Recruiting - Hoops

RSCI has just released their final 2004 player rankings, which are a compilation score using the rankings of the other experts, including:

PS = Prepstars
HS = Hoopscoop
RC = Rivals Hoops
VC = Van Coleman (legend says FS)
DT = Dave Telep

There is a combined score based on the individual rankings in each of these lists. Here are the final spots for our 4 incoming recruits and where they finished:

Ra'Sean Dickey
#51....RSCI (was #47)
#37....Prepstars
#55....Hoopscoop
#55....Rivals
#77....Van Coleman
#49....Dave Telep

Jeremis Smith
#74....RSCI (was #76)
#92....Prepstars
#91....Hoopscoop
#39....Rivals
#55....Van Coleman
#93....Dave Telep

Zam "Buck" Fredrick
#85....RSCI (was not on the list before)
#57....Prepstars
#78....Hoopscoop
#na....Rivals
#95....Van Coleman
#90....Dave Telep

Anthony Morrow
#91....RSCI (was not on the list before)
#95....Prepstars
#na....Hoopscoop
#94....Rivals
#60....Van Coleman
#89....Dave Telep

From a team standpoint, Texas gets back to #1 after Lamarcus Aldridge decide to go to college, with UK in at #2, then Kansas, UCLA and Indiana and UConn. All familiar names. GT comes in at #18 as a team. Interesting to note that no ACC team was in the top 10, although UNC, FSU, NCST, Duke, GT are all in 12-18. Of course the ACC has huge numbers of returning players this season.

Now, what do all these rankings mean? Honestly - NOTHING!! Here's what I get from them. GT successfully battled for national top 100 talent and got a group of guys with high potential who will probably contribute for at least 3-4 years each. Is Ra'Sean Dickey the #51 average recruit in the country? Nobody knows nor should really care. The point is that he is recognized to have high potential and Coach Hewitt saw in him the ability to fit into the GT system, saw in him the qualities of a person who can handle the GT lifestyle and saw a guy who can represent the school with class and pride.

In my mind, Coach Hewitt has built a class that should form the foundation for the next number of years, particularly after this season when our mass exodus occurs. With the base solid, he can go after a top 10 guy that would not kill the program if he left early. He's done it already - look what happened after Bosh and Nelson left.

Coach Hewitt is hot on the 2005 class with a lot of big names in play. We already have a committment from Alade Aminu, who is rising rapidly in these rankings. We will learn a lot more about how the rest of this class shapes in the coming months, but there are some huge opportunities for some young players to come in and make an impact after this season is over.

In case you are curious about how our previous classes stacked up, here you go. This only includes players that made the RSCI top 100:

1998 (RSCI)
#56...Tony Akins

1999
none on list

2000
#61...Marvin Lewis

2001
#49...Ed Nelson
#72...Anthony Vasser (A.McHenry)
#74...Isma'il Muhammed
#97...BJ Elder

2002
#5....Chris Bosh
#46...Jarrett Jack

2003
none on list

What it shows is that 2001 was the year that formed the base for building future years. Look at the contributions from those guys and all but Nelson will be a GT for their senior season. I see a similar patter in this class, although how much upside the new class has versus that class is completely up to them.

Interesting stuff.