College Basketball Recruiting: Andre Drummond and Top Hoops Recruits for 2012

Recruiting in the world of college basketball is a 24-7-365 gig. Sure, the season may be over now that the UConn Huskies have been NCAA tournament champions for more than two weeks. And sure, the late signing period for the high school class of 2011 hasn't even started, but there's still plenty of work to keep coaches everywhere up into the wee hours of the morning.

And as quiet as things may seem until July 5th during the NCAA's recruiting quiet period, things will be equally as crazy for the rest of the month of July, when representatives from every program from sea to shining sea take to the road, from the Boo Williams Summer League in Virginia to the various Nike Skills Academies scattered all over the country, in search of the next star—or, in John Calipari's case, stars—to take their respective programs to the top.

So who, exactly, are the prospects to look out for, the kids whose decisions will make headlines and lead their lucky programs to March Madness glory before taking off for NBA stardom?

Andre Drummond, the massive center from Connecticut, is the big name at the top of the class of 2012 right now, but he'll have plenty of worthy challengers trying to wrest away his crown as the summer rolls along. Read on to see who'll be bringing their A-game to the AAU circuit this summer, according to Scout.com.

10. Amile Jefferson, Power Forward

Kicking off the top 10 of the class of 2012 is Amile Jefferson.

The 6'7", 185-pound forward from Philadelphia could use a few extra pounds before anyone can really call him a "power" forward, though he most certainly has the requisite skills to man the position once his body catches up. Jefferson is a fluid athlete who can get up and down the floor, back down smaller opponents in the post and score over and around less agile defenders in the mid-range.

The 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Pennsylvania has plenty of potential suitors beating down his door already, from local schools like Villanova and Temple to national powerhouses like Ohio State, Syracuse and Duke.

Where Jefferson ends up is anyone's guess, though with so many successful programs in and around his hometown, it figures to take quite a pitch to wrench Jefferson from his Philly roots.

9. Kaleb Tarczewski, Center

The recruiting class of 2012 is unusually stacked with centers, not the least of whom is Kaleb Tarczewski.

At 7'0" and 220 pounds, Tarczewski has excellent speed and agility for a kid his size, and he already has a pretty good idea of how to use it, as he has established himself as something of a gazelle in the open court and an excellent finisher once he gets to rim.

Like most prospects his size at his age, Tarczewski could use some extra strength and thickness through the chest, as well as a more aggressive on-court mentality. Somehow, Tarczewski still manages to disappear during games, despite his massive frame, and he needs to develop greater consistency with his back-to-the-basket moves in the post.

None of those concerns have scared off coaches and talent evaluators, as Tarczewski has already received offers from the likes of Arizona, Kansas and Georgetown along with inquiries from Duke and Florida.

And don't be surprised if the native of New Hampshire gets a call from UConn soon, especially considering Jim Calhoun's reputation for coaching up talented post players.

8. Rodney Purvis, Point Guard

It appears as though John Wall is far from the last uber-talented point guard to come out of Raleigh, North Carolina.

One need not look for a successor beyond Rodney Purvis, the top-ranked point in the class of 2012. Like Wall, Purvis is big for a point man, at 6'4" and 185 pounds. He has excellent court vision and the caliber of strength, speed and athleticism that allows him to go through, around and over his defenders to get to the cup at will, from just about any spot on the court at just about any time.

At this point, Purvis' biggest weakness is his jump shot, the accuracy of which drops off considerably beyond 15 or 16 feet. Purvis will need to extend his range considerably to truly maximize the opportunities he'll have to show off his physical gifts.

That being said, Purvis still has some time to hone his game before he begins his collegiate career at Louisville, where he will have the opportunity to develop even further under the keen eye of coach Rick Pitino. 

7. Ricardo Ledo, Shooting Guard

Few prospects in the class of 2012 can score quite like Ricardo Ledo.

At 6'6" and 180 pounds, Ledo certainly has the frame to be a dominant, NBA-caliber shooting guard, though his strength still leaves something to be desired.

Nonetheless, Ledo is still a fantastic finisher with the athleticism to rock the rim, the body control to stop and drop a floater and the accuracy on his jump shot to pull up and knock one down from just about anywhere on the court.

Ledo could also use some work on his decision making, as he too often telegraphs his moves and settles for unnecessarily difficult shots.

A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Ledo still has his hometown institution at the top of his list in the wake of Ed Cooley taking over following the dismissal of Keno Davis. However, Ledo is set to visit other programs around the country to explore his options, including the national champion Connecticut Huskies.

6. DaJuan Coleman, Center

Next up is the second of five centers in Scout.com's top 10—Dajuan Coleman.

