| 2009 Team Rankings |
| 1. North Carolina |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF John Henson (6)
PG Dexter Strickland (17)
SG Leslie McDonald (55)
PF David Wear (68)
PF Travis Wear (69) | The Tar Heels have sprinted out of the blocks better than any program in the country. Roy Williams and staff have locked up five players all ranked inside the top 70 national rankings in the class of 2009. Henson, a 6-foot-10 versatile post, is the gem while Strickland and McDonald are the future of the backcourt. The Wear twins give UNC some size inside as well as long term helpmates to the rotation. |  |
| 2. Texas |
2009 commits (National rank)
SF Jordan Hamilton (5)
SG Avery Bradley (8)
SF Shawn Williams (64) | The Longhorns locked up one of the best players in the country regardless of position in Bradley, a 6-foot-3 native of Tacoma, Washington. He should prove to be an immediate impact player for the Longhorns. Hamilton, one of the elite scorers in the nation, picked the Big 12 school at the start of October. He came through on his promise to play alongside Bradley. Williams, a 6-foot-7 forward from national powerhouse Duncanville (Texas) High School, is a deadly perimeter threat and a scary prospect if he takes full advantage of Texas's outstanding strength program. |  |
| 3. Villanova |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF Mouphtaou Yarou (14)
PG Maalik Wayns (25)
PF Isaiah Armwood (62) | Who says the Wildcats are just a guard program? Villanova has a pair of impressive post players in Yarou and Armwood to compliment Wayns, one of the best floor generals in the country. With three players all within the top 65 rankings, the future of Villanova hoops is in good hands. |  |
| 4. Indiana |
2009 commits (National rank)
SF Christian Watford (34)
SG Maurice Creek (59)
SF Derek Elston (98)
PG Jordan Hulls (106)
C Bawa Muniru (111)
PF Bobby Capobianco | The Hoosiers added Watford at the beginning of September and he gives the program a big, versatile forward that should see major minutes as a freshman. Creek was high on Marquette when Tom Crean was at the helm and carried over his fondness when the Hoosiers hired the former Golden Eagle head man. Creek should help from day one in the guard oriented style that Crean employs. Indiana fans love the fact that Crean is recruiting the local kids. Hulls, a Bloomington native, embodies the Hoosier spirit with his play. So does Capobianco, an Ohio forward. Elston, a holdover from the Sampson regime, missed the summer due to injury. Muniru, a 6-foot-11 center, gives the team a physical presence inside the paint and will help on the defensive end of the floor. |  |
| 5. Georgia Tech |
2009 commits (National rank)
PG Mfon Udofia (36)
SG Glen Rice (48)
PF Kammeon Holsey (77)
SF Brian Oliver (129) | The Yellow Jackets wanted to lock up the foundation of the class early in 2009 and did so with a quick run of pledges in June and July. Oliver was the first to pick the ACC school and did so in mid-June. Holsey announced at the Nike Peach Jam and a week later Udofia popped in Las Vegas and Rice in Orlando. Staying in state was also a priority. |  |
| 6. Arizona |
2009 commits (National rank)
PG Abdul Gaddy (13)
SF Solomon Hill (28)
SF Mike Moser (83) | Arizona doesn't have to worry about the point guard position anymore with Gaddy's commitment. The Tacoma, Wash., native is one of the best in the nation, and Arizona beat out Pac-10 rival UCLA for his services. Hill is a jack-of-all-trades wing that can handle the ball, defend in the backcourt and is athletic enough to play three positions. Moser could be the most intriguing of the bunch. He's long, athletic and full of upside. Dowell, a former Alabama commitment, pledged to the program before Gaddy and should give the team good depth in the backcourt. |  |
| 7. Illinois |
2009 commits (National rank)
SG Brandon Paul (44)
SG D.J. Richardson (57)
SG Joseph Bertrand (116)
PF Tyler Griffey (127) | If there was any question about the Illini's ability to lock up the in-state talent like year's past, the class of 2009 has proven that the program and still lock up the locals. The future looks bright, particularly in the backcourt. The trio of Paul, Richardson and Bertrand is a major upgrade at the guard positions while Griffey has the tools to be a grinder down low all the while being a great forward to run the pick and roll with. |  |
| 8. Kentucky |
2009 commits (National rank)
C Daniel Orton (22)
SG Jon Hood (32)
PG GJ Vilarino | The Wildcats won the race for Orton, a five-star center and one of the most physically intimidating prospects in the class of 2009. Kentucky fought long and hard for Orton's commitment for a reason. He has star potential. Hood, a local star, is a versatile and crafty player that could potentially play three positions for the Wildcats during his college career. Vilarino, a steady point guard, committed to Billy Gillispie last spring. |  |
| 9. Duke |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF Ryan Kelly (20)
PF Mason Plumlee (42) | One of the best match-ups of the spring grassroots period was Kelly versus Plumlee, ironically, at North Carolina during the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. The two traded buckets in the match-up. Now the two will get a chance to help the other improve their talented skill set. Kelly is more talented in the post while Plumlee is a big option at the high block. |  |
| 10. Louisville |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF Rakeem Buckles (40)
PG Peyton Siva (49)
SG Mike Marra
PF Stephan Van Treese
