2007 Basketball Recruiting Rankings & Review

Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball263

Basketball recruiting for this year’s class is complete and first year Head Coach, Sidney Lowe has an awful lot of which to be proud!! Coach Lowe made the best of his opportunity to make a big impact as early as he could last summer.

After inheriting a program that was in such disarray that Lee Fowler found it necessary to sign the new coach to an (uncustomary) SIX YEAR deal last year, Sidney bested expectations on the court during his first season and has continued his momentum off the court in recruiting.

(Sidebar: After six years of listening to “Coach” Fowler extol the strength of NC State’s program under Herb Sendek, I never understood the ‘logic’ and lack of consistency that the program was in such bad shape that Fowler needed to go outside of his box and give Lowe an extra year on his first contract. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about the maneuver as it relates to Sidney – just flabbergasted at the hypocrisy of Fowler’s actions when measured against his words).

This year’s recruiting class started coming together when Johnny Thomas committed to the Wolfpack in early June of last year. The class kept picking up steam and then picked up momentum from there.

If you do not include point guard Farnold Degand or combo guard Marques Johnson who is transferring from Tennessee, the Wolfpack signed four players in this year’s class.

* JJ Hickson, C/PF, Scout – 5-star, #13 rank; Rivals – 5-star, #10 rank
* Tracy Smith, F, Scout – 4-star, #70 rank; Rivals – 4-star, #46 rank
* Javi Gonzalez, PG, Scout – 3-star, Top 150 rank; Rivals – 3-star, Top 150 rank
* Johnny Thomas, SF, Scout – 3-star, Top 150 rank; Rivals – 3-star, Top 150 rank

Not including the transfers, Coach Lowe’s first recruiting haul was ranked:

* 16th in the country CollegeHoopsUpdate.com. (Link to rankings)
* 16th by Scout.com (Link to rankings )
* 18th by Rivals.com (Link to rankings) (We particularly liked the Rivals article because of its format and easy access to past recruiting rankings.

The ACC Perspective
As always, the first place to turn for broad and deep analysis of the conference is Dave Glenn.

Glenn’s ACCSports.com has a detailed breakdown of both 2007 signees and a look ahead to 2008 recruits at this link.

The Fayetteville Observer highlighted the recruiting classes of the entire conference in this article that uses the Prepstars recruiting service for its basis.

Duke signed three of the top 20 basketball prospects in the Class of 2007, getting signatures from Kyle Singler, Taylor King and Nolan Smith in the fall. The only other top-20 player headed to the ACC is J.J. Hickson, who signed with N.C. State.

ACC schools are bringing in eight of the top 50 high school hoops players in the nation as ranked by prepstars.com. In addition to the three future Blue Devils, N.C. State and Florida State signed two apiece, while Georgia Tech got one.

Of the 43 high school players who signed with ACC schools, 20 are ranked in the top 100. One of those, however, Augustus Gilchrist, has said he will not attend Virginia Tech because of last month’s campus shootings.

None of Clemson’s three signees is rated in the top 100. All of the other ACC schools, with the exception of North Carolina, added at least one top-100 prospect.

Carolina did not sign anybody. In fact, the Tar Heels did not recruit anyone in the 2007 class after making the nation’s No. 1 haul last year. UNC’s 2006 group included six of the top 100 high school players.

Virginia Tech has the largest 2007 ACC class with six signees. Maryland has five.

The rankings are summarized below:

(1) Duke
(2) Georgia Tech
(3) N.C. State
(4) Florida State
(5) Virginia Tech
(6) Wake Forest
(7) Maryland
(8) Virginia
(9) Boston College
(10) Miami
(11) Clemson
(12) North Carolina

Related, Dave Sez has done a nice analysis on the talent entering the ACC this year.

NC State’s Future
We’ve been keeping a running list of the Wolfpack’s projected roster for the past year as we have been following recruiting. With the news that Tracy Smith has not only signed but is projected to academically qualify to play next season (and should be enrolling at State this summer), then it becomes more clear that someone on NC State’s current roster will not be returning to the program next season.

