College Basketball Recruiting: Ranking the Top Recruits on the East Coast

The East Coast is generally a recruiting pipeline for college basketball coaches, and the Class of 2012 is no different. These 25 recruits have been dominating in high school and will continue to do so in college.

Nerlens Noel is the best player in the 2012 class and leads the East Coast recruits, coming from Massachusetts.

The East Coast has many elite recruits, like Noel and Kyle Anderson, both in the top four in the class. The east is filled with future studs, and these are the 25 best.

12. T.J. Warren, North Carolina State

Position: SF

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 205

Considering: North Carolina State

T.J. Warren is a smart, versatile player. He has good athleticism that is kept quiet, but it's displayed when he fakes shots and drives past his opponent.

Warren can knock down shots when he is left open, but he truly excels when he is driving through the lane, as he can finish through traffic and has good touch from the free-throw line.

Unfortunately, Warren's defense is only average, but he has the skills to become better if he works with the right coaches.

The bottom line for Warren is that he is the type of player who can complement an offense. While he has the ability to take over a game, he can't do it every night. Adding him to the mix in North Carolina State's recruiting class will be great for the Wolfpack.

11. Robert Carter, Georgia Tech

Position: PF

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 250

Considering: Georgia Tech

Robert Carter is a lineman with the quickness and nimble feet to play basketball. He can use his size very effectively in the paint, where taller but lighter big men can be embarrassed against him.

Carter loves to carve out space with his body, and his trusted hands catch anything that is even close to him. He is a great scorer in the paint whose coaches trust him in big situations to either score or get to the line.

A solid ball-handler and a good defender, Carter has a complete game. Unfortunately, his ability to step back and take jumpers can be a problem, as he doesn't use his body as often as he could.

The bottom line for Carter is that he is a very reliable big man, and in the right system, he could be a star. He will certainly be getting the ball a lot at Georgia Tech, which should help him reach his potential.

10. Shaq Goodwin, Memphis

Position: PF

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 245

Considering: Memphis

Shaq Goodwin is an absolute freak in terms of athleticism. He plays power forward and is an elite basketball recruit, but he also plays wide receiver and could have gone to the NFL as well.

Goodwin clearly has good speed, as he is a great receiver despite being 245 pounds. He has great length, and he is a high-energy player who never gives up on a play. He can score inside or out and plays good defense.

Unfortunately, playing football for so long has hindered his development on the court, and he needs to continue to improve.

The bottom line for Goodwin is that he has all the tools he needs to be a beast, but he still needs to refine his game.

9. Kris Dunn, Providence

Position: PG

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 180

Considering: Providence

Kris Dunn will be the starting point guard for the Friars next season. He is going to be one of two elite guards heading to Providence on this list.

Dunn has great ball-handling ability and court vision, which makes him a great point guard. However, he also has good length and can shoot the ball well, which would also allow him to play shooting guard if need be.

Unfortunately, Dunn still plays like a young player, but once he plays college ball for a few years, he will become more mature.

The bottom line is that Dunn is a good guard with a lot of potential, who will be a Friar for at least a few years.

8. Tony Parker, Undecided

Position: PF

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 270

Considering: Duke, UCLA, Kentucky, Ohio State, Georgetown, Kansas, Connecticut, Memphis

Tony Parker is a power forward from Lithonia, Ga. He is absolutely huge, and he will use his big body to impose his will at the college level.

Parker knows how to carve out space in the paint, and he can throw his weight around to push defenders off of him. He also has sticky hands and can score in a variety of ways. He can score with his back to the basket, and he has a soft touch.

Parker's biggest fault used to be his stamina (which was a question before his senior year), but it's now his tendency to lose focus at times, which leads to terrible rebounding numbers. Like most kids on this list, however, all he needs is a bit of coaching.

Parker is a dominant player who will be around for a few years. He is the type of player who can anchor a defense or give a team with a lot of guards an inside presence on the offensive end.

7. Rodney Purvis, North Carolina State

Position: SG

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 190

Considering: Providence

Rodney Purvis is a talented shooting guard, heading North Carolina State's impressive recruiting class.

What makes Purvis special (and puts him on this list) is his ability to slash through the lane. He is like Shabazz Muhammad in the way he cuts through defenders in the paint like it's nothing. With great passing ability and feel for the game, Purvis can play either guard position and add an athletic element to a team.

The biggest fault Purvis has is his range. He is only a good shooter out to about 20 feet, but beyond that, he struggles. He needs to keep adding to his range and smooth out his shot if he is going to be elite.

