College Basketball Recruiting: Ranking the Top 20 Players in 2014 Class
As the spring showcases for high school seniors wind down, the college basketball recruiting picture for 2014 is coming clear. The classโ elite players have made the transition from top-tier prep stars to hotly anticipated newcomers for some of the nationโs top college teams.
No program is getting richer than the Duke Blue Devils, who bring in a quartet of McDonaldโs All-Americans. Justise Winslow is the best perimeter defender in the class, and heโs far from the most impressive newcomer heading to Durham next fall.
Herein is a closer look at Winslow and his peers, with an eye to picking the best of the best among the scorers, shot-blockers and leaders in the freshman class of 2014.
20. Malik Pope (San Diego State)
1 of 20
Offense: B
Malik Pope doesnโt have a great jump shot for a combo forward, but his ball-handling skills are a plus, and he certainly knows how to finish.
Defense: B
Popeโs athleticism gives him terrific potential on the defensive end, but his skills arenโt yet at an elite level.
Intangibles: B
Heโs unusually raw after battling some serious injuries in high school. He does fit very well with SDSUโs up-and-down playing style, though.
19. Dwayne Morgan (UNLV)
2 of 20
Offense: B-
Dwayne Morgan has as ugly a jump shot as any player on this list, and his skill as a transition finisher only does so much to make up for it.
Defense: A-
A high-effort defender, he uses his 6โ7โ length to great effect for shot-blocking and deflecting passes.
Intangibles: B
The point-guard-poor Rebels might not be Runninโ much next season, which will cut down on Morganโs offensive contributions.
18. Daniel Hamilton (UConn)
3 of 20
Offense: A-
Daniel Hamilton is a first-rate shot-maker who can also connect on some remarkably tough passes.
Defense: Bย
His 6โ7โ length should be an asset on the wing, but he hasnโt shown much on D.
Intangibles: B-
Hamilton would be a safe bet to grab Niels Giffeyโs starting job if it werenโt for concerns about his ability to play smart, particularly when it comes to shot selection.
17. Chris McCullough (Syracuse)
4 of 20
Offense: B
Chris McCullough is loaded with athletic ability, but his jumper still needs plenty of work.
Defense: A-
He knows how to get the most out of his 6โ10โ length as a shot-blocker.
Intangibles: B-
Tossed out of Brewster Academy in November for violating school rules, McCullough will be under an NCAA microscope at Syracuse.
16. Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall)
5 of 20
Offense: A
An attacking shooting guard with great passing skills, Isaiah Whitehead doesnโt yet have a top-drawer three-point shot.
Defense: B+
Whitehead is a terrific perimeter rebounder at 6โ4โ, though heโs no lockdown defender at this stage.
Intangibles: B-
Heโs gotten a reputation for lapses in concentration (a problem Kentucky fans know all about after the ups and downs of last season's frosh).ย
15. Theo Pinson (North Carolina)
6 of 20
Offense: A-
Theo Pinsonโs three-point shot needs work, but heโs an impeccable scorer otherwise (not to mention a fine passer).
Defense: A
Pinson is a mobile and productive defender with good size (6โ6โ) on the wing.
Intangibles: B+
He plays with both confidence and smarts, but itโs uncertain whether he and classmate Justin Jackson will be a good fit to be on the court together.
14. Kevon Looney (UCLA)
7 of 20
Offense: A-
For a 6โ8โ power forward, Kevon Looney has an exceptionally strong face-up game with shooting range nearly to the three-point arc.
Defense: A-
The best pure rebounder in the class, Looney has the agility (if not the length) of a great post defender.
Intangibles: B+
After depending on the Wear twins for so long, UCLA is desperate for an offensive contributor like Looney on the front line.
13. Rashad Vaughn (UNLV)
8 of 20
Offense: A
Rashad Vaughn can score from any distance, in the half court or transition, and heโs better than many rival 2-guards at creating shots off the dribble.
Defense: B
Both his length and instincts are encouraging, but production on D isnโt quite there yet.
Intangibles: A
UNLV desperately needs a go-to scorer with a jump shot, and Vaughn looks tailor-made to fill the bill.
12. DโAngelo Russell (Ohio State)
9 of 20
Offense: A
DโAngelo Russell is a combo guard whoโll probably play off the ball, but both his passing and scoring skills are well-developed.
Defense: A-
A skilled defender and rebounder, heโs less impressive in terms of physical tools.
Intangibles: B+
Heโs a smart player and a badly needed offensive contributor for the Buckeyes, but Big Ten physicality will be a major learning curve for him.
11. Karl-Anthony Towns (Kentucky)
10 of 20
Offense: A
Karl-Anthony Towns has a three-point shot to match any guard in the recruiting class, but the 7โ0โ center isnโt as polished on the low block.
