Recruiting Class Rankings

[brolewis]

Posted on FoxSports.com, from Scouts.com:

Top 10 Recruiting Classes (http://msn.foxsports.com/wcbk/story/5130366)

So, all you experts out there, did you have Baylor and Michigan State as landing the best recruits in the nation during the past four years? Since they did play for the national title, you'd have thought they would have been on every list.

They weren't.

Still, some educated guesses can be made about how this year's crop of teenage girls will develop over the next four years, and so here is our best shot at which schools did the best with the Class of 2006.

Just don't remind us in 2010.

4. Baylor

Kim Mulkey-Robertson took full advantage of that unexpected national championship by leveraging all that exposure into a brilliant recruiting class. Latara Darrett (17) from Southern California and Whitney Jones (27) from Lousiana are superb guards — Darrett more a smooth scorer, and Jones with tons of potential, and all four will have an opportunity to play quickly in Waco. Grade: A

10. Texas

Brittainey Raven (3) is an all-around 6-0 wing in the mold of Sheryl Swoopes, and all by herself, is a very good recruiting class. Niqky Hughes is the best of three other pretty good Texans who should have Longhorn fans smiling over the next few seasons. Grade: B-

[JK]

I don't know how they really grade these recruiting classes, but I most definitely think we've got a better class than #10. Furthermore, Oklahoma has got a monster class coming in also, but failed to make the top ten? Oh well..... rankings will be rankings. Won't they?

[swok34]

JK....

the author of that article doesn't think much of Abi Olajuwon and as far as I know, is out on the west coast. Most recruiting services that I'm aware of are on the east coast. I know he really likes Chicago's Amanda Thompson, though he probably is not aware of Arkansas' Stevenson or the two Oklahoma girls.

Here's Blue Star's Ranking in comparison:

http://www.bluestarbb.com/BlueStar-ClassRankings/BlueStarReport-Class2006.htm#CollegeClass

Scroll down past the individuals to get to the team rankings.

[Waylontheman]

My Jayhawks are ranked 26th. Thats not bad at all and I can live with it(Morris is the only player ranked in the Top 100 out of 7 but gurantee a couple of others prove to be sleepers!). Don't take too much from these rankings(Hell Duke always has the "Number 1" class but GG seems to ruin them-glad to see she is at 7 and not higher.)

Quite a few left unsigned it looks like and thats odd on the girls side of the ball. I know grades play a key role in that. Pretty sure thats why Bonnie quit pursuing Porsha Phillips(she can come to KS anytime though!)

6 out of 40 are Big 12 schools. Gurantee we have at least a title with this class so I wouldn't be too worried!

[MsProudSooner]

Some of those who rank classes do it by counting up the total 'stars' assigned to the recruits. They'll rank a team who took 7 players (5 2 stars and 2 3 stars) with a total of 16 stars over a team that took 3 4 stars and a 3 star for a total of 15 stars. To me, if you are going to rank a class, do it by avg number of stars, not total stars. Also, they don't take into consideration whether the team filled their needs.

[H2H]

Some of those who rank classes do it by counting up the total 'stars' assigned to the recruits. They'll rank a team who took 7 players (5 2 stars and 2 3 stars) with a total of 16 stars over a team that took 3 4 stars and a 3 star for a total of 15 stars. To me, if you are going to rank a class, do it by avg number of stars, not total stars. Also, they don't take into consideration whether the team filled their needs.

You are right about that plus the other things is that it's impossible to see all the kids that you are ranking as a group. If the person doing the ranking had seen all the kids, then OK but we know that didn't happen. I think someone said we were 26th and I would put a large sum of money up that they didn't see the Kohn kid from Mich. play a game. I say that cause reading some HS boards in the Mich/Wisc./ Ill. area we got a steal. There are probally 40 kids that way out there. I'm just not a big fan of the recruiting rankings.

I do think the Big 12 will be brutal for some time to come. Bonnie has us going in the right directions, Juco U (OSU) will have players, sorry but that is what you will become, but you will win games. We will see at CU what will happen. It's good times.

[YCN]

There isn't a large enough interest base for the basketball player and class rankings to be all that precise or comprehensive. The top recruiting services do an OK job, but tend to favor players who compete in their tournaments or attend their camps over ones that don't.

And many so-called experts have marked biases toward a particular region or other of the country.

