College Basketball's Future Stars: The Top 20 Recruiting Classes Of 2011

More than midway through February, there are only a couple highly-ranked players that are still uncommitted in the 2011 class. Therefore, it is as a good a time as ever to rank the top college basketball recruiting classes of 2011

The coaching staffs of the universities on this list have done tremendous jobs of bringing some of the top prep talent to their respective programs.

In these rankings, I will list the recruits for each school and what impact you can expect from them next season.

Remember that these rankings don't guarantee future success and there will be many underrated recruits who will make a big impact on the college level.

For example, two of the top players in the nation this season, BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Arizona's Derrick Williams, were both 3-star recruits coming out of high school.

With all that said, there is a good chance that many of the recruits mentioned in these rankings will turn out to be impact players in college basketball.

Note: Almost all individual recruiting rankings on this list come from espn.com.

Update: Karron Johnson is no longer committed to Oklahoma State, meaning the Cowboys are out of the top 20 recruiting classes of 2011. Florida now takes over the 20th spot.

20. Florida

Florida took over Oklahoma State's spot in the rankings, following the announcement that Karron Johnson will not be playing for the Cowboys next season.

Recruits:

Bradley Beal, Shooting Guard, Chaminade College Prep School (MO)

Walter Pitchford, Power Forward, Summit Academy (MI)

Analysis

Although Pitchford has the potential to be a key player for the Gators over the next couple years, the reason why Florida made this list is because of Beal (second ranked shooting guard).

Beal shoots the ball as well as anyone in the 2011 class and Florida fans will absolutely love his style of play next year. He draws comparisons to NBA players such as Ray Allen for his ability to find open shots along the perimeter and make them.

He is also very good with the ball in his hands and knows how to use screens to his advantage. Beal also displays great leadership but will be more suited as a two guard at the college level.

Overall, the sky is the limit for Beal and it won't be long before we see him lighting it up in the NBA. But before that happens, he will try to make the most of his time as a Gator and potentially lead Florida to another Final Four.

19. Oregon

Recruits:

Bruce Barron, Point Guard, Brehm Prep, (IL)

Jabari Brown, Shooting Guard, Oakland H.S. (CA)

Brett Kingma, Shooting Guard, Henry M. Jackson H.S. (WA)

Austin Kuemper, Power Forward, Westview H.S. (OR)

Analysis:

Oregon head coach Dana Altman has the Ducks well ahead of schedule on both the court and the recruiting trail. Oregon was predicted to finish last in the Pac-10 this season but the Ducks are currently in a tie for fourth place.

In recruiting, Altman deserves a lot of credit for bringing in a top 20 class in his first year, led by Brown (eighth-ranked shooting guard) who is one of the top shooters in the class. Brown's scoring abilities will make him a likely freshman starter next year for the Ducks.

Along with Brown, Oregon will be bringing in two more guards in Barron and Kingma. Both will be expected to make immediate offensive impacts next year. The final signee in the class is Kuemper, a 6'9" forward who has vastly improved over the last season. Considering the current talent level at Oregon, expect all four of these guys to have an impact for the Ducks next season.

18. Michigan State

Recruits:

Dwaun Anderson, Shooting Guard, Suttons Bay H.S. (MI)

Branden Dawson, Small Forward, Lew Wallace H.S. (IN)

Brandan Kearney, Shooting Guard, Southeastern H.S. (MI)

Travis Trice, Point Guard, Wayne H.S. (OH)

Analysis:

The Spartans are performing well below expectations this season, but Tom Izzo was still able to pull together a very good recruiting class.

Dawson (fifth-ranked small forward) is no doubt the top recruit in the class, a McDonald's All-American who fits the mold of a traditional Big Ten forward.  He has great athleticism and power, but not a great perimeter game.

Although the other three signees are not highly touted, they will give the Spartans some depth at the guard position. Kearny has good range and could one day be the starting shooting guard at MSU. Both Anderson and Trice are considered sleeper prospects who have the potential to become solid guards.

Michigan State will only be losing a few players this season, with Kalin Lucas being the most notable. This group of recruits should be enough to fill most if not all of the Spartans' holes.

17. Rutgers

Recruits:

Kadeem Jack, Power Forward, CJEOTO Academy (NJ)

Malick Kone, Small Forward, Blue Ridge School (VA)

Gregory Lewis, Center, St. Frances Academy (MD)

Myles Mack, Point Guard, St. Anthony H.S. (NJ)

Derrick Randall, Power Forward, South Kent School (CT)

Jerome Seagears, Point Guard, Flora MacDonald Academy, (NC)

Michael Taylor, Shooting Guard, Boys & Girls H.S. (NY)

Analysis:

It's been a long time since Rutgers has been competitive in the Big East but this recruiting class puts them in position to possibly challenge the traditional leaders of college basketball's top conference.