Early rumblings from Raleigh seem to indicate that Bartosz Lewandowski may be having some health issues that will preclude him from participating in college athletics in the future. We do not know who true this is and will be looking into it further; we will exclude Lewandowski for the purposes of the following projections. Also unknown for the purposes of the following projections is the classification of Marques Johnson next year. Will he be a freshman or a sophomore?

Senior Class
(1) Gavin Grant (2G/3F)

Junior Class
(2) Courtney Fells (2G)
(3) Ben McCauley (4F/5C)

Sophomore Class
(4) Brandon Costner (3F/4F)
(5) Trevor Ferguson (2G/PG)
(6) Dennis Horner (3F)
(7) Farnold Degand (1PG)

Freshman Class
(8) Johnny Thomas (3F)
(9) JJ Hickson (5C/4F)
(10) Tracy Smith (4F/3F)
(11) Marques Johnson (2G) (eligible after first semester)
(12) Javi Gonzalez (1PG)

HS Senior Commits
(13) Julius Mays (PG)
(1) CJ Williams (3F/2G) [Gavin Grant’s old scholarship]

More from Dave Glenn:

N.C. State is in the unusual position, even at this early stage, of having filled all of its open roster spots with commitments from members of the Class of 2008. These high school juniors won’t be in college until the 2008-09 season, remember, but Lowe already has secured pledges from Indiana guard Julius Mays and in-state (Fayetteville Jack Britt) swingman C.J. Williams. Unless a current team member leaves the program prematurely, the Wolfpack has no more available scholarships for high school juniors.

Given the nature (transfers, early NBA entries, etc.) of modern college basketball, of course, the Wolfpack is continuing to stay in contact with a variety of 2008 prospects, even without an open scholarship.

Updated – July 30, 2007
Link to WS Journal

There are four incoming freshmen to go with two players who transferred in last year and will be eligible in the coming season. The four freshmen alone – center J.J. Hickson, forwards Tracy Smith and Johnny Thomas, and guard Javier Gonzalez – gave State the No. 14 class in the nation, according to PrepStars, and the No. 2 class in the ACC behind Duke. Scout.com rated the class No. 17 in the nation and No. 2 in the ACC.

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Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball

263 Responses to 2007 Basketball Recruiting Rankings & Review

  1. Primewolf 05/30/2007 at 8:20 PM #

    Sid will pick and be able to carefully choose future recruits, especially after next year. I fully believe we will win our share of games against our two neighbors. I think we will get more respect from the refs and K will get less.

    Better get your BB tickets now. Won’t be many to choose from come August.

  2. vtpackfan 05/30/2007 at 8:54 PM #

    Julis Mays and CJ Williams are great prospects. Both have a terrefic attitude, are gym rats and aren’t afraid to play in the clutch.

    I think I remember when Sid was hired that he talked about playing an up tempo style. We’ve got numbers and more aggressive offensive players coming in.

    We know from witnessing his actions (and hearing the “whistle”) that Sid can Micro-manage a game. We saw what happened in Chapel Hill when he wasn’t there for them. Another statement he made when first hired was that he wanted the guys to beleive in themselves, trust their teamates and have some fun. He really wants to give these guys more responsibility and I think in his recruiting you’ll see guys who can work inside a framework, but aren’t afraid to put it all on the line and take on the responsiblity.

    My prediction is that Mays and Williams have a great shot of succeding during their four years with Sid.

    The Hamilton player is big just because we’re being taken seriously from a Southern Cali 5 star prep. When was the last time that happened? Still hoping we keep up good relations with Noel Johnson and Richard Howell out of Ga. for ’09.

    ’10 is lining up to go gangbusters in terms of local hoop talent. Bullocks, Mabry, Eddie, Leslie, Tabb, Emmanuel, Wall are just the tip of it.

  3. bTHEredterror 05/30/2007 at 9:03 PM #

    Cedar, just don’t take the bait.
    How many times can you make the same argument?

