Under the Radar Impact Recruiting Classes

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Each year, the national conversation associated with college basketball recruiting is dominated by speculation that centers on a select few prospects and programs. Beyond the scope of McDonald’s All-Americans, and the other prospects that find their way on to the rosters of blue-blooded basketball programs, casual fans may be unaware of the significant improvements that other programs are making on the recruiting trial.

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Under John Beilein, the Michigan Wolverines have appeared in the national championship game and the Elite Eight, and they’ve done so without the services of a single McDonald’s All-American. Instead, the Wolverines were anchored by players who considered to be good, but not great enough to warrant inclusion in many of the postseason all-star games that serve as our introduction to elite high school prospects.

Players like Trey Burke and Nick Stauskas were far from All-America status (well, Stauskas is Canadian anyway), but even Beilein’s more heralded recruits such as Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III fell short of that distinction. Still, without many people noticing outside of Ann Arbor, the Wolverines built a solid program. Even now, they are led by Caris Levert, a former two-star prospect. Although the Wolverines finally landed a probable All-American for their 2016 class (Tyus Battle), they have also signed two prospects that aren’t even sniffing ESPN’s top 100.

The way Beilein has built the Wolverines is, in truth, a more accurate depiction of how programs are established. Schools like Duke and Kentucky that annually restock their coffers with NBA-caliber talent are exceptions to the rule, even if they receive coverage as if their way is the only way to be competitive (obviously, Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers would beg to differ).

The schools profiled in this slideshow have built impact classes that may not give their team national title aspirations, but will surely make an impact on establishing a winning culture within their program. You won’t see any All-Americans in these classes, just solid players ready to make a contribution to a winning basketball team. None of these prospects will be leaving after a single year of college ball, but some of them may be stars by the time their career is done.

Most championship squads are built brick by brick, and for these schools, the Class of 2015 has been a successful layering of progress.

Editors Note: Classes that included a player named as a McDonald’s All-American OR a Jordan Brand All-American were not considered under the radar classes. My apologies to Ohio State, Illinois, Texas A&M, and Oregon. Those schools missed out on inclusion based on having a player with All-American status. Hopefully we’ll have the opportunity to cover their classes at a later date.

*Schools are listed in alphabetical order

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College Basketball: Under the Radar Impact Recruiting Classes

By Chris Godfrey | May 14, 2015