The Scarlet Knights' class is led by Mack, a 5'9" point guard who was recruited by many Big East schools such as UConn and Syracuse. Mack can shoot extremely well from three-point range and uses his small size to sneak by defenders.

Kadeem Jack is another recruit who stands out to me. Growing up in Queens, N.Y., Jack developed a toughness that will certainly pay dividends in Big East play. The one knock on him is that he does not play hard from start to finish.

Other recruits to look out for include Randall and Seagers, who will both receive a good amount of playing time next season.

The talent level between Rutgers and the upper teams in the Big East is currently very drastic but if Mike Rice can keep bringing in this type of talent, that talent gap will start shrinking very quickly.

16. Florida State

Recruits:

Antwan Space, Small Forward, DeSoto H.S. (TX)

Aaron Thomas, Shooting Guard, Withrow H.S. (OH)

Kiel Turpin, Center, Lincoln College, (NE)

Terry Whisnant, Shooting Guard, Cherryville H.S. (NC)

Analysis:

The Seminoles are a near lock to make the NCAA Tournament this season and with the recruits they have coming in next season, it might be a long time before they miss the Big Dance.

The class is led by Space (17th-ranked small forward) and Thomas. Both of them are said to have great upside and will probably receive a good amount of playing time next season.

Meanwhile, Turpin, who is 6'11", will be able to bring immediate help down in the post for Florida State. The final recruit is Whisnant, a shooter with great range.

For the second year in a row, Leonard Hamilton is bringing a very talented group of players to Tallahassee.

15. Washington

Recruits:

Andrew Andrews, Point Guard, Benson Polytech H.S. (OR)

Kevin Davis, Power Forward, Tacoma Community College (WA)

Jernard Jarreau, Power Forward, McDonogh 35 H.S. (LA)

Hikeem Stewart, Shooting Guard, Rainier Beach H.S. (WA)

Tony Wroten Jr., Point Guard, Garfield H.S. (WA)

Analysis:

This year has been a bit of a letdown for Washington, but the Huskies faithful still have a lot to look forward to in the near future.

Junior point guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to return next season and with the addition of Wroten Jr., Washington will have one of the best backcourts in the Pac-12 next season.

Wrotten Jr. (third ranked point guard) is a pass-first, shoot-second guard, but he does have a decent mid-range game. He also has enough power to drive past defenders and should fit nicely in Lorenzo Romar's offense.

Stewart is a scoring guard who can knock down threes while Andrews is an overlooked prospect who will probably not get much playing time in his first season at Washington. The two power forwards in the class, Davis and Jarreau, will give the Huskies some depth down low.

Washington will be losing three valuable seniors this season but a top 15 recruiting class might be enough to make up for the departures.

14. Baylor

Recruits:

Deuce Bello, Small Forward, Westchester Country Day School (NC)

Quincy Miller, Power Forward, Westchester Country Day School (NC)

Analysis:

Baylor has a very small class coming in so the fact that they are this high in the rankings shows how good their two recruits are expected to be.

Miller (fourth ranked overall recruit) has a great ability to find the basket, whether it is from down low or the perimeter. He has tremendous size, standing at 6'10, and will most likely be a lottery pick when he enters the NBA Draft.

His biggest weakness is that he had a season-ending knee injury which might affect his play as a freshman at Baylor. Still, Miller was a huge commitment for head coach Scott Drew.

The other recruit in the class is Bello, a high school teammate of Miller. Bello has good speed and quickness, which will make him tough to stop on offense. His shooting skills are not terrific, but he will still make a significant impact for the Bears next season.

Since Miller and Bello play together in high school, they have already developed a great chemistry between each other, making this class even more intriguing.

13. Virginia Tech

Recruits:

C.J. Barksdale, Power Forward, Hargrave Military Academy, (VA)

Robert Brown, Shooting Guard, Hargrave Military Academy, (VA)

Dorian Finney-Smith, Small Forward, Norcom H.S. (VA)

Marquis Rankin, Point Guard, Hargrave Military Academy, (VA)

Analysis:

Seth Greenberg did a tremendous job of recruiting, even if three of the four recruits come from the same school.

The one recruit who does not play at Hargrave Military Academy is Finney-Smith (fourth-ranked small forward), a 6'7" forward who can dominate games from both the post and perimeter. He can also out-rebound his opponents and he has a great basketball IQ.