I think any sensible class ranking system should accommodate the increasingly valuable top ranked players, simply because they usually have the most impact. Perhaps the value of the #1 player might be twice the #10 player, which is twice the #40 player. It probably varies widely every year.

At some point, players no longer should be considered to have any value, because the chances are so slim that the player will have any impact in I-A as to be practically nil. Good recruiters can spot the unknown talents and weed out the less desirable players. Of course, getting them to your school is another thing entirely.

That's why all these rankings are quite subjective and not terribly important. The fact that a virtual unknown named Sophia Young happens to be a player I consider more valuable than last year's top award winning is alone evidence enough to show that rankings aren't all that important.

I do know that if my coach thinks we got a really good class, that means more to me than anybody else's rankings. Of course, coaches have a vested interest in playing up the value of their own classes, but the better you know the coach, the better you can gauge the quality of the recruiting class.

[sybarite]

Men's recruiting rankings are fairly useless as well. But, those who rate men have an advantage. They can see what the NBA thinks of a kid. Since the WBA doesn't draft high school kids, we don't get the same type of assessment.

As a rule, if the professional teams think enough of a kid to draft him, or to invite him to tryouts, or to send scouts to watch him, you know that you are dealing with a pretty good prospect. For the most part, other rankings are often based on which schools are recruiting them. If Duke or Kentucky recruits a kid, it is assumed that he is pretty good. If the only schools recruiting him are from the Mid-America conference, he isn't so likely to be rated.

To some extent, this is true with women's basketball. If Tennessee or Connecticut recruit someone, they are considered to be good. That will change as more schools become equivalent to Tennessee and Connecticut. Right now, the Big Twelve has about six teams that have the reputation that they recruit good talent. If Baylor or Texas is after a girl, it usually means more than if Missouri and Iowa State are after her. With the exception of the really top talents, this is probably not relevant. Most teams in the Big Twelve are probably fairly equivalent, with the exception of those that have the one or two top girls.

[Row6Seat10]

I usually take these rankings with a grain of salt that is unless of course the Huskers are in the top 10 ;).

Notibly absent thou in the Blue Star college rankings is last years National Champion runner up Michigan St. As evidenced by her teams results just last season alone one knows that Coach McCallie can recruit good players. You would think with all the exposure and good fortune the Spartans had they would of at least been able to pull down a spot in the Honorable mentions. I know Coach McCallie signed a girl who stands 6'8 :eek:

On the other hand what has happened to the Sybil site? :confused: I can't even get her site to pop up anymore.

[YCN]

On the other hand what has happened to the Sybil site? :confused: I can't even get her site to pop up anymore.

Maybe she doesn't have rights to any space on the Tennessee webserver anymore? Normally you get that space if you are a student, faculty or employee. I expect we'll see her pop up somewhere else soon.

Or maybe her interests have changed. That can happen too. :(

[H2H]

Well Dan Olson from ASGR (Allstar Girls Report) saw the recruiting classes go this way for the Big 12.

1. Baylor
The Bears added a wonderful mix of post and perimeter players, plus the nation’s No. 1 transfer (Bernice Mosby from Florida). Danielle Wilson (6-4, C, No. 32 nationally) is loaded with potential, while 6-4 Jessika Bradley (No. 45) is a versatile player who could fill a number of positions. On the perimeter, both Latara Darrett (5-9, PG, No. 12) and Whitney Jones (5-7, No. 111) bring the quickness that Coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson loves.

6. Texas
The Longhorns signed Brittany Raven (6-0, PG, No. 5), who may be the best athlete in the class nationally. Vantranique Hughes (5-11, 2G, No. 20) isn’t far behind Raven in terms of athleticism, and they should form an amazing duo. Kristen Nash (6-2, PF, No. 112) is another strong prospect, while Destinee Hooker (6-5, C, No. 140) signed to play volleyball and track, and she may never see the hardwood in Austin.

8. OU
After snaring the Paris sisters last year, the Sooners added more post power with Amanda Thompson (6-0, PF, No. 7) and Abi Alajuwon (6-3, C, No. 57). Thompson is a physical specimen who is ready for prime time, and Alajuwon (Akeem’s daughter) will be a nice complement in the paint. OU also got help on the perimeter with Rose Hammond (5-8, SG, No. 64), Nyeshia Stevenson (6-1, WF, No. 182) and Jenise Plumley (5-5, PG, Top 500).