    I have seen Hickson listed most recently at 6’10”, but it has been steadily increasing the last two years from 6’7″.

    Who knows, by the time October rolls around he’ll probably be a 7 footer.

  4. xphoenix87 05/30/2007 at 9:12 PM #

    There are only 3 programs that can match Kentucky in the history department, and we aint one of em. As far as the last 5 years are concerned, they’re really not all that much stronger than we are. Probably a step up because of the history and national perception, but it’s not really as big a step as one might think.

    I hate all the talk about Herb. I’m not going to defend him or criticize him or anything, I just think it’s time to move on and focus on the bright future ahead. Let the man go and enjoy what we’ve got now, that’s all I’ll say on that.

    I’ll just skip back through all the crazy Willy Wonka business (Don’t touch that squirrel’s nuts! It’ll make him crazy!) and comment on PapaJohn’s interesting little post.

    First off, if we start the year with Gavin at the point guard slot, I might just vomit all over the people in front of me. I’d rather see Fells there if Degand or Gonzalez can’t handle it. Second, JJ would have to be pretty freaking incredible to have Big Ben coming off the bench, especially if the point guards are having trouble. He’s the engine that makes the offense run and has some of the best post moves of anybody I saw last year; I have a hard time seeing him coming off the bench. I think it’s more likely that we run Costner at the 3 than it is that we bring Ben of the bench.

  5. TNCSU 05/30/2007 at 9:23 PM #

    ^^I think it’s more likely that we run Costner at the 3 than it is that we bring Ben of the bench.

    I think you are correct….I think actually that Hickson will be coming in off the bench “early and often” during Nov-Jan. After that, who knows, but it’s fun to speculate on all the possibilities we’ll have!!

  6. redfred2 05/30/2007 at 10:34 PM #

    Rattle them off, there are seven listed, four with experience. Then in a pinch add 6’4″ Fells, or maybe even 6’5″ MJ, either of them could possibly fill at the three spot if ever needed. That would mean no big men, feet dragging, tugging at the bottom of their shorts, bent over and gasping for a breath of air. That is quite a turn around. We haven’t had an interior presence like this in a long, long time. ( that’s was for Cedar ) The interior options for the coaching staff will be of the barber shop variety… *”NeeEEEXT!!! please.*

  7. choppack1 05/30/2007 at 10:53 PM #

    Personally – I’d be surprised if Hickson cracks the starting lineup next year. The player I saw in the AllStar game would have a hard time w/Costner and McCauley. IMHO, putting Costner at 3 makes us too slow to defend.

    I think a starting line-up of Degand/Gonzalez, Fells, Grant, Costner and McCauley is a formidable one. We’ll have lots of options – we can move Fells over to the 3, Grant to the 4 and McCauley, Costner or Hickson at the 5 and choose from the combo of Degand, Gonzalez or Marques Johnson. (I might actually like this line-up the most depending on the perimeter abilities of those 3 guards.)

    Regarding recruiting – it’s not an exact science. I’ll trust the instincts of Towe, Harris and Lowe when it comes to CJ Williams and Mays. In hindsight, perhaps the offering of Lew was a mistake – but it sounds like more than anything else, he’s had physical issues.

    I think the 2007 haul is very impressive – and leaving of Degand and Johnson in the analysis really short changes the impact of the new faces we’ll see next year. I can’t think of any team in our conference that has shored up it’s shortcoming more w/ its newcomers than the wolfpack. We’ve addressed our frontcourt depth AND our lack of guards. The only thing we’re not getting is more experience – and that’s just not going to happen. Heck, come to think of it, I don’t know if team in the country is addressing more of it’s shortcomings next year.

  8. redfred2 05/30/2007 at 11:05 PM #

    chop, I’m with you all the way. We’re gonna have to wait and see about all of the frosh, and some game experience will undoubtably take some time establish anyway, but you can twist and turn this line up any number of ways, and it still looks good.

