Heart and Head Choices for College Basketball's Top Class of 2017 Recruits

Recruiting for the class of 2017 is heating up, as a lot of these players are finishing up their junior year of high school and focusing on the finish line. 

With all 10 players in the 247Sports class of 2017 composite national rankings sitting uncommitted at this point in the summer, it's a great time to examine where some of the top guys in the class might be looking for their college futures.

Since all of these players can pull in scholarship offers from nearly every program in the country, they're starting to sift through the options and see which schools might be legitimate contenders. Here's a look at some emotional choices, as well as some rational ones, that these prospects might be looking at in the future.

Brandon McCoy, Center

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Head: Brandon McCoy, a 6'10" center from San Diego, has been recruited by Arizona for a while now, as he visited the campus for an unofficial visit last fall. The Wildcats have been an elite program recruiting 5-star prospects on the West Coast, and McCoy would be the latest in a long line of potential one-and-done players who played for Sean Miller at Arizona.

Heart: Originally a native of Chicago, McCoy moved to San Diego during middle school, and San Diego State has recruited him hard the past few months. McCoy previously told Bleacher Report last summer that he's enjoying his time in San Diego, specifically the weather and everything the city has to offer. If McCoy is going to only be in college for a year or two, why not take a hard look at the local program that still is producing NBA talent?

Jarred Vanderbilt, Small Forward

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Head: Kentucky has been a strong presence in Jarred Vanderbilt's recruitment since last July, when it offered the 6'8" small forward a scholarship. The native of Texas has taken an unofficial visit to Kentucky already and sees the benefit of playing for a school that produces tons of one-and-done talent while also having a need for a small forward.

Heart: If Vanderbilt decides to stay closer to home, Shaka Smart is building a program filled with athletes at Texas, and with his ability to guard multiple positions, he would fit right in. If Smart wanted to use the "Havoc" style of play, Vanderbilt's positional flexibility would be a major boost for the Texas defense.

Hamidou Diallo

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Head: Kentucky has aggressively recruited the electric 6'5" Hamidou Diallo all throughout his junior season, culminating in a recent scholarship offer from John Calipari this April. With the way Kentucky lets its guards play, the Wildcats would be an attractive option for Diallo to thrive in, since he would have plenty of talent around him in a potential dribble-drive offense.

Heart: UConn has been on Diallo as hard as any major program, and it would be a regional pick for the shooting guard if he were to play for head coach Kevin Ollie. To go along with being somewhat close to his native New York, Diallo already has a close friend on the Huskies roster in former AAU teammate Mamadou Diarra, and the program has produced plenty of talented guards the last few seasons.

Billy Preston, Forward

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Head: The 6'10" Billy Preston has already released a final five list of Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Maryland and USC, and among that group of schools, the Wildcats make the most sense. Arizona has had some very productive forwards the last few seasons, including Brandon Ashley, Aaron Gordon and Ryan Anderson, so Preston can fit in and put up numbers right away.

Heart: A native of Southern California, it would be natural for Preston to want to return to the Golden State after spending most of his high school career in Texas. That's why USC is in strong position, as the Trojans are hoping to use their recent success to bring in a legitimate 5-star forward such as Preston to build around for the future.

Kevin Knox, Small Forward

Head: Since exploding on the national scene by making the USA U16 team last summer, the 6'8" Kevin Knox has become a priority recruit for blue-blood programs. Duke offered Knox back in December, and he's already been to Durham for an unofficial visit. Since Duke has done such a good job of producing one-and-done wings the past few seasons, Knox would fit right in to potentially replace Jayson Tatum.

Heart: With a father who played football at Florida State, it would certainly be appealing for the younger Knox to follow in family footsteps and be a Seminole. It also doesn't hurt that Leonard Hamilton's program just put Malik Beasley in the draft after his freshman year, which is something Knox could look to do after his first season.

Trevon Duval, Point Guard

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Head: No program has been better producing elite point guards than Kentucky, and the Wildcats have been involved with the 6'3" Trevon Duval. All that John Calipari has to do is point to previous Kentucky point guards such as John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and now De'Aaron Fox, and say that Duval can come in and fill that role immediately.

Heart: Defending champion Villanova offered Duval way back in February 2014, as the Wildcats have been aggressive recruiting the Delaware native to stay close to home. With the way Villanova has been winning in the Big East, Jay Wright's program could be an attractive option for Duval if he wants to win right away while still improving his game.

Wendell Carter, Center

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Head: Academics are a major priority for Wendell Carter, which is why Harvard sits among the 5-star center's candidates. The Crimson can give the 6'10" center the type of education he's looking for, while the Ivy League has also been improving as a basketball power among mid-major conferences the last few years.

Heart: All you need to do is look at the photo of Carter taking a selfie with the Cameron Crazies above to realize that Duke is a major candidate for his services. With the Blue Devils recently winning a national championship with Jahlil Okafor in the middle, the Blue Devils can recruit Carter to fill that spot while also selling him on their strong academic profile. Harvard has the prestigious academics, but Duke has the elite basketball to go with a strong education.

Michael Porter Jr., Small Forward

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Head: Known as a strong player-development coach, Tom Crean at Indiana would be a great head coach for the 6'9" Michael Porter Jr. to have, since he's improved the skill level of wings such as Victor Oladipo, Troy Williams and O.G. Anunoby the last few seasons. Indiana also has a large national following and would be the type of fanbase that a one-and-done player typically plays for.

Heart: This is the most obvious "heart" selection on this list because Porter's father, Michael Porter Sr., recently joined the Washington staff as an assistant coach. Since Porter Jr. will likely only be in college for one season, playing for his dad makes the most sense, and the Huskies also just put Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss in the draft after one year of school. 

Mohamed Bamba, Center

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Head: There haven't been many prospects like the 6'11" Mohamed Bamba, but Kentucky head coach John Calipari has coached a few talented shot-blockers the last few years. Bamba's extreme length makes him a major rim presence, and Calipari developed big men such as Anthony Davis and Willie Cauley-Stein the last few seasons.

Heart: As a student of the game and basketball junkie, Bamba appreciates historical aspects of the sport and would enjoy learning under the tutelage of an experienced coach such as Mike Krzyzewski. Duke has been very involved with Bamba, and it could be another Duke-Kentucky arms race to land an elite big man. 

DeAndre Ayton, Center

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Head: As a skilled big man who can space the floor a bit and also put it on the floor, Kentucky might be a smart choice for DeAndre Ayton, since we just saw how good Karl-Anthony Towns has been the last two seasons. If Ayton can get the same kind of big-man training that Towns got at Kentucky, he could be in position to be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

Heart: To this point, Kansas has shown the most interest in the 7'0" center, and with the way the Jayhawks sent Joel Embiid to the draft, they are certainly an attractive choice for Ayton. It's almost a guarantee that Ayton will only spend one season in college hoops, so having a shot at winning a Big 12 title and national championship is certainly appealing.

Recruiting ratings via 247Sports.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.