College Basketball Recruiting: Ranking the Top 15 Programs for 2013 Signings

The early signing period for college basketball recruits in the Class of 2013 has ended, leaving the recruiting world in shambles after a crazy month.

There have been huge shakeups in this month's edition of the top 15 recruiting classes. Although the top two teams have remained the same, just about everything else has changed.

Now that the first of two signing periods is over, let's look at how the nation's teams stack up against one another.

Honorable Mentions

Duke

Baylor

BYU

Florida State

Missouri

West Virginia

UCLA

Illinois

Iowa State

Wisconsin

UTEP

15. Arizona

Recruits: 2

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 2

Top Recruit: SF Rondae Jefferson

Previous Ranking: 13

Arizona didn't receive any new commits during the early signing period, but the team managed to stay on this list due to the play of Rondae Jefferson.

The Wildcats' prized recruit in the Class of 2013 has always been impressive, but the more I watch him the more I like what I see. He has all the intangibles and natural abilities to flourish at the college level.

The team also brings in shooting guard Elliott Pitts, who is among the nation's most underrated players. Pitts can run well and never seems to be out of control, which is an underrated asset at this level.

14. Arkansas

Recruits: 2

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 2

Top Recruit: PF Bobby Portis

Previous Ranking: 9

Plummeting five spots from last month, Arkansas is trying to keep its head above the water, thanks to big men Bobby Portis and Moses Kingsley.

These two twin towers both stand at 6'9" and are surprisingly agile and athletic. They appear to have games that can coexist at the same time on the court. If they can manage to work together, then the Razorbacks can be a fast, athletic team that beats opponents in transition.

It's tough to keep pace in the SEC when teams like Kentucky and Florida are killing it on the recruiting trail, but Mike Anderson and Co. are keeping it close.

13. Marquette

Recruits: 4

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: PG Duane Wilson

Previous Ranking: 11

With another commit from a Top 100 recruit, Marquette keeps its streak of being on this list alive. The team started early and has been somewhere on this list in every edition.

Shooting guard JaJuan Johnson is the newest member of the Golden Eagles, ranking No. 64 in the country according to ESPN. He is a very gifted athlete who is still fine-tuning his game, which means that his potential is through the roof (but he could also be a bust).

I like guys like Johnson who have the potential to be stars once they play for a season or two in college, and while he won't make as big an impact as Duane Wilson or Deonte Burton, he should stay all four years.

12. Notre Dame

Recruits: 4

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: PG Demetrius Jackson

Previous Ranking: 8

Notre Dame failed to land another commit during the early signing period, but the school has to be happy with what Mike Brey has done so far.

The team desperately needed a point guard. Brey landed one of the best in the Class of 2013 in Demetrius Jackson.

The team needed a scorer on the wing. Brey got not one, but two.

With four new players and three guys who will immediately help the team, Brey's 2013 recruiting class is among the best he has put together.

11. Michigan

Recruits: 3

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: SG Zak Irvin

Previous Ranking: 5

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

After being consistently ranked in the top three on this list, and even earning the No. 1 ranking at times, John Beilein's 2013 recruiting class has fallen from No. 2 to No. 11 in just two months.

While the class includes three great players in Zak Irvin, Derrick Walton and Mark Donnal, Michigan needs another recruit or two to hop back up the rankings.

10. Louisville

Recruits: 3

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 2

Top Recruit: SG Anton Gill

Previous Ranking: 6

Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals are always among the nation's best teams, thanks in large part to his success on the recruiting trail.

The numbers of this year's class may not seem impressive, but they are not entirely accurate. The team's recruit who is outside the Top 100 is point guard Terry Rozier, who was ranked in the top 50 of the Class of 2012 before reclassifying to the Class of 2013.

Rozier has to be considered among the top 20 in the Class of 2013, and combining him with Anton Gill and Akoy Agau makes for a talented team for years to come.

9. LSU

Recruits: 3

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: PF Jarrell Martin

Previous Ranking: NR

Johnny Jones has composed one of the best recruiting classes in the history of LSU basketball.

The commitment of power forward Jarrell Martin gives the Tigers three Top 100 recruits, all of whom have signed.

