Nerlens Noel: How He Changes the 2012 College Basketball Recruiting Class

Elite center Nerlens Noel rejoins his original class by reclassifying from the 2013 class to the 2012 class.

The previously No. 2 ranked player in the 2013 class, and the best big man available, is now ready to take on the college game a year earlier.

Noel is a freak on both ends of the floor, blocking shots on defense with his superior athletic ability, length and timing, and bullying smaller defenders in the paint.

How it Affects Other Big Men

As one of the best big men in the country regardless of class, Noel will be the most coveted of all the talented big men in the 2012 class. 

This class had an incredible amount of height, but Noel is the best of any big man—signed or unsigned—in the class.

The stock of other big men, such as Anthony Bennett, Amile Jefferson and Tony Parker will slightly decrease.

Unlike other sports, this transfer will not kill their stock, as Noel is not considering all the schools that these other guys are, but it does hurt them.

Noel will be able to outplay any of these other players in the class if he matches up against any of them, however, with the only possible exception being Isaiah Austin.

How it Affects Guards

The 2012 class does not have a lot of talented guards in it, but they have a few. 

Devonta Pollard is one of the few athletic shooting guards/small forwards in the class, and one of only three or four remaining.  His stock is sure to rise along with every other skill players'.

How it Affects Shabazz Muhammad

Shabazz Muhammad was the No. 1 recruit in the 2012 class until Noel joined, but his stock will not be affected. 

Muhammad brings a different aspect to the game than Noel, as he is more explosive and athletic, and can play any position on the floor, except for center.

However, Muhammad is no longer the No. 1 recruit in the country, and Noel has proven that.

When We Can Expect a Decision

Noel appears to be focusing on the season instead of his recruitment. 

While this is incredibly frustrating, we can't expect a true decision from him until the spring, and he could bring it down to the wire.

Noel is a great player who has earned this time, and the fact that he hasn't committed yet tells me that he is going to use all of it.

Where Noel Could Go

Noel has recently added Duke to his list, which some people think means that he'll be a Blue Devil.  However, his top two are still Kentucky and Syracuse.

While he seems like the type of recruit who John Calipari would land, I expect Noel to join Jim Boeheim's Syracuse Orange program. 

However, there's still time for many schools to get in on Noel, and this is a preliminary prediction.

Follow @JoshSchoch