  9. xphoenix87 05/30/2007 at 11:19 PM #

    Well, the problem everyone is coming up with for Costner at the 3 is that he’s too slow to guard other small forwards. However, Costner doesn’t have to guard other 3s, he just has to supply the mismatch on offense, Hickson is much more equipped to guard an opposing small forward. The reports I read on the McD’s AA game called him a wing, and from the little I’ve seen of him he’s quick enough and athletic enough to guard wing players. Costner is a better fit at small forward on offense because of his shooting ability, but Hickson is a better fit for the 3 on defense. Then there’s the option of considering a zone, and with all the length that we’ve got, the Pack could throw out some pretty nasty zones.

  10. sf59 05/30/2007 at 11:34 PM #

    hamilton and favors in 09 and leslie in 09 would be sick sick sick

  11. Rick 05/31/2007 at 7:37 AM #

    “The Harris situation scares me a lot!”

    Just to understand how scared where would you place it on a scale of one to ten.

    One being a mouse in your house and ten being someone criticizing the great one.

  12. Mr O 05/31/2007 at 7:39 AM #

    Choppack: Don’t forget about Dennis Horner. Nobody really talks about him, but it will be tough to keep him off the court as well. I am with you on Hickson possibly not starting. Horner is almost an afterthought for most people, but IMO he will play a lot of minutes for us because of his all-around skills and especially his shooting ability.

  13. redfred2 05/31/2007 at 8:02 AM #

    I got so wound up in getting over this first hurdle, which Lowe & Co. cleared by a mile BTW!!!, that I kinda lost track of any and all recruiting beyond right now. Does anyone have some links, or a quick summary of these future potentials. It might be good to get their names and profiles out there and let them know that Wolfpack fans are taking special interest in them already.

  14. redfred2 05/31/2007 at 8:16 AM #

    O, I agree, Horner especially, I hope he continues to improve and starts to assert himself more and more. But Gavin Grant hasn’t come up that much either. I really believe that he has a lot more to offer and I think that if there is anyone who get into his head, it’s Sidney Lowe. In the wake of all the shake ups, injuries, and personnel changes (or ones never showing up), Grant has been here and there, and had to take on different roles that didn’t really fit his skills. He’s an athlete who will challenge and take it right at anyone. I hope to see him settled into a more defined role and better use made of his fearlessness and physical abilities. He is a huge match up problem if he can learn to pick and choose his spots.

  15. haze 05/31/2007 at 8:18 AM #

    I don’t think there is any way that Hickson can guard ACC WF’s on the perimeter. No way. However, I think that we can put together a pretty formidable zone defense if that’s what we need to go with the BIG line-up (Costner/Mac/JJ).

    Agree, generally, that Mac is just too good to not start. Ben and Brandon together are a tough cover for the ACC frontlines; both can post, shoot and pass. To make things worse (for others), I fully expect that Ben will have spent a good portion of the off-season honing his perimeter shot and go-to interior moves. With a consistent 3pt shot, Ben becomes even more of a trouble spot for D’s.

    Lastly, I agree with O that Horner will be a big part of our future. Question is whether he stays as a big 3 or grows into a pure 4 with perimeter skills. Either way, he’s got the shot, the IQ and the guts to be a fantastic 4-year player. If he is going to be a 3, handle and defensive footwork will need to improve. As a light 4, he just needs some bulk and he’s good to go. I guess I see Horner and Tracy Smith as a really crucial pair for quality in the ’08-’10 run.

  16. redfred2 05/31/2007 at 8:47 AM #

    This roster does also offer alot of different options on the defensive end without sacrificing much offensive punch. I can’t really comment on JJ’s speed or footwork after only seeing him in an unorganized fiasco like a Micky D’s tournament, but possibly the only potential defensive problem I see underneath, is a team with some really athletic ‘tweeners’ who may pose problems for us with quickness and speed.

