McDonald's Nuggets: Five notable classes outside top 10
In this week’s edition of McDonald’s Nuggets, Dan McDonald discusses five classes outside the top 10 in the 2022 team recruiting rankings that impressed him. He also takes a look at another strong early addition for Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks.
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MORE: Top uncommitted 2022 prospects
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Rivals150
2024 Rankings: Top 40
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STARTING FIVE: Five impressive classes outside the top 10
When you look at recruiting class rankings, the top classes each year are generally made up of five-star recruits who make an immediate impact and then leave for the NBA. When you move down the rankings there tends to be classes that build programs for the long term. That's where I’ve found five classes that should serve as great foundations for their programs.
Let’s start with what Jim Boeheim and his staff did at Syracuse. The Orange reeled in a trio of four-star prospects and a three-star center in Peter Carey with plenty of upside as a 7-footer to man the middle of the 2-3 zone. Chris Bunch fits the mold of combo forwards that have developed into good players for Boeheim, while Justin Taylor gives them a shooter to eventually replace Buddy Boeheim. Quadir Copeland’s size (6-foot-6) and playmaking ability should get him on the court early at Syracuse. His length at the front of the zone will be the best Syracuse has had since Michael Carter-Williams.
Notre Dame needed a strong class as Mike Brey works to get the Fighting Irish back toward the top of the ACC. That’s exactly what happened with three four-star prospects inking with the program last week. J.J. Starling is a terrific point guard to build around. Ven-Allen Lubin brings a ton of toughness, versatility and production with him. To finish it off, Dominick Campbell, at 6-foot-8 with a strong frame, will be a post presence that can help immediately.
Mike White is bringing one of the best classes in the SEC to Florida with his three-man haul in the Early Signing Period. The most significant signing was winning an in-state battle with Florida State to land four-star power forward Malik Reneau. Landing Jalen Reed to go along with Reneau ensures that the Gators won’t be hurting in the frontcourt any time soon. Keeping Denzel Aberdeen home was also crucial as his size, athleticism and ability to score should give the backcourt a boost right away.
One of the most impressive recruiting jobs of this cycle has to be what Earl Grant has done in his first year at Boston College. It’s been a struggle over the past decade or so for the Eagles to attract top talent, but Grant’s staff stepped right in and landed a pair of four-star prospects to go along with a couple three-star prospects. Four-star guard Donald Hand and four-star forward Prince Aligbe should be cornerstones of Boston College’s rebuild going forward.
Recruiting rankings factor in talent, but they don’t always factor in fit. Virginia Tech under Mike Young has managed to attract talented prospects that fit in perfectly with his culture and playing style. Rodney Rice is the epitome of that as he’ll be the perfect point guard to run the Hokies offense while also creating some of his own. Virginia Tech also did well in the Carolinas, adding a talented scoring guard out of South Carolina in MJ Collins along with a 7-footer with skill in Patrick Wessler out of North Carolina.
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2023 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Jackson Shelstad to Oregon
With Dior Johnson likely to only spend a year playing for the Ducks before heading off to the NBA, Oregon needed to follow up his signing in the 2022 class with another talented point guard in the 2023 class.
Dana Altman took care of that early as Rivals150 floor general Jackson Shelstad ended his recruitment this week in favor of the Ducks. Shelstad had recently trimmed his list down to three, with Gonzaga and UCLA being the other two schools. Fending off two West Coast powers to keep a top prospect home is another significant recruiting win for Oregon under Altman.