22. Kansas
Sade Morris (6-0, WF, No. 143) is the type of tough, athletic player who should fit perfectly into Coach Bonnie Henrickson’s system. Henrickson signed a total of seven players. While Morris is the most important signee, look for early contributions from LaChelda Jacobs (5-9, PG, No. 188), Kelly Kohn (5-8, PG, No. 248) and Danielle McCray (5-11, WF, No. 30).


Honorable Mention
(Those teams in random order that could break through into the Top 25 with an additional player of impact in the Spring signing period.)

CU
TT
NU
OSU
Tx A&M

So there you go....Another persons look on it.

GO :ku:

[Scamp]

Lady Bear '06 recruits ranked #1

With three players ranked in the top 45 nationally, it's no surprise that All-Star Girls Report has Baylor's 2006 recruiting class listed No. 1 in the country.

But ASGR's Dan Olson said the one thing that puts Baylor over the top is Florida transfer Bernice Mosby, a 6-foot-1 senior forward who averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds last year for the Gators.

“The thing that vaulted them over the top is they got the No. 1 transfer in the country,” Olson said Tuesday. “Having lived in Florida, I'm familiar with her game. And I think being there at Baylor, she's only going to get better. She's kind of in the same line with (Baylor senior all-American) Sophia Young, maybe more versatile. I think Bernice can come in and fill that void once Sophia leaves.”

http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/content/sports/college/2005/12/07/20051207wacrecruits.html
Even if Bernice can't play this year, having her work against Sophia in practice has got to be a good thing for BU's All-American. :D

[YCN]

Post deleted, intended for another thread.

[horntooter]

Here is Sybil's site:

http://web.utk.edu/%7Esmarshal/2006.htm

:UT:

[itsahornthing]

Well , in my honest opinion, as Texas very well knows, having the "#1" recruiting class in the nation sometimes doesn't get ya very much right away. So it doesn't means squat to me at all. It's what ya do with that "#1" recruiting class that means something, how you develop those players in their freshman and sophomore years that tells how good they will be in the long run. Texas had no choice but to use theirs right away, probably before they were ready to hit the court in this big a venue, they paid for this dearly and I hope will have a MUCH better year next and the following two!! We'll see what happens, but as far as having the best class, well you see what Texas got for theirs!!LOL!

[Gator]

So it doesn't means squat to me at all. It's what ya do with that "#1" recruiting class that means something, how you develop those players in their freshman and sophomore years that tells how good they will be in the long run.And how many great HS players never develop at all? Unfortunately, more than you would like. Some develop into pretty good role players. Some fade away. Some run away. So, I agree. Starting with the best you can find does give you a better chance of getting kids who will develop into major players but that is about all.

[OSUCowgirls]

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/22/Sports/Prospective_assistant.shtml

IN GOOD COMPANY: Women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez already has a six-member recruiting class earning national acclaim, but he has the Bulls in the mix for Shannon Bobbitt, a coveted point guard from Trinity Valley Community College in Texas.

Bobbitt, who is only 5 feet 4 but has serious playmaking skills, has the Bulls in her top five, along with Tennessee, Louisville, Rutgers and Oklahoma State.


I know she attended one of the Cowgirl games with her teammate Dominique Chism (6'1" forward from Dallas, Texas). I haven't heard anything new yet. If the Cowgirls could add Bobbitt into a backcourt with RS sophomore Tasha Doh and incoming FR Andrea Riley...........WOW! That would be awesome.

[YCN]

And how many great HS players never develop at all? Unfortunately, more than you would like. Some develop into pretty good role players. Some fade away. Some run away. So, I agree. Starting with the best you can find does give you a better chance of getting kids who will develop into major players but that is about all.
One thing that the better evaluators of high school talent are doing more and more these days is rank players not just on their athletic potential and skills, but also on their character and attitude toward the hard work needed to become a good player.

In the past fewer players with bad attitude or bad character were ferreted out in the scouting process. Now scouts are playing much closer attention to what teammates, coaches and others say about those players, and what their real track records of success in life are.

The rankings are getting more accurate every year, and these days more and more of the top-ranked players will be seeing college success because of it.

Especially note those players who have been selected for USA Basketball programs. While they can't possibly find all of the best players in the country, nobody takes the selection process more seriously than they do.

[Gummy]

It's these kinds of topics that firm my belief that Cindy Stein is one of the better coaches in the league. You never see Missouri on any of these top-rated recruiting lists, but they have made the postseason six out of the last seven years. Only Oklahoma has done that longer (all seven)...