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

The West Coast is a vital area for college basketball recruiting. Eastern schools are trying to bring recruits across the country to join them, while western schools look to keep the recruits from their backyards close.

The Pac-12 is an example of how vital recruiting on the West Coast is. In recent years eastern schools have been dominating recruiting on the West Coast, and because of that the Pac-12 schools are missing out on their most important recruits.

Arizona has picked up their recruiting on the West Coast, securing two of the best three recruits on the West Coast, in Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett. Other Pac-12 schools are following in their footsteps, and they are taking the first step to returning the conference to its former glory.

These 12 recruits are the best in the wild, wild West, and their importance in the recruiting game cannot be understated.

12. Jordan Loveridge, Utah

Position: SF

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 225

Considering: Utah

Jordan Loveridge is a versatile small forward who fits the typical mold in today's game. He has a bulky frame, but is also athletic.

Loveridge has the body to match up inside and finish through contact when he drives. He also has the soft touch and range to drain threes. On defense he has good length and basketball IQ, which make him a good defender.

With his natural size, Loveridge could find that he is becoming too big for small forward. He will need to keep an eye on his weight, as adding too much muscle would make him too slow to be a small forward. I can assure you that this is not the normal problem, as you will soon see.

This kid has a lot of potential, and if he can improve his speed and stamina he will exceed all expectations.

11. Grant Verhoeven, Stanford

Position: C

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 215

Considering: Stanford

Grant Verhoeven is a small center who may have to switch to power forward in college. He is also one of a few recruits that give Stanford one of their best classes in history.

Verhoeven is a surprisingly athletic player who is continuing to improve. He can step out and hit jumpers now, but he also has the ability to play inside because of his intelligence.

Unfortunately for Verhoeven, his biggest weakness is that he is short and lacks the length to be a true center. He is going to have to undergo a position change in college, which is going to mean a lot of work.

If anyone in the 2012 class has to change positions, Verhoeven is probably the man for the job. With his ability to improve at a rapid pace, he should have no problems converting to a new position.

10. Dominic Artis, Oregon

Position: PG

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 165

Considering: Oregon

Dominic Artis is one of the best point guards in the West, despite his lack of size. He is highly skilled, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him keep growing in college.

With both speed and quickness, Artis can create separation by heading in one direction and stopping on a dime to go the other direction. He has a great handle on the game, and his defense is very good because he utilizes his quickness and long arms.

Like many players on this list, Artis need to add some muscle before he can be successful in college. If he fails to add some weight, he will be pushed around at the next level.

Artis is a highly skilled and athletic player who has what it takes to succeed. If he adds some weight, he is going to be an excellent player.

9. Xavier Johnson, Colorado

Position: SF

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 185

Considering: Colorado

Xavier Johnson is a southpaw who has improved at a steady rate over the last few years. He has developed into a great recruit and continues to impress scouts with his continued progression.

Johnson is a versatile small forward who can score in multiple ways. He has improved his shot beyond recognition, and he is now consistent from three. He can also drive through the lane and attack defenders if he so chooses. On defense Johnson is solid, and he can stick with just about any small forward in the country.

Johnson needs to add some more weight if he is going to stick with college-level small forwards. He is too skinny at this point, and college players will be able to push him off of them. Once he starts Colorado's weightlifting routine, we should see him add some weight,  which will add to his game in many ways.

Johnson needs to add some bulk like many other players on this list, but once he does, he should be a great option for Colorado.

8. Rosco Allen, Stanford

Position: SF

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 210

Considering: Stanford

Rosco Allen is Stanford's second player on this list, and he is easily the better of the two.

Allen is a big, small forward with great length, and if he adds some weight he could easily become a combo-forward. He has range out to the three-point-line, and his release is surprisingly quick. He can also attack the basket or drop dimes in transition.

Allen has very few flaws on the offensive end of the floor, but his defense is unsatisfactory. He is not quick enough to stick with small forwards, nor strong enough to match up with power forwards. He will need to add some weight soon, as that is the easier course than improving quickness.

Allen is a one-sided player, but improving his strength he will also help his offense, as well as his defense.

7. Robert Upshaw, Kansas State

Position: C

Height: 6'11"

Weight: 250

Considering: Kansas State

Robert Upshaw has great size for a center at almost seven-feet and 250 pounds. He also has great length and girth and will be a great center for Kansas State next year.

Upshaw's game stems from his size, as he can provide a big target for point guards, and he can finish with his back to the basket. On defense he has surprisingly good timing, and his ability to elevate helps him be a great shot-blocker and rebound.

Upshaw's biggest downfall is his lack of mobility and stamina. While he can move through the lane well, he can not get up and down the court as quickly as coaches may like. He will be forced to get in shape early and continue to improve upon that during the season.