    I am really hoping that Lowe and staff have relentlessly pounded defensive positioning during the off season. If there is anything we looked pitiful on, it was that. Our guys were exerting much more effort than necessary and usually within an inch or two of their man, but still giving up the driving and passing lanes, the baseline was surrendered like a free gift, not because of a lack of effort but because of poor positioning and wide open angles.

  17. redfred2 05/31/2007 at 9:39 AM #

    I’m not big, to put it mildly, when I play(ed), I don’t feel I need to bump chests with the other guy to feel like I’m playing good defense. I’d rather have some room to react anyway. So if my man starts down the right side of the lane, he has a every right to that line, but so do I. If he is going to get any closer to the basket, he has to force me out of the way and foul to get there. I see defensive players all of the time, with an illegal hand on the ballhandlers butt or hip, but still constantly allowing the offensive player to back them out of their established position. It can’t be done legally. Not unless the defender allows it. The offensive player can go right, left, and around, but he has to foul to get through an established defensive position.

    Last year, I saw our guys commiting unnecessary fouls, giving up easy, uncontested shots, and running around like chickens with their heads cut off, while trying to recover from one thing, bad positioning. They were up too close, didn’t have the right angle with their backs between the opposing player and the basket, then one quick fake, and it’s Katie bar the door. You can’t stop or defend every shot taken, but you can stay in position, put a hand in the face, and let the opposing player know he has at least something to worry about anyway.

    That’s *Redfred’s Clinic #19*, pick up your own personal copy at all participating Rite-Aid, Value Mart, and other participating local merchants.

  18. newt 05/31/2007 at 9:41 AM #

    I could see a red team/white team kind of situation.

    Red team:

    Gonzales
    Fells
    Horner
    Costner
    McCauley

    White team:
    Degand
    Johnson
    Grant
    Smith
    Hickson

    Then, at the end of the game, you put your best players that night together on the floor.

  19. PapaJohn 05/31/2007 at 9:43 AM #

    I’ll admit up front that I don’t have personal knowledge of JJ’s skills, just the few articles I’ve read.
    But don’t you guys think his best chance to get on the court early will be at the 5 spot? I’ve heard the words “unstoppable in the paint” applied to him (from PP I think), so don’t we want to take advantage of that? Sure, he’ll get schooled by the really good centers when he’s trying to defend them, but on the offensive end he should add real value and dilute the opposition’s ability to focus on Ben & Brandon.

    Agreed on DH, based on what we saw last year in flashes, a guy we want to see more of. He really seems to have a good handle on the game to go along with skills. I’m hoping he can start giving us some double digit games this year.

    I hope I’m wrong, but my guess is when the starting lineup is announced next November the guards will be CF & GG. When’s the last time we had a ‘rookie’ (including FD & MJ in that despite having some experience) start that early in the year? Justin Gainey? I think the best we can hope for is that by the time the conference season starts we’ve got that problem solved.

    But on the other hand, if somebody steps up and is ready to play competant PG right off the bat – we’ll be freaking SCARY!!!

  20. redfred2 05/31/2007 at 9:48 AM #

    “When’s the last time we had a ‘rookie’ (including FD & MJ in that despite having some experience) start that early in the year?”

    You’re possibly right about the early starting line up, but right now, the “past” doesn’t go any further back than last season.

  21. primacyone 05/31/2007 at 10:13 AM #

    Degand will get the start at point over CF and GG eight days a week.

  22. PapaJohn 05/31/2007 at 10:17 AM #

    P1 – hope you are right, but I haven’t seen him play

  23. CedarGroveWolf 05/31/2007 at 10:35 AM #

    “When’s the last time we had a ‘rookie’ (including FD & MJ in that despite having some experience) start that early in the year?”
    Atsur

  24. CedarGroveWolf 05/31/2007 at 10:39 AM #

    “Another KU Board saying Larry Harris is out, but annoucement this week.”

    I too heard Harris is staying put. Fowler needs ot show Larry the love & pay the man. He would be a HUGE loss to the program.

  25. Rochester 05/31/2007 at 10:41 AM #

    What about Mop Top O’Donnell? Didn’t he start before Atsur?

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