It will be hard for Virginia Tech to replace the talents of Malcolm Delaney, but the Hokies do have two good guards coming in. Brown is a pure shooter with range from the outside while Rankin has great leadership skills and will probably be the starting point guard for Virginia Tech in a couple years.

Barksdale is the final recruit in the class and he too could play solid minutes as a freshman.

Virginia Tech has a lot of talent to replace but this group of four ESPNU 100 recruits should be enough to fill any holes.

12. Illinois

Recruits:

Tracy Abrams, Point Guard, Mount Carmel H.S. (IL)

Nnanna Egwu, Center, St. Ignatius College Prep (IL)

Mycheal Henry, Small Forward, Orr Academy H.S. (IL)

Devin Langford, Small Forward, Lee H.S. (AL)

Mike Shaw, Power Forward, De La Salle Institute (IL)

Analysis:

Four of the five Illinois signees in this class are in-state, but there is nothing wrong with that when you consider how much talent there is in the Prairie State.

Leading the class is Henry (18th-ranked small forward), a 6'6" forward with explosive scoring abilities. He plays with the high energy that is needed in the Big Ten and is a very good rebounder.

Perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the class is Egwu, a 6'10" center who is a very good scorer in the post.

Illinois is losing leading scorer Demitri McCamey but Abrams could potentially replace the hole at point guard. Abrams can attack the rim but he also has a pretty jump shot.

This is one of the best recruiting classes for Illinois under Bruce Webber and within a year or two, the Illini will be a threat to win the Big Ten championship.

11. Pittsburgh

Recruits:

Khem Birch, Center, Notre Dame Prep (MA)  

Jaylen Bond, Small Forward, Plymouth-Whitemarsh Sr. H.S. (PA)

Malcolm Gilbert, Center, Academy of the New Church (PA)

Durand Johnson, Shooting Guard, Brewster Academy (NH)

John Johnson, Shooting Guard, Life Center Academy (NJ)

Analysis:

Jaimie Dixon has once again brought a loaded class to Pittsburgh, this time led by Canadian center Khem Birch.

Birch (first-ranked center) will be a star at the college level because of his tremendous athleticism and his amazing physique. Birch has a long wingspan, which makes it easy for him to block shots and to dunk over defenders.

Gilbert is another highly-touted center and along with Birch, Pitt may have one of the best frontcourts in the country next season. Gilbert is a great defender and will create many fastbreaks for the Panthers.

Although the three other recruits in the class won't receive nearly as much attention as Birch and Gilbert, they all have the capability to play important roles for the Panthers next year.

10. Syracuse

Recruits:

Rakeem Christmas, Center, Academy of the New Church (PA)

Trevor Cooney, Shooting Guard, Sanford H.S. (DE)

Michael Carter-Williams, Shooting Guard, St. Andrew's School (RI)

Analysis:

Jim Boeheim keeps bringing in amazing recruiting classes and this one is no different.

The top recruit for Syracuse this year is Christmas (second-ranked center), a McDonald's All-American who can block shots better than just about anyone in this year's class. Christmas is not a great shooter but the Orange have plenty of other good if not great shooters.

Carter-Williams (fifth-ranked shooting guard) is one of the guys who will be able to knock down shots for Syracuse next season. He is rather tall for a guard, but only weighs 175 lbs, so he will certainly need to add on some more muscle if he wants to be successful in the physical Big East.

Cooney is the other recruit in the class and he too can shoot the ball fairly well. Overall, Syracuse has done a great job of filling in any gaps while increasing the general talent level for the Orange.

9. Louisville

Recruits:

Chane Behanan, Power Forward, Bowling Green H.S. (KY)

Wayne Blackshear, Shooting Guard, Morgan Park H.S. (IL)

Angel Nunez, Small Forward, Notre Dame Prep (MA)

Zach Price, Center, Jeffersontown H.S. (KY)

Ryan Taylor, Small Forward, Western H.S. (KY)

Analysis:

Much like Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, Rick Pitino keeps bringing in great recruiting classes for Lousiville and this class may be the best of Pitino's tenure as head coach of the Cardinals.

The top recruit in the class is Blackshear (fourth-ranked shooting guard), one of two McDonald's All-Americans for Louisville, the other being Behanan.

Blackshear likes to run the floor and is terrific in transition. He is also a great rebounder and should easily be able to replace the play of Preston Knowles. Blackshear's biggest weakness is his perimeter game and if he improves in that category, he has the potential to be the Big East Freshman of the Year.