The bottom line for Upshaw is that he is a big player. There are some obvious benefits and disadvantages that come with his size, and he needs a coach to help him overcome those shortcomings.

6. Katin Reinhardt, UNLV

Position: SF

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 190

Considering: UNLV

Katin Reinhardt is one of the players that makes me think that UNLV is going to be an elite program next year.

Reinhardt is an athletic shooting guard who has good size. He has good range out to the three-point-line and is a great player in transition who can either score or drop an assist.

What makes him special is that he is a fundamental player beyond most others, and he even utilizes the backboard on his jump shots, which is now considered an old-school practice, but one that is certainly effective.

While Reinhardt has the ability to hit threes, or knock down pull-up jumpers, he relies on them too heavily, and that is the one area of his game that is not fundamentally sound.

Overall, Reinhardt is the type of player that fans don't enjoy but coaches love. He is very coachable, and his game is going to bring a new element to UNLV next season.

5. Josh Scott, Colorado

Position: C

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 215

Considering: Colorado

Josh Scott has good height and length, despite lacking some muscle. However, he can overcome this weakness.

Scott is a fundamentally sound player who has great passing ability from the post. If he is being out-muscled inside, he has the vision and passing ability to drop a dime. He also has good ball-handling skills for his size, and he can force bigger centers to play out on him. If he does have the advantage inside, he can finish with an excellent jump-hook.

Scott's biggest weakness apart from his lack of muscle is his range. He needs to work on being a better shooter from 15-17 feet, as that will make bigger centers player even farther out on him, and he can sneak past them with his ball-handling skills.

Overall, Scott is a pretty unique player in the post. He has the ability to be great, but he is a major question mark in the minds of many.

4. Gabe York, Arizona

Position: PG

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 170

Considering: Arizona

Gabe York is a freak of an athlete and one of the best point guards in the class of 2012. He is going to be running the show for Sean Miller's brand-new Arizona squad next year.

York is only 6'1" but he has the freakish hops to throw down some of the best dunks of anyone in the 2012 class. He has great vision and passing ability, which make him a dangerous point guard, but he can also score in bunches and play tight defense.

York has the athleticism and range to be a great scorer, but he must complete his game. He has problems going to the left at times, which is a big problem. He is going to be a great player in college, but if he can't improve his game to the left, he won't be able to take his game to the NBA.

York is going to be a great player for Miller, and he is the perfect player to lead the Wildcats to glory.

3. Brandon Ashley, Arizona

Position: PF

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 215

Considering: Arizona

Brandon Ashley is a power forward who will probably end up playing quite a bit of small forward next season for Sean Miller's Arizona Wildcats.

Ashley is going to be forced to play small forward, but he is not going to be the type who is launching up threes. Instead, he will be pounding it inside, where his power and length will serve him well.

Despite working hard to improve over the last year, Ashley must still work on his fundamentals a bit more before he will be a star in college.

The bottom line for Ashley is that he is a player with the tools to succeed, but he will need to keep improving before he becomes the Top 10 player he is expected to be.

2. Grant Jerrett, Arizona

Position: PF

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 220

Considering: Arizona

Grant Jerrett is the bigger of Arizona's two new power forwards, but he is also the more versatile. It is unclear exactly how Sean Miller will be utilizing his roster at Arizona next year, but it can be assumed that we will see Jerrett play both power forward and small forward.

Jerrett is rangy and athletic, but more importantly, the rate at which is he improving is unreal. He has become a true star in high school, and it is no surprise that he is ranked No. 9 in the class of 2012. He can play inside or step out and knock down a three.

The biggest flaw in Jerrett's game is that he needs to add a bit of weight, but once he starts his college-level weightlifting program he will be a great player.

The bottom line is that Jerrett is highly versatile and has the tools to do well. He should play at least two years in college, which will give him plenty of time to adjust to the college game and prepare for the NBA.

1. Shabazz Muhammad, Undecided

Position: SF

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 215

Considering: Kentucky, Duke, UNLV, UCLA

Shabazz Muhammad is still the best player in the class of 2012 in my mind, despite most other recruiting sites having Nerlens Noel at No. 1.

Muhammad is an amazing athlete who can slash through the lane with apparent ease. He can finish with a powerful dunk, or he can step out to about 20 feet and knock down shots. He is also a good defender whose athleticism allows him to cover most other small forwards.

There are no glaring flaws for Muhammad, which makes him the best player in my mind, but he could work on increasing his range out to the three-point line.

The bottom line for Muhammad is that he is an NBA-ready player who is solid in all aspects and excels in many. He is going to completely change the program that he joins, and he will be their star from Day 1...although there may be some consequences to deal with.

*Note: Be sure to check out the best recruits on the East Coast here.

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