Top 10 classes of one-and-done era

Back in 2005, the NBA ruled that it would no longer draft players straight out of high school. Beginning with a 2006 class that starred Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, the rule gave birth to one-and-done era of college basketball. That era has since evolved to a point where the 2015 NBA Draft saw 14 players just one year removed from high school drafted in the first round.

Since one-and-done became the norm, nobody has embraced it more than Kentucky's John Calipari. More recently, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has embraced the trend. Counting the 2016 class, Calipari has now landed the top recruiting class seven of eight years since arriving in Lexington from Memphis. The year he didn't have the top class, 2014, Duke did and it resulted in a national title.

So, which class of the one-and-done era is the best? How do we judge them? We took a look at the top-ranked classes from the past 11 years and ranked the top 10 based on a combination of average player ranking, college success, NBA success and in the case of Kentucky and Duke's 2016 classes, predicted success.

1. Kentucky 2011

Average ranking: 8

College Success: Though a few holdovers from the class of 2010 like Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb played a large part in helping Kentucky win the 2012 title, the 2011 class was the first of the one-and-done era to win a title as freshmen. Anthony Davis (right), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague, ranked No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 coming out of high school, backed up the hype being the top-ranked recruiting class. The lone remaining college player from the class, Kyle Wiltjer, is a preseason All-America at Gonzaga.

In the NBA: In the 2012 draft, Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist went No. 1 and No. 2 and have enjoyed success. Davis is one of the league's top five players while Kidd-Gilchrist signed a four-year, $52 million extension prior to the 2015-16 season. A shoulder injury will cost MKG the season, but he was well on his way to establishing himself as a top-end two-way player, while Teague is hoping to find his way back to the NBA.

2. Duke 2014

Average ranking: 12

College Success: Featuring the No. 1 player in 2014 in center Jahlil Okafor (right), Duke became the second team built around a No.1 class of one-and-done players to win the national title in their first year. Point Tyus Jones ranked No. 7 overall, small forward Justise Winslow was No. 12 while guard Grayson Allen ranked No. 28 overall.

In the NBA: A top-five pick, Okafor is averaging 18.4 points and eight rebounds for Philadelphia. Fellow lottery pick Winslow is already logging more than 28 minutes per game in Miami. Another first-round pick, Jones is trying to break into the rotation in Minnesota.

3. Kentucky 2016

Average ranking: 12.2

College Success: It will be awhile until we truly know how good the Wildcats' haul of five five-stars turns out to be. However, they are the top-ranked recruiting class in a class that may be the best since the dynamic high school class of 2007 saw 23 five-star players find their way to the NBA.

In the NBA: These guys haven't even hit college yet, but NBA teams have already asked Rivals.com about De'Aaron Fox (right), Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones.

4. Kentucky 2009

Average ranking: 17.6

College Success: At the college level, Kentucky's 2009 was the least successful of the No. 1 ranked recruiting classes that made this list. However, the group featured the No. 1 and No. 2 players in John Wall (right) and DeMarcus Cousins as well as five-stars Daniel Orton and Eric Bledsoe.

In the NBA: All four five-stars in this class were first-round draft picks after one year and Wall, Cousins and Bledsoe have developed into all-star level/max contract players in the NBA. It's the pro success of the 2009 class that allows it to rank so highly.

5. Duke 2016

Average ranking: 13.75

College Success: Just as we have with Kentucky's 2016 class, we are projecting success. In power forward Harry Giles (right) and small forward Jayson Tatum, the Blue Devils have landed the No. 2 and No. 3 players. Additionally, combo guard Frank Jackson is a top 10 player.

In the NBA: It's too early to tell, but NBA teams are certainly familiarizing themselves with this Duke group early.

6. North Carolina 2006

Average ranking: 39.6

College Success: The Tar Heels six-man class has the lowest average player ranking, but it featured three top-10 players in power forward Brandan Wright (right) and guards Tywon Lawson and Wayne Ellington. Wright was gone after a year but the rest of the class was key in UNC going to the 2008 Final Four and winning the national championship in 2009.

In the NBA: Though the class hasn't produced any true stars, all three of the Heels' top five-star prospects from the class are still active in the NBA and Lawson has been the most productive averaging just under 15 points and seven assists through his first six seasons.

7. Kentucky 2010

Average ranking: 15.2

College Success: The highest-ranked of the four five-star prospects in the class at No. 3 overall, Enes Kanter, never actually played at UK due to the NCAA ruling him ineligible. But, point guard Brandon Knight (right) helped the Wildcats to a Final Four in 2011 and the previously mentioned Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb hung around another year to help the 2011 class win the 2012 title.

In the NBA: Knight has emerged as a near all-star level point guard in Phoenix (where he plays with three other one-and-done guards from Kentucky) and Kanter has a near NBA max contract in Oklahoma City. Jones is an effective player in Houston while Lamb is no longer in the NBA after just 100 career games.

8. Ohio State 2006

Average ranking: 17

College Success: The 2006 class was the first of the one-and-done era and the Buckeyes' haul rated second overall after North Carolina. Led by the nation's No. 1 player, Greg Oden (right), along with five-stars Daequan Cook and Mike Conley, the class made it all the way to the national championship game, losing to Florida.

In the NBA: Oden, Conley and Cook all left for the NBA after their freshman seasons and were drafted Nos. 1, 4 and 21, respectively. Injuries prevented Oden from becoming the generational type big he'd been projected to be and Cook is out of the league after 328 games. Conley, though, has been quite successful and is in his eighth year in the NBA.

9. Kentucky 2014

Average ranking: 17

College Success: Featuring four five-star prospects led by big man Karl-Anthony Towns (right), this Kentucky class completed an undefeated regular season before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. Only point guard Tyler Ulis remains in college.

In the NBA: Towns was the No. 1 pick of the 2015 draft and is among the early favorites for rookie of the year while averaging 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds through the first 14 games of the season. The youngest player in the NBA, shooting guard Devin Booker is shooting better than 50 percent from the field and earning minutes in Phoenix while Trey Lyles is playing for the Utah Jazz.

10. Kentucky 2013

Average ranking: 24

College Success: The only class to feature six five-star players, members of the Wildcats' 2013 class helped to lead them to the national championship game in 2014 and the Final Four in 2015. Power forward Marcus Lee (right) is the only one of those six players who remains in Lexington.

In the NBA: Ranked No. 2 overall coming out of high school, Julius Randle is currently the most successful. He's averaging 11.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the Lakers after missing all but 14 minutes of his rookie season due to a broken leg. A first-round pick in 2014, James Young appeared in 31 games for the Celtics as a rookie but has only logged 49 seconds in his second year. Andrew Harrison was acquired as a second-round pick by the Grizzlies in 2015 while his twin brother Aaron Harrison was picked up by the Hornets. Dakari Johnson is playing in the NBDL.

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