College Basketball Recruiting: Top 12 Big Men from 2013 Class and Where They Go

Nerlens Noel is the best big man in the 2013 college basketball recruiting class. After the 2012 class brings many talented forwards and centers with it, the schools who missed out will be trying to land these 12 players.

Teams this season are relying more heavily on big men than guards, with teams like North Carolina, Baylor and many others building around their frontcourts.

The 2013 class brings some good guards but some great big men as well. These are the best dozen in the class.

12. Jarquez Smith (Georgia Tech)

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 210

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 38

Considering: Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida State

Jarquez Smith is very athletic for a power forward, but his uncanny ability inside is what classifies him as such. Smith plays very well with his back to the basket as most big men do, and he rebounds well.

What makes Smith elite is his combination of size and skill. He runs well and has range almost to the three-point line. He could still improve either facet of his game, and he continues to do so. He is constantly working to improve, and that leaves him with very few weaknesses.

Smith has a very small list considering how young he still is, and those schools make it clear that he wants to stay close to his Georgia home. Georgia Tech is putting together a good program, and new coach Brian Gregory should be able to reel in Smith.

11. BeeJay Anya (Syracuse)

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 265 pounds

Position: center

Class Rank: 36

Considering: Georgetown, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech

BeeJay Anya may not be incredibly tall at 6'8", but his 265-pound body helps him classify as a center. He is absolutely huge and is always able to carve out space on the post.

His big stature helps him box out well which is the key to rebounding, not height. He is surprisingly light on his feet for his size, and despite being shorter and much heavier than most players on this list, he is able to dunk consistently.

Did I mention that he also has a 7'9" wingspan?

Anya wants to go to a school where they utilize their big men, and after seeing how he has listed his schools when asked who he is being recruited by, I give Syracuse an early edge.

Jim Boeheim's program's image has been marred by the Bernie Fine incident, but since Boeheim was not personally involved it appears that won't affect recruiting. With Anya's teammate Jerami Grant going to Syracuse in 2012 that should also help swing his decision toward the Orange.

10. Christian Wood (UNLV)

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 200 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 34

Considering: UNLV

Christian Wood committed to UNLV on July 1, 2011, and he may be one of the biggest sleepers in the class.

Wood could play small forward but chooses to play power. He has a great three-point shot and runs the floor well. Unfortunately, he still needs to improve his inside game. With his length he should be an elite rebounder.

Wood is still improving, however, and he is going to be ready to handle the inside game at the college level in two years' time. He should be ready to be a well-rounded, versatile and skilled player by the time he goes to Las Vegas.

9. Bobby Portis (Arkansas)

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 225 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 35

Considering: Arkansas

Bobby Portis has dreamed of playing basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks since he was seven, and he has fulfilled that dream, accepting a scholarship in early August of this year.

Portis used to be a bench player, but he is now a highly-touted recruit in the 2013 class who will be living his dream.

Portis is a great player who is versatile and plays a very balanced game. He can play inside or shoot short jumpers well, and that has allowed him to fulfill his childhood dream.

8. Kennedy Meeks (Maryland)

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 260 pounds

Position: center

Class Rank: 29

Considering: Florida, Maryland, Louisville, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Miami, North Carolina State, Charlotte, South Carolina, Tennessee, Xavier, Massachusetts, Georgetown, North Carolina and Syracuse

Kennedy Meeks has a lot to do in terms of getting recruited, but he appears to be focusing on the season.

Meeks has great hands and vision which allow him to rebound and pass well. His feet are almost as good, and they help him make great moves with his back to the basket and enable him to play tight defense.

Meeks doesn't have a good mid-range game, but he certainly makes up for it around the basket with great moves and touch, allowing him to put up great numbers.

Meeks still has an incredibly long list so picking where he will go is very difficult. I give Maryland the early edge, however, as they appear to have everything Meeks is looking for in a school.

7. Thomas Hamilton Jr. (Illinois)

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 230 pounds

Position: center

Class Rank: 23

Considering: Illinois, Michigan State and Northwestern

Thomas Hamilton Jr. isn't the type of player to blow you away, but he gets the job done time after time. He plays with a sense of urgency on the offensive end, and he can score inside with his back to the basket and can knock down jumpers.

Unfortunately, he does not give the same effort on the defensive end of the floor, which is the area of his game that needs the most improvement by far. He is still improving, which is a good sign, and playing at the college level will help him improve even more.

