Classy classes

Sporting News, The, August 6, 2001 by Dave Telep

Surprise, surprise. Florida, Duke and North Carolina are off to stellar starts in compiling their 2002 recruiting classes--but they're not alone.

As the summer evaluation period drew to a close, more than 60 seniors had made non-binding commitments to schools across the country. Granted, plenty of things can change between now and when these players can sign letters of intent in November, but entering the week, Duke, Florida and North Carolina are leading the way in assembling the top recruiting classes of 2002. In addition to those three, at least seven other schools are off to great starts.

Leaders of the pack

Duke The Blue Devils hold commitments from three potential top 25 seniors: point guard Sean Dockery, shooting guard J.J. Redick and center Michael Thompson. The addition of Dockery prevents the Blue Devils from being short in the backcourt in case Chris Duhon jumps early to the NBA. Small forward Lee Melchionni also pledged his allegiance to Duke. The Blue Devils can sign five players and are looking to add as many as six. Should they land two of their inside targets, they would ask Melchionni to walk on for his first season, creatively circumventing the "5/8 Rule."

Florida Billy Donovan had commitments from Anthony Roberson, the No. 2 point guard in the class, shooting guard Rashid Al-Kaleem and swingman Matt Walsh. Then Mario Boggan, 6-8, 310, added himself to the list last week. Florida still is on the lookout for one more big man.

North Carolina The Heels welcome two elite back-court recruits: Raymond Felton, the top point guard in the class, and Rashad McCants, the top shooting guard. Now, Matt Doherty's focus shifts to landing at least two of the top 25-rated inside targets.

In the hunt

Iowa Point guard Jeff Homer could be an immediate starter, and power forward Greg Brunner and small forward Josh Rhodes also are in the bag. Replacing power forward Reggie Evans will be difficult, but Brunner will help. Iowa's final grant also is earmarked for an inside player.

Maryland Shooter Chris McCray is cut from the same mold as guards Juan Dixon and Drew Nicholas. Nik Caner-Medley is a top wing athlete. The Terps, who qualified for the Final Four for the first time last season, still are hoping to sign a top point guard and will look to acquire another big man to ease the upcoming loss of Lonny Baxter.

Memphis The Tigers hold commitments from center Amare Stoudemire, JC swingman Qyntel Woods and guard Jeremy Hunt, which technically fills all their available scholarships. But John Calipari still is courting big men and swingmen because there is chatter of Stoudemire and/or Woods declaring early for the NBA draft. Guard Dajuan Wagner and 6-10 forward Kelly Wise also could bolt after this season.

Michigan The Wolverines have spent the last few years chasing size, and that continues to be a priority for new coach Tommy Amaker, who has commitments from small forward Lester Abram, combo guard Daniel Horton and power forward Graham Brown.

Michigan State Naive observers thought Tom Izzo's dominance in landing in-state recruits might be on the downswing. Then, the Spartans landed Detroit shooting guard Maurice Ager. He joins potential impact big man Paul Davis and power forward Delco Rowley as commitments for the Spartans. Izzo's final task is to secure some insurance at the point in case Marcus Taylor gets itchy for the NBA.

Syracuse After collecting a fine 2001 class, Syracuse now holds commitments from high-scoring Carmelo Anthony, the second-best small forward in the class, and from reliable point guard Gerry McNamara. The only missing piece is a power forward.

Wake Forest It didn't take Skip Prosser long to adjust to his new surroundings. Promising center Eric Williams opted for the Deacons in July, and he joins small forward Trent Strickland and shooting guard Richard Joyce. Wake Forest now is after a few point guards.

Not far behind

Indiana, Louisville, Marquette, Nebraska.

RELATED ARTICLE: Who's left?

Though the pieces are starting to fall into place, big men still hold the key to which recruiting class will be top-ranked this year. This group of post players is quite thin, and anyone with size--6-8 or better--is receiving a look.

Point guard unquestionably is the deepest position in the class of 2002, but it's unlikely a top 10 point guard will be available by the end of August.

The top 10 players available entering the week:

Wing players

Evan Burns, 6-7/200, SF, Los Angeles/Fairfax. His recruitment is creeping along with no sense of urgency, possibly due to academics.

Lenny Cooke, 6-6/200, SF, Old Tappan, N.J./Northern Valley Regional, With all the NBA talk, it's tough for schools to commit a scholarship.

Bracey Wright, 6-3/185, SG, The Colony, Texas/The Colony. He was singing the praises of Indiana all July, but will he pull the trigger before summer's end?

Frontcourt players

Chris Bosh, 6-9/210, PF, Dallas/Lincoln. A strong adidas camp showing has schools salivating.

DeAngelo Collins, 6-9/230, C/PF, Inglewood, Calif./Inglewood. Many programs believe he'll skip college basketball.