Drummond on top of initial 2012 top 10
Size is the word for the upper echelon of the 2012 class. At the top of the class is center Andre Drummond, who burst onto the national scene at the 16-under national team trials in June and then impressed in Orlando, Fla., in late July.
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Of the top 10 prospects in the class, six are centers or power forwards. Of the four perimeter prospects in the top 10, three are small forwards with length. Shabazz Muhammad is the lone guard in the rankings, and he is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard.
Class of 2012 Top 10
1. C Andre Drummond
6-9/251, Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More School
Size, athleticism and skill: Drummond has all three in large quantities, and it looks like he will only get better. He probably has a couple more inches of growth, is highly mobile and is comfortable with the ball in the low post and away from the basket.
2. C Isaiah Austin
6-11/200, Burleson (Texas) Grace Prep
Austin is still a work in progress as a developing young big man, but the sky is the limit as far as his upside. He has extraordinary length and the potential to have an offensive skill set that could be downright scary for a player at his height.
3. PF Jarnell Stokes
6-7/230, Memphis (Tenn.) Central
The 2012 class is loaded at the top with beefy post players, and Stokes can play with the cream of this crop. He is polished in the low post and has a surprising open court game which separates him for the others in this class.
4. SF J.P. Tokoto
6-5/190, Menomonee Falls (Wisc.) High
Tokoto is the total package as a wing prospect and the top perimeter prospect in the class. He has the athleticism, skill level and basketball I.Q. of a truly elite prospect.
5. SF Winston Sheppard
6-6/180, Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep
A high-motor athlete with length, Sheppard is an impact player both in the interior and on the perimeter. A slasher offensively, he is also a disruptive presence defensively and an aggressive rebounder.
6. C DaJuan Coleman
6-8/280, Dewitt (N.Y.) Jamesville-Dewitt
Nothing short of a beast down low, Coleman is the second coming of Jared Sullinger if he gets his body in better condition. Coleman has great hands and feet to go along with a physical style of play.
7. SF Amile Jefferson
6-6/170, Philadelphia Friends Central School
As his dimensions indicate, Jefferson is still developing physically, but the tools are in place for him to be an elite small forward. Highly skilled with the basketball, Jefferson is a multidimensional threat.
8. SG Shabazz Muhammad
6-3/170, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman
A dynamic lefty, Muhammad is a dangerous slasher and rebounder from the wing. He is still putting the polish on his game as a ball handler and outside shooter, but his determined focus bodes well for his future.
9. PF Ricardo Gathers
6-6/235, Reserve (La.) Riverside Academy
Simply put, Gathers is an athletic man-child who has a future in the NFL if basketball doesn't pan out. His best work is done down low, but he has a developing perimeter skill set as well.
10. PF Brandon Ashley
6-6/215, Oakland Bishop O'Dowd
A long athlete who is still growing, Ashley has terrific instincts as a high post/low post player. He is quick to the basketball and finishes with touch from 15 feet and closer.
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