The talents of Blackshear mixed in with the other four recruits in this class will make Louisville very dangerous in Big East play next season.

8. Texas

Jonathan Holmes, Power Forward, Antonian College Prep (TX)

Myck Kabongo, Point Guard, Findlay College Prep (NV)

Julien Lewis, Shooting Guard, La Marque H.S. (TX)

Sheldon McClellan, Shooting Guard, Bellaire H.S. (TX)

Analysis:

Another year, another great recruiting class for Rick Barnes and the Longhorns.

Kabongo (second-ranked point guard) is one of the most exciting high school players to watch in the entire country, partly because he plays for Findlay College Prep but mostly because of quickness and decision making. He plays at a fast pace, one that will work well with Barnes' offense.

The Longhorns have two more shooting guards coming in, both of whom can make immediate imprints on Texas next year. Lewis has a good mid-range jumper and plays tough defense while McClellan is a great athlete and can defend both wing positions.

Rick Barnes has done a terrific job of recruiting since he came to Texas and this class is no exception.

7. Ohio State

Recruits:

Trey McDonald, Center, Battle Creek Central H.S. (MI)

LaQuinton Ross, Small Forward, Life Center Academy (NJ)

Shannon Scott, Point Guard, Milton H.S. (GA)

Sam Thompson, Small Forward, Whitney Young H.S. (IL)

Amir Williams, Center, Detroit Country Day School (MI)

Analysis:

Although there are is no future Greg Oden or Jared Sullinger in this class, Thad Matta has landed a group of guys that should all be terrific at Ohio State next season.

The top recruit in the class may be Scott (sixth-ranked point guard) followed by Williams (third-ranked center). Scott is the leader of one of the top high school teams in the nation, and that invaluable leadership will follow him to Ohio State.

Williams meanwhile could very possibly turn into another Oden or Sullinger, although it's not likely. He has a great interior game but the one thing preventing him from being a star is his effort. Expect Matta to fix that pretty quickly.

Ohio State has another great recruiting class coming in and there should not be too big of a talent drop off from this year to next, even if Sullinger goes pro.

6. Arizona

Recruits:

Angelo Chol, Power Forward, Herbert Hoover H.S. (CA)

Nick Johnson, Shooting Guard, Findlay College Prep (NV)

Sidiki Johnson, Small Forward, Unknown

Josiah Turner, Point Guard, Quality Education Academy (NC)

Analysis:

Sean Miller has done a remarkable job of coaching and recruiting at Arizona and has them far ahead of schedule.

Miller landed the final piece of a top 10 recruiting class by getting Chol, a forward originally from Sudan who can block shots better than almost anyone. Sidiki Johnson, who is from the Bronx, will also be needed to help replace the departure of Derrick Williams, assuming Williams goes pro.

Arizona has historically been called Point Guard U and they are beginning to regain that reputation. This year they are bringing in Turner (fifth-ranked point guard) and Nick Johnson (seventh-ranked shooting guard). Turner likes to dish out assists while Johnson is more of a scorer.

Arizona has far and away the best recruiting class on the West Coast and their biggest problem is that if Williams does not go pro, they might not have enough scholarships. Many schools would love to have that problem.

5. Arkansas

Recruits:

Devonte Abron, Power Forward, Seagoville H.S. (TX)

Ky Madden, Shooting Guard, East Poinsett County H.S. (AR)

Hunter Mickelson, Power Forward, Westside H.S. (AR)

Aaron Ross, Small Forward, Parkview Arts & Science Magnet High (AR)

B.J. Young, Point Guard, McCluer North H.S. (MO)

Analysis:

If there was an award for the best recruiting job by a head coach, John Pelphrey would be the front runner. With limited resources, Pelphrey has signed a top five recruiting class led by Young (fourth-ranked point guard).

Young is a very talented guard from St. Louis who could one day lead the Razorbacks to a deep NCAA Tournament run. He is a scoring guard with great quickness and it will be fun to watch him go head to head with fellow St. Louis guard Bradley Beal, who is heading to Florida.

The Razorbacks are also bringing in two power forwards along with Madden (10th-ranked shooting guard) who has tremendous size for a guard (6'5") and does a good job of finding open teammates and creating offensive opportunities.

Arkansas probably had the most surprising recruiting season of any team and, thanks to Pelphrey, the Razorbacks are back on track to being a team that can compete for an SEC title.

4. North Carolina

Recruits:

P.J. Hairston, Shooting Guard, Hargrave Military Academy (VA)

James McAdoo, Power Forward, Norfolk Christian (VA)

Jackson Simmons, Power Forward, Smokey Mountain H.S. (NC)

Analysis:

Roy Williams has once again landed a top five recruiting class and this one is led by two 5-star recruits.

