Stanford talent tops the Pac-10
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The Pac-10 only has two nationally ranked recruiting classes. At No. 9 nationally, Stanford has the top class in the Pac-10. Five-star big man Dwight Powell, who is loaded with potential, highlights the five-man class. UCLA, the No. 2 team in the Pac-10, only has two recruits, but Josh Smith and Tyler Lamb are two of the top West Coast players in the 2010 class. Just missing a national ranking, California has a quality four-man class. Arizona State landed five-star prospect Keala King, and Arizona secured four-star shooting guard Daniel Bejarano just prior to the early signing period.
Points from the perimeter
A high percentage of the ranked prospects entering the Pac-10 are high scoring perimeter players. The highest ranked perimeter player Keala King, who is a versatile playmaker on both ends of the court, is an exception. But four of the five four-star prospects are scoring-oriented perimeter players, and four of the five ranked three-star prospects are scoring-oriented perimeter players.
Five-star breakdown
The three highest ranked prospects entering the Pac-10 next year are Josh Smith (No. 19), Dwight Powell (No. 23) and Keala King (No. 25). Smith is a huge inside presence at 6 feet 10, and 270 pounds. He has good feet and soft hands. The key for his success in college will be determined by the level of his conditioning and intensity. Powell is an athletic 6-foot-9, 215-pound power forward whose stock is on the rise. He had a strong summer on the travel circuit, and his upside is quite intriguing. King is a do-everything guard at 6 feet 5, and 200 pounds. The lefty is a great open-court passer, strong defender and rebounder and has a crafty scoring game around the rim.
Washington's prized recruit
Washington recruit Enes Kanter is widely regarded as the top NBA prospect out of the 2010 Pac-10 recruiting class. Kanter came to the United States after the post-summer rankings and has not yet been directly scouted by Rivals.com. Therefore, he has been designated a five-star prospect but does not yet have a ranking in the Rivals150. He was limited to "Best Pro Prospect" and "Impact Player" in the Best of the Pac-10, and was left out of the "Top Dogs," which rank the best at each position.
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