Defense: A-
Although heโs a fine shot-blocker, heโs vulnerable to stronger opponents, especially on the boards.
Intangibles: A-
His time with the Dominican national team is paying off, and heโs set to be the offensive half of a scary platoon with Willie Cauley-Stein in Lexington.
10. Justise Winslow (Duke)
11 of 20
Offense: B
Justise Winslow is an improving shooter, but he lacks the killer instinct of a primary scoring option.
Defense: A+
At 6โ6โ, he can defend any position at the prep level and projects as a perimeter stopper for the Blue Devils (think Shane Battier).
Intangibles: A+
His decision-making and feel for the game are off the charts for a high-schooler, and heโs just the kind of player who thrives under Coach K.
9. Justin Jackson (North Carolina)
12 of 20
Offense: A+
Justin Jackson can make shots from all over the floor, as he did in lighting up the scoreboard at the McDonaldโs All-American Game (23 points in as many minutes, 11-of-14 from the field).
Defense: A-
He doesnโt have the muscle to be a top-flight defender, but his 6โ7โ length goes a long way.
Intangibles: A-
Multitalented and versatile, Jackson will add welcome perimeter punch to a North Carolina frontcourt with few shooters.ย
8. Stanley Johnson (Arizona)
13 of 20
Offense: A-
Shooting range is not Stanley Johnsonโs long suit, but get him close to the rim and heโs strong enough to finish over the biggest defenders.
Defense: A+
He lives off his D, and heโs both quick and strong enough to lock down opponents even in the wide-open Pac-12.
Intangibles: Aย
An astounding competitor, Johnson has the bad luck to arrive in Tucson, while similarly skilled Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is still on campus.
7. Kelly Oubre Jr. (Kansas)
14 of 20
Offense: A
The ability to back down smaller defenders is about the only weapon Kelly Oubre Jr. hasnโt added to his offensive repertoire.
Defense: A
Active and athletic, heโs a playmaker who can handle multiple positions.
Intangibles: A
Substantial improvement as a senior shows how coachable Oubre is, and Bill Self knows how to work with high-powered freshmen.
6. Trey Lyles (Kentucky)
15 of 20
Offense: A+
No player in this class has a low-post game as polished as Trey Lyles does.
Defense: A
Without elite athleticism, he relies on skill and length. At 6โ10โ, he has plenty of both.
Intangibles: A
Assuming that Julius Randle heads to the NBA, Lyles can slide right into the No. 1 scorerโs role in Lexington.
5. Emmanuel Mudiay (SMU)
16 of 20
Offense: A+
Emmanuel Mudiay isnโt just a fine passer as a point guardโheโs also fully capable of leading his team in scoring.
Defense: A
There are quicker PGs out there, but Mudiayโs strength and size (6โ5โ) make up for a lot.
Intangibles: A+
A floor leader par excellence, he might become the first All-American in program history.
4. Tyus Jones (Duke)
17 of 20
Offense: A
The best pure playmaker in the class, Tyus Jones will never be mistaken for Shabazz Napier as a scorer.
Defense: A+
Quick hands and outstanding fundamentals make him a fearsome on-ball defender.
Intangibles: A+
Jones makes his teammates better in the tradition of the best floor generals, and his high on-court IQ will endear him to Mike Krzyzewski.
3. Cliff Alexander (Kansas)
18 of 20
Offense: A+
Even Cliff Alexander'sย middling jump shot canโt keep him from scoring in bunches, thanks to his offensive rebounding ability and bull-in-a-china-shop low-post game.
Defense: A+ย
Alexander is close to being an NBA-level shot-blocker already.
Intangibles: A
Playing time wonโt be easy to come by with Perry Ellis (and possibly Myles Turner) around, but Alexander's high-energy game will make sure he stays on the court.
2. Myles Turner (Undeclared)
19 of 20
Offense: A+
Myles Turner is a legitimate 7-footer who can drain the trey or finish a hook shot from the low block.
Defense: A+
He excels as an on-ball defender as well as a shot-blocker from the weak side.
Intangibles: A+
No player has improved his stock more in the past year than Turner, and that kind of work ethic isnโt an accident.ย
1. Jahlil Okafor (Duke)
20 of 20
Offense: A+
Jahlil Okafor uses both his bulk (6โ10โ, 265 lbs) and his skill to put points on the board in huge quantities.
Defense: A+
What he lacks in shot-blocking instinct, he makes up for with his ability to clog the lane and deter penetrators.
Intangibles: A+
Heโs held up impressively under the year-long expectations of the โtop recruit in the countryโ label. Any Duke fan can tell you how badly his size and strength are needed in the Blue Devils frontcourt.
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