McAdoo (third-ranked power forward) is a guy who will play with great effort, whether he is facing Duke or North Carolina State. He rebounds very well and and can score with either hand. McAdoo's biggest weakness is that he not a good perimeter shooter, but he won't be asked to take many threes.

The other McDonald's All-American is Hairston (third-ranked shooting guard) who is a pure shooter and can light it up from outside. He also has the ability to drive to the basket, making him a very dangerous, two-dimensional guard.

The final recruit in the class is Simmons, an under-the-radar forward who could blossom under Roy Williams' coaching.

If Harrison Barnes sticks around another year, the Tar Heels will likely be a preseason top 10 team next year.

3. Duke

Recruits:

Quinn Cook, Point Guard, Oak Hill Academy (VA)

Michael Gbinije, Small Forward, Benedictine H.S. (VA)

Marshall Plumlee, Center, Christ School (NC)

Austin Rivers, Shooting Guard, Winter Park H.S. (FL)

Analysis:

Coach K and Duke are almost a permanent fixture in the top 10 of recruiting rankings and this season, is no different.

Rivers (first-overall recruit) looks like he will be a future NBA star so Blue Devil fans will be watching him closely in his freshman year, because he probably won't be there any longer than a year. Rivers has a great jump shot and has learned basketball under his father Doc Rivers.

Then comes Cook (seventh-ranked point guard) who will be faced with high expectations of being the point guard of Duke. Cook appears to be up for the job as he has excellent quickness and speed and can create scoring opportunities for his teammates,

Duke's only recruit that is not a McDonald's All-American is Gbinjie, a guy who has a great basketball IQ and a jump shot that works from as far as 20 feet out.

Marshall Plumlee is the brother of current Blue Devils Mason and and Miles Plumlee. Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see how Duke decides how to write each brother's name on the back of their jerseys.

Duke has another outstanding class coming in and the biggest thing Blue Devil fans can hope for is that some of these guys stick around for more than just a year.

2. St. John's

Recruits:

Amir Garrett, Small Forward, Findlay College Prep (NV)

Phillip Greene, Shooting Guard, IMG Academy (FL)

Maurice Harkless, Small Forward, South Kent School (CT)

D'Angelo Harrison, Shooting Guard, John Foster Dulles High (TX)

Nurideen Lindsey, Shooting Guard, Redlands Community College (OK)

Dwight Meikle, Power Forward, Quality Education Academy (NC)

Norvel Pelle, Power Forward, Price H.S. (CA)

Dom Pointer, Small Forward, Quality Education Academy (NC)

Jakarr Sampson, Small Forward, Brewster Academy (NH)

Analysis:

Steve Lavin has done a great job of bringing in a new culture to St. John's and this recruiting class is only part of it.

The Red Storm are already "back" but once these recruits hit the court next season, St. John's will be even better. The class is led by three small forwards—Harkless, Pointer, and Sampson. All three will try to battle it out to be the starting small forward next season.

At power forward, Lavin landed Meikle and Pelle. Pelle stands out to me because of his extremely long arms and his explosive offensive abilities.

St. John's is also bringing in three guards and I wish there was enough time to go in depth on all nine recruits, but I guess you will just have to wait until they actually take the floor to see how good the nine recruits truly are.

1. Kentucky

Recruits:

Anthony Davis, Power Forward, Perspectives Charter School (IL)

Michael Gilchrist, Small Forward, St. Patrick H.S. (NJ)

Marquis Teague, Point Guard, Pike H.S. (IN)

Kyle Wiltjer, Power Forward, Jesuit H.S. (OR)

Analysis:

Once again, John Calipari has secured the No. 1 overall recruiting class.

This time, it is led by Teague (eighth overall recruit), a player built for Kentucky's dribble-drive offense. Teague is unstoppable in one-on-one situations and is deadly in the open court.

Gilchrist (first-ranked small forward) will also be a star under Calipari from Day 1. He has tremendous athletic ability and can dominate on both sides of the ball. He rebounds, blocks shots and puts up huge numbers.

Kentucky's other two recruits are both McDonald's All-Americans and will probably excel at the NBA level. First is Davis (first-ranked power forward), someone who has gone from an unknown to being one of the elite prospects in the 2011 class. Then comes Wiltjer (fifth-ranked power forward) who is considered by many to be the top power forward in the entire class. The fact that he is the fourth-best recruit for Kentucky tells you how great their team class is this season.