Purvis is a good shooting guard who is going to fit into the Wolfpack's plans, and he will make an immediate impact on the team.

6. Ricardo Ledo, Providence

Position: SG

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 180

Considering: Providence

Ricardo Ledo is the other guard who will be joining the Providence Friars, making up the second half of the team's brand new backcourt.

Ledo will be a starter from day one, and he is going to be looked to for scoring. He has the potential to drop 30 points in a game because of his ability to blow by his defender with his quick first step or his ability to hit jumpers. Look for him to be the team's leading scorer every year he is there.

While this kid has unbelievable potential, he still needs to work on being consistent and efficient. If he can do that, he will be an NBA player soon.

Ledo is the type of player who, with some help from Kris Dunn, can change the culture of basketball in Rhode Island. He can help this program become a factor in the Big East, and if he and Dunn are given some other great recruits to play with this, team should be thinking about the Big Dance in two or three years.

5. Amile Jefferson, Undecided

Position: PF

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 190

Considering: Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Villanova

Amile Jefferson is a long, lanky power forward with deceptive strength for his skinny frame.

Jefferson is highly athletic and has a great feel for the game. He knows more than most recruits at his age, and he uses that to his advantage. He is springy and can get blocks or rebounds, but he can also deliver points in dozens.

Jefferson needs to add a jump shot and some muscle. While he is deceptively strong, that is not enough for college. But once he starts lifting with his school over the summer, he should be fine.

Jefferson is still a great player who uses his length effectively and can fit in an offense where he is running the floor often.

4. DaJuan Coleman, Syracuse

Position: C

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 275

Considering: Syracuse

DaJuan Coleman is a true center with great size. While he isn't the tallest player in the class, he is certainly one of the biggest, and with good stamina, he can pull it off.

Coleman is the prototypical center who loves to play down low on both ends of the floor and is highly effective. With Jim Boeheim coaching him, he has the potential to be a star in college.

He will be able to anchor Boeheim's 2-3 zone in the middle just like Fab Melo does now. He can also use his body to score inside.

Coleman has the potential to dominate the game, but he does not always take advantage of it. He needs to be a bigger factor in games in college—especially if, on the off-chance that Fab Melo goes to the NBA, he becomes Syracuse's best true center.

Coleman needs a bit of coaching from Jim Boeheim and to keep himself in shape year-round.

3. Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona

Position: C

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 240

Considering: Arizona

Kaleb Tarczewski is an impressive recruit and is the best in Sean Miller's recruiting class for Arizona. "Tarc" is a true center, and at 7'0", he will be an imposing force in college.

His height is going to make him a great player at the collegiate level. He has a great deal of potential, with the ability to play with his back to the basket and mobility. He also has great hands and makes himself a huge target, which point guards love.

Tarc biggest weakness is probably his lack of muscle, which makes it tough for him to carve out space on the low post.

This kid has a lot of potential, and with a bit of coaching from Miller, he could easily be the best center in the Pac-12.

2. Kyle Anderson, UCLA

Position: SF

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 210

Considering: UCLA

Kyle Anderson is arguably the most unique player in the Class of 2012 for several reasons.

Anderson is a very effective player despite playing slower than most other players. "Slow-Mo" is a 6'7" small forward with guard-like skills, and his teammates have described him as a point guard playing wing.

He is going to to be an interesting player to watch in college, partially because of his amazing style of play.

Anderson's biggest potential flaw is that he plays so slowly. Athletic players in high school may not have been able to keep up with him, but some of the more athletic players in college could give him difficulty.

The bottom line for Anderson (apart from his skills and instant impact) is that he is already UCLA's most valuable player. His mere presence is a big enough attraction to keep the best recruits in the country considering UCLA, and you shouldn't be surprised to see the Bruins get another recruit soon.

1. Nerlens Noel, Undecided

Position: C

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 215

Considering: Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Connecticut, Georgetown

Nerlens Noel is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2012 class. He is a big center with some freakish athleticism, which makes for an amazing player.

Noel relies on his dunking ability on offense, either by penetration, utilizing his ball-handling skills or off of an offensive rebound. He is working on his jump hook and is rapidly improving, and he will be able to take that to the next level.

Noel is an intimidating presence on the defensive end. He has the length, timing and athleticism to be one of the nation's best shot-blockers.

He still needs to fill out his frame a bit more before he can truly dominate the game at the college level, but Noel is an excellent center with an incredible amount of potential, and he could be staying in college for a couple of years.

Also, be sure to check out the best recruits from the West Coast on Friday, March 2.

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