Teaming Martin up with point guard Tim Quarterman and forward Jordan Mickey will make LSU a team to be feared and makes the team the second of four SEC teams.

8. North Carolina State

Recruits: 3

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: PG Anthony Barber

Previous Ranking: 12

With the addition of center BeeJay Anya, Mark Gottfried has brought together yet another incredible recruiting class for North Carolina State.

Joining point guard Anthony Barber and forward Kyle Washington, Anya gives the Wolfpack their third Top 100 recruit, but the team is not done yet.

Julius Randle remains uncommitted, and the nation's top big man is seriously considering NC State. If the team can get Randle it would jump up to No. 2 in the nation.

7. Syracuse

Recruits: 5

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 2

Top Recruit: PF Tyler Roberson

Previous Ranking: NR

Jim Boeheim has been busy, bringing in both Tyler Roberson and Ron Patterson this month.

Patterson is a post-grad recruit, but he is just as good as Roberson and Tyler Ennis, who headline the class.

The Orange of Syracuse have one of the top classes once again this year, and it was a great signing period for Jimmy B and Co.

6. Florida

Recruits: 2

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 2

Top Recruit: PG Kasey Hill

Previous Ranking: 1

Florida started off so well on the recruiting trail, but now the team has just two recruits.

It's true that those two recruits are both in the top 10 in the Class of 2013, but Chris Walker and Kasey Hill may not be enough for the team to stay competitive in the SEC for long, since both will likely leave early.

Billy Donovan really needs to add to his haul if his team is going to compete with Kentucky, whose recruiting class is simply incredible.

5. North Carolina

Recruits: 3

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: PF Isaiah Hicks

Previous Ranking: 7

North Carolina got a big commitment this month, and I mean a big one.

Center Kennedy Meeks will join Isaiah Hicks and Nate Britt at UNC next season. The 275-pound center decided to stay close to his Charlotte, NC home, and committed to Roy Williams' team over ACC rival North Carolina State.

Now the Tar Heels have three players ranked in the top 50 in the class, and I had the three ranked No. 14, No. 20 and No. 27 in my ranking of the top 100 recruits.

4. Memphis

Recruits: 5

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 4

Top Recruit: PF Austin Nichols

Previous Ranking: 4

Josh Pastner finishes the early signing period with five players signing with Memphis, and this month he picked up the best player yet.

Austin Nichols committed in early November, and he is now the best player in the class. The 6'8" combo-forward ranks No. 13 according to ESPN, and he will immediately do big things in Memphis.

Look for this class to greatly help Memphis as it moves to the Big East next season.

3. Indiana

Recruits: 6

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: PF Noah Vonleh

Previous Ranking: NR

Another school that had its best recruit commit this month, Indiana vaulted up the rankings with the addition of Noah Vonleh.

I've already said that I like recruits who are of the high-risk, high-reward variety, and Vonleh has the highest ceiling of almost any player in the Class of 2013.

With all the makings of an elite player, Vonleh just started playing high school ball in his junior season, but with some time under Tom Crean at Indiana, he will become an star.

2. Kansas

Recruits: 4

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 3

Top Recruit: SF Wayne Selden

Previous Ranking: 2

Bill Self is a great coach who can take just about any player and make them spectacular, and this year he brings in one of the best recruiting classes in his illustrious career.

This year's Kansas class has more hype than most do, and combining Self's coaching with the pure talent in this class, you can see why I expect the Jayhawks to win an NCAA tournament in the next three or four years.

The team signed all five of its recruits during the early signing period, and it looks like Kansas will be among the nation's best teams for years to come.

1. Kentucky

Recruits: 5

ESPNU Top 100 Recruits: 4

Top Recruit: PG Andrew Harrison

Previous Ranking: 1

Enjoying just its second month atop this list for the Class of 2013, Kentucky once again reigns supreme.

It's going to be tough to knock off a team that has signed three of the top six recruits in the nation and could easily land the No. 1 and/or No. 3 recruit as well, but it is still possible.

John Calipari brings in five more recruits in this class, and it is the reason why I have said that I expect the team to win it all next season.

That's how good this class already is.

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