Bob Gibbons has long been the nation’s most respected, and the Number One-rated high school basketball talent evaluator. He serves on the selection committee for the McDonald's All-American Game; Parade Magazine All-American Team; is a top advisor for several national all-star games; and does player ratings for numerous publications, including his own highly acclaimed All Star Scouting Service for colleges.
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Bob’s Blog
February 3, 2012
Class of 2013 Top 100 Player Ratings
Following are our player rankings for the Class of 2013 which constitute the nation’s top high school junior boys basketball players. We have to revise our list after our former No. 1 junior prospect, 6-10 C Nerlens Noel, Tilton, NH, Tilton School, decided to reclassify as a senior.
Moving up to the 2013 No. 1 ranking is 6-9 PF/C Julius Randle, Plano, TX, Prestonwood Christian Academy. Randle was the MVP of the prestigious City of Palms Tournament before Christmas. However, when we saw him after Christmas at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC, he did not perform as expected, and his team lost two games. The problem was Randle was trying to play on the perimeter instead of using his 240-pound athletic body to dominate in the paint. We are ranking him as the best junior on the basis of his potential and all-around abilities. Hopefully, he will just play in the high or low post, and take his game to the highest level. He has “Chris Webber type abilities,” and can become one of the best. His list of schools includes Baylor, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ohio State, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, and others.
Rated No. 2 is highly publicized 6-8 WF Jabari Parker, Chicago, IL, Simeon Career Academy. Some have lauded Parker as the nation’s top prospect regardless of class. Unfortunately, he has not performed at that level. Parker has advanced skills, and is an effective shooter from all ranges. However, he has added weight, and needs to work on his conditioning. On his lengthy college list are Duke, North Carolina, Illinois, Kansas, Washington, Michigan State, Kentucky, Northwestern, DePaul and others.
Our No. 3 prospect is 6-5 1/2G Andrew Harrison, and at No. 6 is twin brother, 6-5 2G Aaron Harrison, both at Richmond, TX, William B. Travis H.S. This dynamic duo form the nation’s best backcourt, and both are being highly recruited. Schools recruiting the twins are Arizona, Baylor, Kentucky, Maryland, Georgetown, Texas, and Villanova.
At No. 4 is long, wiry 6-10 PF Chris Walker, Bonifay, FL, Holmes County H.S. Walker is a “John Henson-type’ forward, with long arms, and the ability to run the court really well. He needs to get stronger and add weight. His top colleges appear to be Kansas, Florida, Louisville, Kentucky, Florida State, Memphis, Ohio State, Syracuse, and Georgia.
Filling the No. 5 spot is athletic 6-8 P/WF Aaron Gordon, San Jose, CA, Archbishop Mitty H.S. Gordon is an explosive, high-flying athlete, and an intense competitor. We rate him the top West Coast prospect. His older brother, Drew Gordon, played at New Mexico. Aaron is also considering Coach Steve Alford’s Lobos. However, the current leaders, reportedly, are Washington and Arizona. Stanford, Kansas, and Oregon are also on his list.
Recruiting has intensified for the Class of 2013, and at this writing 29 of our Top 100 had verbally committed to a college.
For a complete list of our Class of 2013 Top 100 click on: www.bobgibbons.com/recruitingnews
Bob’s Blog
February 2, 2012
Revised 2012 Top 150 Player Rankings
With the 2011-12 high school basketball season winding down, and the voting now completed on the McDonald’s All-American Team, it is timely to update our rankings of the top seniors in the Class of 2012. There have been some significant changes in our Top 150 since our early season list.
Still undecided 6-6 G/F Shabazz Muhammed is the clear choice as the nation’s premier senior prospect. Muhammad has had an outstanding year for Las Vegas, NV, Bishop Gorman HS, although he does need to improve his outside shooting ability. He is now considering UCLA, UNLV, Kentucky, Southern California, Duke, Kansas, and others as his future college.
Moving up to No. 2 is UCLA signee 6-8 G/F Kyle Anderson, a player with the size, skills, and versatility to literally play every position for Jersey City, St. Anthony HS… No. 3 rated 6-9 PF Grant Jerrett (Arizona) elevates from his previous ranking of No. 25. Jerrett is the top prospect in the West, and should be an immediate impact player at Arizona next year.
In this day and age reclassifications and school changes are almost the norm in high school basketball. One that just happened has a significant impact on our player ratings for both 2012 and 2013. 6-10 Nerlens Noel, our No. 1 rated prospect in the Class of 2013, just recently decided to graduate this year. This sensational shotblocker now becomes the No. 4 player in the Class of 2012. Amazing!
At No. 5 is our former No. 1 prospect, 6-4 G/F Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)… Moving from No. 7 to No. 6 is prolific scoring 6-8 PF Alex Poythress (Kentucky)…Jumping from No. 15 to No. 9 is the nation’s best senior point guard, 6-1 Marcus Paige (North Carolina)…At No. 11 is previously No. 24 rated 6-5 2G Gary Harris (Michigan State)…Another high riser is 6-8 PF William “Shaq” Goodwin (Memphis), climbing from No. 37 to No. 13… The best player and leading scorer on the nation’s No. 1 rated high school team, Oak Hill Academy (33-0), 6-6 WF Jordan Adams (UCLA), goes up from No. 22 to No. 14.
Making the biggest jump in our ratings from No. 77 to No. 17 is playmaking wizard and floorleader, 5-11 PG Tyler Lewis (N.C. State). As previously written, undefeated Oak Hill Academy is the No. 1 high school team in the nation; and Lewis has led Coach Steve Smith’s program to that lofty status. The McDonald’s All-American team has not yet been released; but, would it not be a great matchup if future ACC point guard rivals, Lewis and Marcus Paige, were to go head-to-head in that game. I hope it happens!
Others making significant moves are: No. 18, 5-22 PG Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (Indiana); No. 22, 6-3 PG Kris Dunn (Providence); No. 27 6-5 2G Katin Reinhardt (UNLV); No. 31 6-9 P/WF Evan Nolte (Virginia); No. 34 7-0 C Willie Cauley (Kentucky); and No. 37 6-8 WF Winston Shepard (undecided).
No longer in our Top 150 ratings are fifth year seniors 7-0 C Kaleb Tarczewski (Arizona); 6-6 G/F Richard Ledo (Providence); and 6-7 PF Georges Niang (Iowa State)… Former No. 128, 6-8 P/WF Demetrius Henry moved back to the Class of 2013… Former No. 105, 6-4 2G Torian Graham, who may have the record for the most schools attended, has left Jacksonville, FL, Arlington Country Day, and may now be enrolling at Creedmoor, NC, Christian Faith Center. He is no longer on our list.
Former No. 28 rated, 6-8 PF Jarnell Stokes was denied eligibility to play at Memphis, TN, Southwind HS. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee in January, and is now a freshman playing significant minutes for the Vols… Out with season ending injuries are 6-4 PG Ryan Arcidiacano (Villanova), and 6-8 PF Kenny Kaminski (Michigan State)…6-2 PF Nino Jackson, Ardmore, OK, HS, was ruled academically ineligible to play this season.
To see our complete revised Class of 2012 Top 150 Player Rankings click on: www.bobgibbons.com/recruitingnews
