College Basketball Recruiting: Class Of 2012 – Top 50

Our final top 50 rankings for the senior class of 2012 are here. There has been a lot of player movement since the fall rankings. Five new players enter the top 50: Nerlens Noel, Tyler Lewis, Winston Shepard, Jordan Adams and Dominic Artis. Jarnell Stokes who was previously ranked #18 in the fall rankings graduated school early and enrolled at the University of Tennessee.

Nerlens Noel started out the year ranked #3 in the class of 2013 but decided to reclassify to the class of 2012 during the season. Nerlens is a dominating defensive player who has improved his offensive game during the course of the year. His impeccable timing has made him one of the greatest shot blockers ever to play at the high school level. At 6’10 with a 7’4 wingspan, Nerlens has the greatest upside of any player in the class of 2012 moving forward to the college level.

The biggest question heading towards the close of this season became whether Nerlens Noel would overcome Shabazz Muhammad as the #1 player in the class. It was a difficult decision to say the least, but Shabazz remains #1 in this years’ senior class. Shabazz’s business-like approach to the game, consistency, high motor and defensive intensity was unmatched by any other player. In the HoopHall Classic, Muhammad had 37 points and 9 rebounds against perennial power DeMatha Catholic. He set a Nike Hoop Summit scoring record with 35 points and added 9 rebounds. Shabazz scored over 40 points in four games this year and was also the MVP in the McDonald’s All American game. He finished the season averaging 30 points and 10.4 rebounds a game and led Bishop Gorman to 3 state championships during his high school career.

Let’s take a look at this season’s final rankings:

1. Shabazz Muhammad (F) – Las Vegas, NV Bishop Gorman – 6’6, 215 (UCLA )

2. Nerlens Noel (C) – Everett, MA The Tilton School – 6’10, 215 (Kentucky)

3. Kyle Anderson (G) – Jersey City, NJ St. Anthony – 6’8, 215 (UCLA)

4. Isaiah Austin (C) – Arlington, TX Grace Prep – 7’0, 215 (Baylor)

5. Alex Poythress (F) – Clarksville, TN Northeast – 6’8, 215 (Kentucky)

6. Brandon Ashley (F) – Oakland, CA Findlay Prep – 6’8, 225 (Arizona)

7. Anthony Bennett (F) – Henderson, NV Findlay Prep – 6’7, 230 (Undecided)

8. Steven Adams (C) – Wellington, NZ Notre Dame Prep – 6’11, 230 (Pittsburgh)

9. Kaleb Tarczewski (C) – Southborough, MA St. Mark’s – 7’0, 220  (Arizona)

10. Gary Harris (G) – Fisher, IN Hamilton – 6’6, 208 (Michigan St.)

11. Rasheed Sulaimon (G) – Houston, TX Strake Jesuit – 6’4, 180 (Duke)

12. Rodney Purvis (G) – Raleigh, NC Upper Room – 6’4, 195 (N.C. State)

13. Archie Goodwin (G) – Little Rock, AR Sylvan Hills – 6’4, 181 (Kentucky)

14. Ricardo Ledo (G) – Providence, RI South Kent – 6’5, 185 (Providence)

15. Marcus Smart (G) – Flower Mound, TX  Marcus – 6’4, 220 (Oklahoma St.)

16. Grant Jerrett (F) – La Verne, CA Lutheran – 6’9, 210 (Arizona)

17. Kris Dunn (G) – New London, CT New London – 6’3, 180 (Providence)

18. DaJuan Coleman (C) – Dewitt, NY Jamesville-Dewitt – 6’9, 280 (Syracuse)

19. Cameron Ridley (C) – Richmond, TX Fort Bend Bush -6’10, 245 (Texas)

20. Daniel House (F) – Missouri, TX Hightower – 6’7, 195 (Houston)

21. Marcus Paige (G) – Marion, IA Linn Mar – 6’0, 155 (North Carolina)

22. Robert Carter (F) – Snellville, GA Shiloh – 6’8, 245 (Georgia Tech)

23. T.J. Warren (F) – Raleigh, NC Brewster Academy – 6’8, 230 (N.C. State)

24. Devonta Pollard (F) – Porterville, MS Kemper County – 6’7, 190 (Undecided)

25. Amile Jefferson (F) – Philadelphia, PA Friends Central  – 6’8, 197 (Undecided)

26. Glenn Robinson III (F) – St. John, IN Lake Central – 6’6, 192 (Michigan)

27. Tony Parker (C) – Lithonia, GA Miller Grove – 6’9, 250 (Undecided)

28. Yogi Ferrell (G) – Indianapolis, IN Park Tudor – 5’11, 165 (Indiana)

29. Shaquille Goodwin (F) – Decatur, GA SW Dekalb – 6’8, 230 (Memphis)

30. Sam Dekker (F) – Sheboygan, WI Sheboygan Lutheran – 6’8, 215 (Wisconsin)

31. Perry Ellis (F) – Wichita, KS Wichita Heights – 6’8, 220 (Kansas)

32. Hanna Perea (F) – La Porte, IN La Lumiere – 6’8, 210 (Indiana)

33. Omar Calhoun (G) – Brooklyn, NY Christ The King – 6’3, 170 (Connecticut)

34. Ricardo Gathers (F) – Reserve, LA Riverside Academy – 6’7, 235 (Baylor)

35. Willie Cauley (C) – Olathe, KS Olathe Northwest – 7’0, 225 (Kentucky)

36. Mitch McGary (F) – Chestertown, IN Brewster Academy  – 6’10, 235 (Michigan)

37. Braxton Ogbueze (G) – Charlotte, NC United Faith – 6’1, 185 (Florida)

38. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera (G) – Mouth of Wilson, VA Oak Hill  – 6’3, 210 (Georgetown)

39. Gabe York (G) – Orange, CA Lutheran – 6’2, 170 (Arizona)

40. Brice Johnson (F) – Cordova, SC Edisto – 6’9, 200 (North Carolina)

41. Shaquille Cleare (C) – Houston, TX The Village School – 6’9, 285 (Maryland)

42. Tyler Lewis (G) – Statesville, NC Oak Hill Academy – 5’11, 165 (N.C. State)

43. Ryan Arcidiacono (G) – Langhorne, PA Neshaminy – 6’4, 180 (Villanova)

44. Winston Shepard (F) – Fresno, TX  Findlay College Prep – 6’8, 205 (San Diego St.)

45. Adam Woodbury (C)  – Sioux City, IA East High – 7’0, 230 (Iowa)

46. Dominic Artis (G) – Richmond, CA Findlay College Prep – 5’11, 165 (Oregon)

47. Jerami Grant (F) – Hyattsville, MD Dematha – 6’8, 200 (Syracuse)

48. Chicken Knowles (F) – Houston, TX HYCA – 6’9, 190 (Houston)

49. Jordan Adams (F) – Lawrenceville, GA Oak Hill – 6’5, 220 (UCLA)

50. Jeremy Hollowell (F) – Indianapolis, IN Lawrence Central – 6’7, 200 (Indiana)

Undecided Schools of Interest

1. Anthony Bennett: Kentucky, Florida, Oregon, UNLV, Washington

2. Devonte Pollard: Kentucky, Georgetown, Alabama, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi St.

3. Tony Parker: Duke, Georgetown, Georgia, Ohio St., Memphis, UCLA

4. Amile Jefferson: Connecticut, N.C. State, Kentucky, Ohio St., Villanova