Meyers Mailbag: St. Johns revival
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Could a quartet of four-star prospects coexist in a potential St. John's recruiting class?
Does Austin Rivers have a lock on the top spot in the Rivals150?
And is Louisville the leader for Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello?
National Recruiting Analyst Jerry Meyer answers these questions and more in this week's mailbag.
Who will Storm the court?
How would a quartet of Jakarr Sampson, Amir Garrett, Maurice Harkless and D'Angelo Harrison be able to coexist? Could they theoretically all play together at the same time? Thanks.
- James from Tarrytown
This foursome could definitely coexist and would comprise a tremendous recruiting class if Steven Lavin could pull it off for St. John's.
If Harrison played the point, Garrett and Harkless play the wing and Sampson the four, all four could be on the court together. But I like Harrison more as a shooting guard. Garrett could combine time at the two and the three while Sampson and Harkless play the roles of true combo forwards.
There would be plenty of playing time for all four of these prospects. Then throw in a quality big man who can control space, a pass-oriented point guard and another perimeter shooter, and you have a quality lineup.
Talking Tarczewski
Is Kaleb Tarczewski capable of making an immediate impact at the college level or will it take some time for him to become acclimated? What is his greatest definable skill on either side of the ball at this stage? Thanks.
- Kevin from Sioux City
I see no reason why Tarczewski wouldn't make an instant impact in college. As a 2012 prospect this summer, he was one of the top post players on the 17-Under circuit.
As with most freshmen, he will need to adjust to the speed and strength of the game, but that shouldn't be a drawn out process.
Tarczewski is a solid player all around and has physical and mental toughness. He isn't quite as bouncy as Cole Aldrich, but there are similarities between the two prospects.
Two aspects of Tarczewski's game that always stand out are his commitment to running the floor and his commitment to pursuing offensive rebounds. There aren't that many players with his size who can rebound outside of his area as Tarczewski does.
Austin power
Does Austin Rivers have the top spot in 2011 class locked up? If not, who else is still in the running for it and what would you have to see from them to make the change
- Alan from Augusta, Ga.
Rarely is there a lock on any ranking. John Wall would be one of those rarities. But in looking back at the tough decision to rank Rivers No. 1, I feel better and better about him being named Rivals.com's No. 1 prospect.
A true combo guard, Rivers is a high-level scorer with all the other tools to excel at either guard position.
Right behind Rivers, No. 2 ranked prospect Marquis Teague has exceptional physical tools for a dynamic point guard. An improved outside shot along with better court presence as a leader could have Teague challenging for the top spot.
If Quincy Miller developed more of an athletic burst and an ability to physically control a game, he would jump toward the top of the list.
And if LeBryan Nash were to focus on contributing in all aspects of the game and becomes a more mature player, he would be a legitimate candidate for No. 1.
Watch for Baylor
How does the verbal from Angel Nunez affect the recruitment of Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello or other prospects.
- Jeff from Louisville
The only way that his commitment affects Miller is if it affects Bello. And the commitment very well might affect Bello, who is a wing player like Nunez. The commitment of Nunez might also signal that Louisville feels less confident in its standing with Miller and Bello.
It appears as if Baylor is currently making a strong run for the pair of prospects, especially Miller. There is also talk of other schools possibly getting involved with Bello if the pair decides to go different directions in college.
Different players
Can you talk about the strengths of AAU teammates, Amile Jefferson and Savon Goodman? Who are players that they remind you of, respectively? Thank you for your time and thoughts.
- Michael from Rye
Jefferson is a finesse forward with strong ball-handling skills and a knack for scoring inside the arc. Goodman is a physical forward with strong slashing skills and powerful athleticism. Their games complement each other quite well when they share the forward positions together.
Jefferson reminds me a lot of Al-Farouq Aminu who starred at Wake Forest and is now in the NBA. Similar to Aminu when he was a high school prospect, Jefferson has a well-rounded skill set with a lot of potential but needs to gain physical strength and improve his outside shot.
Goodman reminds me of Ron Artest as a physical scorer with the mentality to knock down clutch shots. On the other side of the ball Goodman has the tools to be an imposing multidimensional defender.
Jerry Meyer is a national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. Click here to send him a question or comment for his mailbag.
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