Final 2009 Rivals150 sees several moves
Wednesday marks the first day of the spring signing period, but the recruitment of John Wall, Xavier Henry, Lance Stephenson, Latavious Williams, Eric Bledsoe and several other top uncommitted prospects will continue.
Advertisement
Players have until May 20 to sign their letters-of-intent, and while there still will be plenty of drama surrounding the decisions of these top prospects, there won't be any drama about their final ranking: Here's Rivals.com's final prospect rankings for the 2009 class.
There are several key moves, starting at the No. 3 spot where Derrick Favors replaces Henry and checks in behind the top-ranked Wall and No. 2 DeMarcus Cousins.
TAKEOVER AT SHOOTING GUARD
There is a changing of the guard at the top of the shooting guard rankings.
Texas signee Avery Bradley, with his athletic and skillful play on the offensive end and intense prowess on the defensive end, takes the mantle of the top shooting guard in the country. Following Bradley is Florida State signee Michael Snaer, who, like Bradley, has a complete game and has stood out in postseason all-star action.
NEW FIVE-STARS
He shed the pounds during his senior season, and now Keith Gallon rises to No. 9 in the final rankings. Always known as a highly skilled player, "Tiny" now has the stamina to put his talents to use next season at Oklahoma.
Vanderbilt signee John Jenkins led the nation in scoring at 42 points per game and expanded his scoring repertoire. He now is the No. 15 prospect.
Point guard Eric Bledsoe, who still is mulling over his college choice, starred as a senior and now is ranked No. 23. Right behind Bledsoe is Kansas signee Elijah Johnson, whose athleticism and versatility pushed him into the five-star ranks.
NEW TO THE RIVALS150
Seven prospects jumped into the final Rivals150. Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy point guard Lamont Jones has the highest-ranked debut, at No. 68. Jones transformed from an undersized shooting guard into a powerful point guard as a senior.
Hassan Whiteside made an impression this year with his play for The Patterson School in Patterson, N.C. Full of potential and headed to Marshall, the 6-foot-11 Whiteside ranks No. 87.
Creighton-bound point guard Andrew Bock stole the show at the MaxPreps tournament over the holidays, then led his Rialto (Calif.) Eisenhower team to a state championship. He joins the four-star ranks along with Jones and Whiteside.
New to the three-star section of the rankings are Jarred Shaw (Oklahoma State signee), Tim Frazier (Penn State), Jordan Swing (Western Kentucky) and Brandon Triche (Syracuse).
FOUR-STAR RISERS
Brendan Lane (UCLA), Derrick Nix (Michigan State), Darius Smith (Connecticut), Erik Murphy (Florida), Jordan Williams (Maryland) and Devin Booker (Clemson) made the move from ranked three-star prospects into the four-star category.
[rl]