Nerlens Noel: Ranking Top Recruit's Final Choices

While most of the top college basketball recruits have committed somewhere, ESPNU's No. 1 prospect, center Nerlens Noel, has yet to decide. He has narrowed his choices to Georgetown, Kentucky and Syracuse.

Each of those schools has something great to offer, but only one can have him. Choosing between three perennial contenders has to be extremely tough for Noel, who is essentially splitting hairs with his decision. When push comes to shove, though, one will ultimately be slightly better than the others.

Here is a power ranking for the final three programs on Noel's list.

3. Syracuse

Coming off a season in which they lost only three games and were ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 for much of the year, the Syracuse Orange seem like a great option for Noel. Head coach Jim Boeheim always has Syracuse in contention.

But there are some issues that could make the Orange slightly less attractive to Noel than his other possible choices.

The biggest question mark is the status of Fab Melo. He was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, but was a huge part of the equation all season long. It's possible that Melo could enter the NBA draft and put all of those issues behind him, but he needs a lot more polish first.

Having Melo in the fold would severely hinder Noel's chances of being the main man. Also, with Dion Waiters and Scoop Jardine out of the picture, there may not be anyone in the backcourt to feed Noel in the paint with any sort of consistency.

2. Georgetown

Even though Syracuse has had more success of late, the Georgetown Hoyas are the better Big East team for Noel. Georgetown has bowed out of the NCAA Tournament early over the past few years. But I have to believe Noel's college choice will depend more on where he can contribute most as quickly as possible, so he can move on to the NBA in short order.

When you consider head coach John Thompson III's history with big men, Georgetown is a logical choice.

Thompson hasn't been shy about making a center the cornerstone of his offense. He has done it with Roy Hibbert and Greg Monroe, and both have gone on to have fruitful NBA careers.

Perhaps Georgetown doesn't have the same mystique it once did, but Noel could be the latest in a long line of Hoyas centers like Hibbert, Monroe, Dikembe Mutombo and Patrick Ewing. Perhaps that could be a big draw for the talented youngster.

1. Kentucky

It's becoming increasingly obvious that no school is better for a freshman looking to make an immediate impact than Kentucky. Head coach John Calipari is a recruiting maven, and despite continually having one-and-done players, he always finds a way to build his teams with another strong crop of freshman.

It seems quite possible that elite freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will leave for the NBA draft once this season comes to a conclusion, so that opens a big spot for Noel.

Calipari always goes after the cream of the crop and that is precisely what Noel is at this point. If Calipari is going to lose the best big man in the nation in Davis, it stands to reason that he'll do anything possible to secure Noel.

Calipari's Wildcats teams have gone to the Final Four in consecutive seasons despite having a roster full of freshmen, so that should tell Noel that Calipari knows better than anyone how to utilize a young player.