| Rick Pitino and staff have already filled several needs in the 2010 class with these three commitments. Buckles is one of the most intriguing players in the class because of his size, raw ability and versatility at the power forward position. Siva is a similar scoring point guard that the Cardinals have relied on in the past. Marra is an athletic wing with great range on his jumper. Van Treese is a bouncy forward that can run the floor. |  |
| 11. N.C. State |
2009 commits (National rank)
PG Lorenzo Brown (43)
PF Richard Howell (51)
SG Scott Wood (126) | The Wolfpack love the I-85 pipeline down to Atlanta. After securing J.J. Hickson two years ago, Sidney Lowe and staff have mined Georgia hard for talent. The results have been positive in 2009 with Brown and Howell. Both should help from day one. A mini Indiana connection is also growing. Last year the team landed Julius Mays. This year, Wood is the latest Hoosier State player to head south to Raleigh. |  |
| 12. Connecticut |
2009 commits (National rank)
C Alex Oriakhi (21)
SF Jamal Coombs (65) | It seems like Oriahki and Coombs have been committed to the Huskies for a decade. Both pledged to Jim Calhoun very early in the recruiting process and over time the duo have improved tremendously. Oriahki could be a McDonald's All-American while Coombs has developed into one of the top wings in the nation. Look for both to make contributions in Storrs. |  |
| 13. UCLA |
2009 commits (National rank)
SF Tyler Honeycutt (29)
PF Reeves Nelson (79)
PF Brendan Lane (103)
C Anthony Stover (134) | Honeycutt shot up the rankings over the summer with his savvy and skilled play and headlines UCLA's three-man recruiting class. Nelson has battled injuries over the past year, but when healthy, he brings a rugged physicality to the court. Lane, on the other hand, is a skilled, face-up four-man who will stretch the defense for the Bruins. Stover gives the team a long defender that can man the post. |  |
| 14. Marquette |
2009 commits (National rank)
SF Jeronne Maymon (46)
PG Junior Cadougan (60)
SF Erik Williams (99)
SG Dwight Buycks | First year head coach Buzz Williams immediately tapped into his recruiting prowess, securing a strong four-man class. Maymon is a versatile, multi-skilled forward ranked in the top 50. Out of Canada comes a savvy point guard in Cadougan who can both distribute the ball and score it. Williams, a four-star forward, was sidelined with an injury during the travel circuit, but he is loaded with potential. And a regional junior college prospect, Buycks rounds out the class. |  |
| 15. Memphis |
2009 commits (National rank)
SG Nolan Dennis (47)
PF Will Coleman
SF Darnell Dodson | The Tigers aimed for versatility and experience in 2009 and got it. Dennis, a top 50 prospect from Dallas, will likely play a role similar to Chris Douglas-Roberts. Coleman, a 6-foot-9 post, is one of the most explosive power forwards in the junior college ranks. Dodson, a former Pittsburgh signee, has great size for a wing prospect and is one of the most intriguing players at the junior college level. |  |
| 16. UAB |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF DeMarcus Cousins (2)
SG Dexter Fields
SG Adrian Coleman | The Blazers have an answer for Memphis in Cousins. In fact, they may have an answer for just about every program in the nation. Cousins, a Birmingham native who is playing in Mobile now, is one of the true elite talents in the class. His addition alone gives UAB a major shot in the arm Coleman and Fields are both wired to score and will shine in the up-tempo game. |  |
| 17. Clemson |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF Milton Jennings (12)
PF Devin Booker (137)
SG Donte Hill | Coach Oliver Purnell continues to bring in recruiting classes with the talent to compete with the traditional heavy weights of the ACC. Leading the way for the three man 2009 recruiting class is Jennings, who is a pure shooting four-man with an impressive skill set. Booker, a bouncy and aggressive in-state forward, will pick up where his brother Trevor, a junior on the team, leaves off when his career is finished at Clemson. Hill is a solid wing player with the capability of contributing early in his career. |  |
| 18. Pittsburgh |
2009 commits (National rank)
PF Dante Taylor (24)
SF Lamar Patterson (109)
PF Talib Zanna
PF J.J. Richardson | Always known for landing under-the-radar prospects who are perfect fits for his system, Coach Jamie Dixon brings five-star prospect Taylor into the Lair. Complimenting Taylor's prowess in the interior is Patterson, who is a skilled and heady wing player. Texan J.J. Richardson is a blue collar competitor in the Pittsburgh mold. Zanna, a 6-foot-11 big man, is a sleeper that could emerge as a valuable recruiting coup in time. |  |
| 19. Oklahoma State |
2009 commits (National rank)
PG Raymond Penn (54)
SF Roger Franklin (90)
PG Fred Gulley
PF Torin Walker | First-year coach Travis Ford has reeled in a talented four-man class for the Cowboys. Penn is an electric, undersized scoring point guard who set Vegas on fire in July. He will be accompanied by the high-energy and productive wing Roger Franklin. Three-star prospects Fred Gully and Torin Walker will provide depth for Ford's up-tempo attack. |  |
| 20. Minnesota |
2009 commits (National rank)
SF Royce White (19)
SF Rodney Williams (95)
PG Justin Cobbs | When Tubby Smith landed the Minnesota job, he immediately targeted White and Williams, two of the top players in the state. The work paid off and the two local products are staying home to play for Smith. The future Gophers will be asked to contribute immediately. White is the No. 2-ranked small forward in the 2009 class. Cobbs gives the program a heady point guard that knows how to put the ball in the basket. |  |
10-15-08, 06:35 PM
The top 20 2009 NCAAB recruiting classes as of today
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