Meyers Mailbag: ACCs best class could get better
Jerry MeyerClick Here to view this Link. is the national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. He tackles your questions in his weekly mailbag feature.
Advertisement
Previous mailbags
Got a question? Click here to send it to Meyer's Mailbag
What impact would the potential addition of James McAdoo to North Carolina's 2010 recruiting class have on its national ranking?
Is the stock of Illinois commitment Tracy Abrams on the rise?
What is the story with Ryan Arcidiacono from Pennsylvania?
These questions and more are addressed by National Recruiting Analyst Jerry Meyer in this week's mailbag.
UNC class could get better
If James McAdoo does graduate early and join the Tar Heels for next year, how much does it boost their incoming class in the rankings? Also, what does the early entry do to his ability to contribute immediately?
- Greg from Bangor
A strong argument can be made for North Carolina to move ahead of Ohio State and Memphis to No. 2 in the national team recruiting rankings if McAdoo joins North Carolina's 2010 recruiting class.
McAdoo, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the 2011 class, would be joining Harrison Barnes, the No. 2 ranked prospect in the 2010 class; Reggie Bullock, the No. 10 ranked prospect; Kendall Marshall, the No. 32-ranked prospect; and Justin Knox, who was a ranked three-star prospect out of high school.
UNC would have three top-10 recruits who can play on the court at the same time, a facilitating point guard ranked in the top 40 and a transfer with SEC playing experience.
McAdoo would certainly have more of an instant impact if he waited till the 2011-2012 season to join North Carolina, but I do feel he has the length, athleticism and game to be a major contributor in the upcoming season. It might be in his best interest to wait one more year, but it is in North Carolina's immediate interest for McAdoo to play this year.
Making a name
How much did Ryan Arcidiacono improve his stock with his performance at the TOC this weekend?
- Matt from Philadelphia
From a national perspective, Arcidiacono created his stock out of scratch last weekend. He basically went from an off-the-radar prospect to a prospect that is at least a top-50 prospect in the 2012 class.
At 6 feet 4, Arcidiacono has the shooting ability and ball-handling skills of a top-notch scoring combo guard. He will likely defend a shooting guard at the next level, but offensively he can run an offense as a point guard or run off screens as a shooting guard.
At the TOC, he was exceptional at navigating the high ball screen. He shoots the ball extremely well off the dribble and shoots it with deep range off the dribble.
Expect Arcidiacono's recruitment to take off once coaches watch him in July.
Moving up?
Given his level of play thus far on the AAU circuit, do you anticipate a move up in the rankings for Tracy Abrams?
- Brian from Wichita
I was quite impressed with Abrams at the Tournament of Champions. He creates space off the dribble in one-on-one situations and makes tough shots. He also defends at a high level and plays with a competitive zeal marked by mental and physical toughness.
He is ranked No. 54 in the Rivals150, but I do anticipate him moving up the charts.
Simply put, he is going to help Illinois win a lot of games in the future.
Best backcourt?
Do you think with Joe Jackson, Will Barton, and Jelan Kendrick all being on the same team that Memphis will have the best backcourt in college basketball this upcoming season?
- Emanuel from Memphis
That is the top backcourt comprised of three freshmen. All three of those recruits ranked in the top 20. Another impressive freshman backcourt trio belongs to North Carolina with Harrison Barnes (No. 2), Reggie Bullock (No. 10) and Kendall Marshall (No. 32).
Kentucky has an impressive duo of Brandon Knight (No. 6) and Doron Lamb (No. 21) coming to Lexington. North Carolina State also has an impressive freshman duo of Ryan Harrow (No. 19) and Lorenzo Brown (No. 36).
When looking beyond strictly first-year backcourts, Duke's talented backcourt sticks out to me. Nolan Smith has proven himself to be one of the best guards in the country. He will be joined by Seth Curry and top-five freshman Kyrie Irving. Andre Dawkins provides some quality depth as well.
Scoring machine
D'Angelo Harrison has earned some impressive offers so far (Alabama, Arizona State, Oklahoma State), but do you think with his recent breakout play on the AAU circuit that his offer list will grow even more impressive than it is now? Am I crazy, or does he have some Stephen Curry to his game?
- Greg from Hutchinson
Harrison was one of the most impressive prospects I watched this spring. He is an absolute scoring machine.
I like the Curry comparison because there is not much physically about Harrison that catches your eyes. But once the game starts, he scores bucket after bucket. He doesn't need much of a window to get a shot off, and he can score in a variety of ways.
I have no doubt that his offer list will grow dramatically once the coaches get out in July.
Jerry Meyer is a national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. Click here to send him a question or comment for his mailbag.
[rl]