Big 12 basketball recruiting 2007 (very long)

Well, recruiting is pretty much wrapped up for 2007. Thought I'd break down how everybody did, so this could get long. Also, I'm using Rivals Rankings:

BAYLOR

Well, Scott Drew had a pretty decent class again this year. The #32 player overall in **** SG LaceDarius (classic) Dunn. Solid *** SF Fred Ellis. They also signed an unrated zero star PF out of Tyler JC.

Analysis: Average Star rating of 2.3, although the unrated player really drags that down.

Scott drew has signed six, repeat SIX **** top 100 players in the last three classes. That's more top 100 kids than ISU has signed since Rivals started ranking basketball players. Baylor still sucks. Is Drew on the Hot Seat? Honestly, the guy does less with more than probably anybody in the conference, but nobody really pays attention because it's Baylor.

TEXAS

Well, they stocked up again. They signed three top 100 PF's, Gary Johnson (#48) Clint Chapman (#67) and Alexis Wangmene (#80). They also signed a quality 3 star PG Kames Kirkendoll from the same AAU team as Wesley and Brister.

Analysis: Average star rating of 3.75.

The rich get richer. 8 top 100 players in the last 2 years, one of them being Durant.

TEXAS A&M

So far it looks like Turgeon held together the recruiting class pretty well, and while they lose Acie Law and Kavalasksusuausas, They added the #2 C prospect and #8 player overall in DeAndre Jordan. They also add three *** prospects including SF Nathan Walkup (#143), SG Derrick Lewis, and PG BJ Holmes.

Analysis: Average star rating of 3.5.

They also have **** pg Donald Sloan from 2006 and **** PF Bryan Davis from 2006 as well, so it's not like Gillespie left the cupboard bare. Expect Texas A&M to be quality for a while.

TEXAS TECH

First thing - they signed 6 players this year and 7 last year. That's some turnover. They signed 6 3 stars, two in the top 150 at #140 and #144.

Analysis: Average star rating of 3 obviously.

Tech brings in another load of players. I know they went to the tourney last year but I probably know as little about them as any team in the Big 12. They did lose Jarrius Jackson last season, but they still have Dora and Zeno and all of the newcomers. I still can't help but think Tech is going to be in that perrenial 4-6 range for finishers.

OKLAHOMA

They signed two top 100 kids in #29 PF Blake Griffen (who looks like Tyler Griffin's younger brother) and #99 PG Tony Neysmith. They also signed 2 *** SG’s and another ** PG. Loading up in the backcourt just like we are.

Analysis: Average star rating of 3.2.

One of the teams we actually finished ahead of last season, and they have about as many question marks as we do. Capel is still pretty much in a rebuilding phase.

OKLAHOMA STATE

Absolutely monster class of 7 players including top 100 (#86) PF Martavius Adams, (#26) SF James Anderson, and just outside of the top 100 is #109 player PF Marshall Moses. They also signed two *** players, a SG and a PF, and they also recruited two unrated Juco’s at SG and PF.

Analysis: Average star rating of 2.4, and again, this is hurt because there are two unrated players.

They lost Boggan and apparently they thought they needed 4 PF’s to replace him. They still have Curry, Eton, and a bunch of other top 100’s from previous classes.

COLORADO

Colorado has a very small class of 2 *** players lined up. A SG and a 7’0” C.

Analysis: Average of 3.0 obviously again.

I think Bledzelik is an excellent coach, but it will take a few years to get it going there. The lame duck year from Patton didn’t help an already decrepit program.

NEBRASKA

They signed an absolutely crazy NINE players in this class. Nobody is top 150, but you have to think they’ll get SOME quality out of that quantity.

3 SG’s, 3 PG’s, 1 SF, 2 PF’s in the class. 6 *** 3 **.

Analysis: 2.66 star average.

Who knows what to expect out of this class? I guess if you sign 6 guards, you have to assume 2 of them will at least be decent.

MIZZOU

They signed one kid, a *** PF.

Analysis: They return a real veteran team next season and they need a big 2008 class.

KANSAS

Let’s not talk about it. They only sign two players, both ****, one is the #30 player C Cole Aldrich, and the #100 PG Tyrel Reed.

Analysis: Even with Rush and Wright leaving, are probably likely to win the conference again behind a bunch of other top 100’s.