Hamilton made my job a lot easier when picking schools, as he only had three on his list. Illinois appears to be the favorite as they can use their big men well and play good defense. The school is also close to home for Hamilton, and they appear to be head-and-shoulders above the others.

6. Johnathan Williams III (Memphis)

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 208 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 17

Considering: Arkansas, Florida, Memphis, Texas and Tennessee

Johnathan Williams III has a good combination of length and skill that draws favorable comparisons to a young Lamar Odom.

"JW3" has great range and can take the ball in transition if necessary. We have seen him snag a rebound and go coast-to-coast more than a few times, and he displays a great feel for the game.

JW3 will want to stay in the south as the schools on his list suggest, and he will probably end up at Memphis to stay close to home. The Tigers have been recruiting well and will continue that trend with Williams.

5. Isaiah Hicks (North Carolina)

Height: 6'8"

Weight: 200 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 14

Considering: North Carolina

Isaiah Hicks is a long, athletic forward. He is a bouncy player that gets off the floor well, which helps him block shots on defense and helps him get up to create shots on offense.

While Hicks doesn't have a lot of post moves, his uncanny ability to get off the floor allows him to shoot over most defenders.

Hicks is an explosive player that throws down some incredible, highlight-reel dunks on smaller defenders, and his athleticism is the reason he is in the Top 15 in the 2013 class.

4. Chris Walker (Kentucky)

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 205 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 5

Considering: Kentucky, Florida State, Memphis and Ohio State

Chris Walker is a 6'10" power forward. He is very long and skinny, yet does not have the girth to dominate inside in college. He is working to gain muscle, and he still has time. However, he needs to add about 30-40 pounds.

Walker is an athletic combo-forward, and he can make big plays from anywhere within the three-point line.

Walker knows he's one of the best in the country and he even asked LeBron James for recruiting help. He said: “If LeBron hits me back and tells me where he thinks I should go, I'd do it." LeBron told him Ohio State and Kentucky were his favorites.

Walker has about a dozen schools on his list that I didn't mention because he is so interested in these four, with Kentucky appearing to be his favorite based on his recruitment and Twitter feed.

3. Aaron Gordon (Washington)

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 210 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 7

Considering: Washington, Arizona, Kansas, Stanford and New Mexico

Aaron Gordon may try the hardest of any player on this list, and that effort has not been wasted, as he is not an elite recruit.

In the half court he can nail jumpers or drive well. He is also a force in transition and can block shots well on defense. He has become even more focused and gives more effort as of late, and he is constantly improving.

Gordon appears to be most interested in Washington, as he visited them unofficially in mid-November. I see him picking the Huskies over Arizona, Kansas, Stanford and New Mexico.

2. Julius Randle (North Carolina)

Height: 6'9"

Weight: 225 pounds

Position: power forward

Class Rank: 4

Considering: Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and Texas

Julius Randle is an NBA star in the making, with his ability to play with his back to the basket or facing up. He can put up 20-plus points on any given night, and he is one of the best power forwards in the country.

Randle has a great motor and never gives up on a play, and that helps him rebound well. He is a force on either end of the floor, and he will be a star wherever he goes.

If there is a weakness for Randle, it is his mid-range game. While he is comfortable hitting short jumpers, he will want to extend his range when he goes to college in order to prepare for the NBA. However, his strengths outweigh his flaws and he is still an elite player.

Randle seems to enjoy running the floor, and his athleticism is a big part of his game. One of the reasons he likes North Carolina is that they play an up-tempo style and that they use the versatility of their frontcourt well. He has called their style fun to play, and coupling that with the fact that Roy Williams is a great coach and recruiter makes me believe he will be a Tar Heel come 2013.

1. Nerlens Noel (Connecticut)

Height: 6'10"

Weight: 215 pounds

Position: center

Class Rank: 2

Considering: Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse

Nerlens Noel dominates the game on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end he can carve out space in the post and finish with his back to the basket. He is also very agile and quick for his size, which allows him to get open shots.

What's more impressive about Noel is his defense. Noel averaged eight blocks per game as a sophomore to go along with a dozen boards per night.

Noel makes even the best big men in the country think twice before they take a shot inside, and that reputation alone will help him change the game.

Noel will want to stay close to home, and with such an appealing option as Jim Calhoun's Connecticut program that has turned out big man after big man, it's hard to turn that down. Noel will be a Husky come the 2013-14 season, and he will continue the proud tradition of centers for UConn.

Josh Schoch is an aspiring sportswriter dedicated to bringing you everything related to college basketball, college football, the NFL, NBA, MLB and much more. Follow him on Twitter.