At 6'8" and 280 pounds, Coleman is a big-bodied post player who utilizes his size and strength to create contact and put the ball in the hole whenever he wants. Similarly, Coleman knows how to lock down rebounds in his area and keep the glass nice and clean.

As one might expect for a kid his size, Coleman has struggled in the past with his conditioning, though he has certainly improved considerably in that department. Coleman's real struggle will be to keep the pounds off and his body fat low so as not to hinder his stamina.

Right now, Coleman has North Carolina, Kansas, Ohio State and Kentucky near the top of his list, though it would not be surprising if, in the end, he chose to attend Syracuse to play for Jim Boeheim, who coached Coleman's clone, Derrick, back in the 1980s. 

5. Brandon Ashley, Power Forward

If Brandon Ashley is anything as a young basketball player, he is raw. The 6'8", 190-pounder from Oakland, Calif. is still quite thin through the chest and doesn't have much of an offensive repertoire, whether with his back to the basket or facing up.

However, there's no doubting this kid's tremendous upside. Ashley has strong, soft hands, he can glide up and down the floor with ease and he has plenty of bounce in his step when he needs to get up for a dunk or a rebound.

It is for these attributes that Ashley has drawn so much interest from programs from coast to coast, including offers from UCLA, Texas, Kentucky, Kansas and Arizona.

With some time and good coaching, the baby-faced Ashley figures to develop into an elite-level power forward.

4. Cameron Ridley, Center

Certainly, Texas coach Rick Barnes wouldn't mind if Cameron Ridley graduated high school a year early to join the Longhorns for the 2011-2012 season.

After all, what coach wouldn't want to add a 6'9", 260-pound center with long arms, strong hands and a penchant for cleaning up the offensive glass? At present, Ridley's ability to score in the paint is largely contingent on the fact that he's just so much bigger and stronger than his competitors, though he'll have to develop some better moves if he's going to keep it up at the next level and beyond.

With a few counter moves and some continued diligence with his conditioning, Ridley figures to be another low-post gem out of the class of 2012.

3. Shabazz Muhammad, Small Forward

Shabazz Muhammad may not be the best prospect in the class of 2012 as of right now, but he might already lay claim to the best name in this group of recruits.

And he certainly has the game to match the name. Muhammad is a scorer, pure and simple, whose motto might as well be: "Attack! Attack! Attack!" At 6'5" and 207 pounds, Muhammad can really rack 'em up from mid-range and closer, though he has shown a propensity to knock down long-range jumpers from time to time.

Above all, Muhammad is an incredible competitor with an insatiable appetite for winning and the stamina and sheer basketball ability to do so on a nightly basis.

The Las Vegas native has offers from schools far and wide, though his list currently consists of Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Louisville, UCLA, Kansas and Memphis.

2. Isaiah Austin, Center

For the third year in a row, Baylor coach Scott Drew has locked up one of the top prospects in the country and, for the second year in a row, it's the second-ranked prospect in his class.

And while Isaiah Austin may be a completely different player than 2011's Quincy Miller, he is no less tremendous of a pick-up for the Bears.

Interestingly enough, Austin's game is comparable to that of Perry Jones, the uber-talented forward/center who turned down the 2011 NBA draft to return to Waco, Texas for his senior season. Like Jones, Austin can operate from the perimeter, whether using his ball-handling ability to get to the basket or pulling up for and knocking down a jumper from 21 feet out. On defense, Austin can control the paint and intimidate those who dare enter with his outstanding wing span and seven-foot frame.

All that's holding Austin back at this point is his lack of strength, with only 200 pounds on his bony body, his occasionally lackadaisical manner on the court and his post-up game, which is still embryonic relative to the rest of his offensive repertoire.

1. Andre Drummond, Center

As alluded to in the introduction, Andre Drummond checks in as the best prospect in the class of 2012 heading into the summer and, if he plays to his potential, he'll have a bit more room to breathe at the top once his senior year of high school rolls around.

Skills wise, there's almost nothing Drummond can't do on a basketball court.

Need a big man in the post? At 6'11" and 265 pounds, Drummond can bang down low and finish through contact at the rim or with a nifty hook shot from either hand.

Need a scorer? Drummond can face up and knock down shots from the perimeter or drive past his man and put the ball in the hole with soul.

What about passing, you say? The kid is an excellent passer who can find and hit his teammates from anywhere on the floor.

Rebounding and defense? Need I remind you that Drummond is nearly seven feet tall and he can jump?

All that stands in the way of Drummond becoming a once-in-a-generation talent is his consistency, as he has a tendency to float on the perimeter a bit too much rather than utilizing his size to score inside whenever he pleases.

At this point, UConn looks like the school to beat for the services of the Middletown, Connecticut native, though Duke, North Carolina, Georgetown and Louisville are still in the hunt.