KANSAS STATE

A great class for KSU behind the #1 player in the country Michael Beasley. They are also signing the #97 SF Dominque Sutton. They also have 5 other 3 stars coming in, three of them JC’s. Rivals has Walker as part of this class even though he played a few games for them last year before getting hurt. That to me doesn’t make him a 2007 recruit, but we’ll count him I guess.

Analysis: Average star rating: 3.63

They maintained the good recruiting class after Huggins left by hiring Mr. Banned in the State of Florida, Frank Martin. Very solid class, long term effects are hard to judge since Beasley and Walker are going to be gone after this year and it’s unclear if they can maintain the recruiting prowess without Huggy.

IOWA STATE

It’s not like this class hasn’t been discussed ad nausem on the board, but the jewel is obviously Craig Brackins, the #18 prospect. We also have *** Diante Garrett as the #111 prospect coming in. After that we have Staiger and Brister as *** and Boozer and Vette as **.

Analysis: Average star ranking of 3.00

Great class, deep, and fills a lot of needs. There are a lot of great players coming into the Big 12 next year and beyond and McD really needs to continue recruiting great talent to get in and remain in the top half of the division. Like most Cyclone fans, I’m confident this will happen.

Average star ratings of Big 12 schools:

KU: 4.0
UT: 3.75
KSU: 3.63
A&M: 3.5
OU: 3.2
ISU: 3.0
CU: 3.0
TT: 3.0
MU: 3.0
NU: 2.66
OSU: 2.4
BU: 2.3


Top 100 Players in the Big 12 2007 class:

#1 PF Michael Beasley (KSU)
#7 SF Bill Walker (KSU)
#8 C DeAndre Jordan (A&M)
#18 PF Craig Brackins (ISU)
#26 SF James Anderson (OSU)
#29 PF Blake Griffen (OU)
#30 C Cole Aldrich (KU)
#32 SF LaceDarius Dunn (BU)
#48 PF Gary Johnson (UT)
#67 PF Clint Chapman (UT)
#80 PF Alexis Wangmene (UT)
#86 PF Martavius Adams (OSU)
#97 SF Dominique Sutton (KSU)
#99 PG Tony Neysmith (OU)
#100 PG Tyrel Reed (KU)
#109 player PF Marshall Moses (OSU)
#111 PG Diante Garrett (ISU)
#140 SF D’walyn Roberts (TT)
#143 SF Nathan Walkup (A&M)
#144 PG John Roberson (TT)

Only three schools in the Big 12 didn’t sign at least 1 top 150 player, NU, CU, and MU, all in the North. That certainly doesn’t help perception.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this, it took me a hell of a long time. Curious to see what other people's thoughts are on this as well.

Good work! I'm suprised that Missouri only signed one kid - I thought Mike Anderson needed kids that fit "his system" in order to be effective. The conference had some good young talent last year, and it looks to be getting better...hope this means we'll start hearing more good things about the conference overall.

Nice job of giving me info I did not have before. One of the reasons I like this site.

Question- Does anyone know if Mizzou had any scholarship restricitons becuase of "pretty boy" or did they not have more than one to give?

Marcus Watkins was the only senior on the team last season. However, 4 of their top 8 are juniors, so next year is probably the year if they want to make some noise in the Big 12.

I think I would have had KSU atleast #2 if not in the #1 spot.
That's just my take.

I didn't rank them by how I thought they were, I ranked them on the average star rating.

I don't think I'm qualified to rank classes since I've only seen a few of those kids play in the McD's all american game. I would of course put KSU above KU, they have the two highest rated prospects in the conference plus a bevy of other solid recruits. The only way to be fair about it is use star ranking. For example, I didn't "grade" the 3.0 average teams. I just threw them in there as I remembered them or looked up the essay at them.

Funny how we can be so competitive in basketball recruiting, yet in football we are screwed. Imagine if we signed the 18th best football prospect and another top 115 guy in the same class? It would be stunning, yet in hoops, it's become the norm.

I know, it is interesting. The thing about it is that the basketball players get spread out so much more. LSU signs a ton of the top 150 in football, but there are only so many scholarships to go around in basketball.

I don't understand why Bill Walker keeps showing up in the class of 2007. He was class of 2006. Sure he was going to be in the class of 07 but he enrolled early. Thus he was part of the 2006 class. It's not real hard to move everyone up one notch. Also nice breakdown Brice. The Missery recruiting class is actually kind of shocking. I was not paying much attention.

I thought the kid going to play for Floyd @ USC (Mayo?) was supposed to be the overall #1 recruit this year. Did something change where Beasley is now considered the #1 recruit?