UK recruits ranked number one by most experts

The University of Kentucky has landed the best college basketball recruiting class of 2009. This is undisputed. The only question that remains: Is this the best recruiting class of all time?

There are many Web sites that offer opinions on high school sports prospects, but no site covers this better than www.Rivals.com (now part of Yahoo! Sports). According to Rivals rankings, Kentucky has commitments from the four five-star prospects, including the top two overall players.

Here is the list of Kentucky’s 2009 recruiting class:

1. John Wall, point guard, No. 1 overall prospect
2. DeMarcus Cousins, power forward, No. 2 overall prospect
3. Daniel Orton, center, No. 22 overall prospect
4. Eric Bledsoe, point guard, No. 23 overall prospect
5. Jon Hood, shooting guard, No. 40 overall, “Mr. Basketball” from Kentucky
6. Darnell Dodson, small forward, transfer from Miami Dade Community College

On paper, this is a very impressive class. But there are several problems with comparing recruiting class. One major issue with judging classes is that the fourth-best player one year could be much better than the fourth-best player the next year. Also, one outstanding player can be worth two or even three very good players. A third problem is that, in this day and age, so many great players turn pro after one year.

We will not be able to judge this Kentucky class for several seasons. But we can take a look back at some of the best recruiting classes in recent memory. Here is a look at three of the best.

Duke, 1997
At the time, this class was viewed as one of the best ever. Coach Mike Krzyzewski brought in three top 10 players in Elton Brand, Shane Battier and Chris Burgess. They also signed point guard William Avery. This class was terrific on paper and also performed well on the court. While Chris Burgess, dubbed by one scout as “a cross between Larry Bird and Bill Walton,” did not pan out, Brand, Battier and Avery all went on to great success at Duke.

In their sophomore seasons, this class lost to UConn in the 1999 championship game. Then Brand and Avery left for the NBA. After they left, Battier stepped up during his junior and senior seasons. This class was good because it had both immediate star power (Brand) and good sustained play (Battier).

Ohio State, 2006
Coach Thad Matta landed five good players, none bigger than the top overall prospect Greg Oden. Dubbed the “Thad Five”, the group also consisted of shooting guard Daequen Cook, small forward David Lighty, point guard Mike Conley, Jr. and junior college transfer Othello Hunter. (Conley was actually the fourth-rated player in this class.)

This is where we have to decide how we are going to judge this new wave of recruiting classes. With so many players only staying in college for one season, it is difficult to rank current recruiting class on an all-time list. I mean, who is more valuable, a one-year, Kevin Durant rental or four years of solid play from Shane Battier? Durant posted much better numbers, but he did not win a single NCAA Tournament game.

When all is said and done, this class will go down as one of the most talented of all time. However, I cannot rank them as one of the best of all time. Oden, Cook and Conley each played only one season before jetting to the NBA, while Lighty was the Buckeyes’ best all-around player last season.

In their one season together, this team made it all the way to the NCAA championship game, before losing to Florida. Had the big three stayed one more season and won a championship, they may very well have gone down as the best recruiting class of all time. But one season is too small a window to even rank them on an all-time list.

Michigan, 1991
Nicknamed the “Fab Five,” this is the gold standard by which all recruiting classes are judged. The class consisted of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. Five is misleading, as this class really had four stars. Webber, Howard, Rose and King were all selected to the 1991 McDonald’s All-American team (there were 20 players on this team).

This class was the definition of top-heavy. I have heard more than one scout say that Webber was the most dominating high school player they have ever seen. (Presumably, these people have never seen LeBron James.) Bringing four star players to one college in the same year is impressive. Their hype as well as their play put this class over the top.

What was great about this team was that the youngsters led the way right from the start. During their freshman season, they lost in the national championship game, behind four freshman starters. The next season, Michigan again made the title game, losing to North Carolina. This was the “Webber timeout” game.

After this game, Webber left for the NBA. Rose and Howard stayed for one more season, where the Wolverines lost in the Elite Eight to eventual champs Arkansas.

While this team never won it all, it has to go down as the best recruiting class of my lifetime. I remember watching Webber, Howard and Rose. It was amazing to see a group of freshman change the game the way these kids did.

Kentucky, 2009
As I said, we will have to wait a few years to judge this class. All I know right now is that Kentucky’s team looks terrific on paper. In addition to their six new players, the team also had two first-team All-SEC players last season, shooting guard Jodie Meeks and power forward Patrick Patterson. Patterson is returning next season, while Meeks is deciding whether or not to enter the NBA draft. If Meeks returns, we could be looking at one of the deepest teams of all time.

When John Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky, he said he planned on restoring the tradition of excellence that is synonymous with Kentucky basketball. It now looks like he could do that in year one. Granted, he’s doing it at Memphis’ expense by taking his best recruits with him to Kentucky, but it would still be impressive.

As for this incoming Kentucky class, they are probably only going to have one year together. Similar to Ohio State’s 2006 recruits, it is difficult to rank a class on an all-time list if they only spend one season together. But perhaps this class will be different. Calipari is bringing in a lot of talented players, so this class may be able to survive if a few go pro. Then again, does anyone remember the one year Jimmy King and Ray Jackson spent at Michigan without the big three? I know I don’t.