10/1/2008 football Edit

Weekly Wrap: IU filling its future roster

Justin Young

Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Senior Writer

POLL: Your pick for commitment of the week | Indiana climbs in team rankings

It was a rather quiet week in the basketball recruiting world. Because of that, there are few changes in the team rankings.

Who else committed over the last seven days?

Rivals.com's Justin Young looks back in his Weekly Wrap-up.

FEW SHAKE-UPS IN TEAM RANKINGS

Indiana continues to climb up the team rankings. The Hoosiers landed Rivals150 center Bawa Muniru. With his addition, the team climbs to the third overall spot in the team rankings.

The 6-foot-11 post gives the Hoosiers six players in the class. Muniru is one of the top-15 centers in the senior class and gives Tom Crean a big, physical presence inside the paint. Indiana was previously ranked No. 5 in the team rankings.

Arizona split ways with Duncanville (Texas) point guard Reger Dowell, shrinking the Wildcats class to three players.

Because of the loss of the Rivals150 prospect, Arizona drops down to No. 5 overall in the team rankings.

HIGH-MAJORS ADD KEY PLAYERS

Georgetown has proven it can flex its recruiting muscle around the Washington D.C. area. The Hoyas struck again when Markel Starks of Georgetown Prep pledged to the school. The top-six point guard from the class of 2010 hails from the same school that produced Roy Hibbert.

COMMITMENT OF THE WEEK

It may be an urban legend. It may not be. But those that are close to the Minnesota program and have been inside Tubby Smith's office have seen the pictures of Royce White and Rodney Williams sitting on his desk next to those of the Smith family.

At least that is how the story goes.

The pictures were either a good-luck charm or an extra boost of motivation. Whatever the case, Smith landed both players. Williams, a 6-foot-5 athlete from New Hope (Minn.) Robbinsdale, officially committed to the Gophers on Sunday night.

With Williams now on board, Minnesota makes a debut in the top 20 team rankings. The Gophers landed California point guard Justin Cobbs last week. Smith's three-man class debuts at No. 17 overall this week. The class marks the second straight year Minnesota reeled in a nationally ranked recruiting class.

Williams, a top-100 prospect, is one of the top athletes in the class and one of the top players in Minnesota. Williams and White, a five-star prospect and the nation's second best wing, formed one of the best 1-2 punches on the AAU circuit with the Howard Pulley AAU program.

BYU picked up a commitment from Tyler Haws, a Rivals150 player from Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is a major score for the Cougars. Haws is the best player to commit to the program since Lee Cummard in 2004.

Maryland has always had a rugged and athletic forward that causes problems around the basket. The Terps found another big man to play that role in Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln forward James Padgett. The three-star forward is the first player in the class of 2009 to commit to Gary Williams.

Already boasting the nation's 15th best recruiting class, Pittsburgh added another important player to its group. Talib Zanna of Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara said he will play for the Panthers.

Alec Burks of Grandview (Mo.) previously narrowed down his recruitment to Kansas State and Colorado and chose the Buffaloes this week.

Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt forward Cody Larson, a class of 2010 prospect, visited Iowa unofficially and went home a committed player last weekend. He is the second player to commit to the Hawkeyes in the 2010 class.

Arizona State has locked up another underclassman. The Sun Devils landed a commitment from Josiah Turner, a 2011 point guard from Sacramento (Calif.) High School. ASU secured a pledge from Corey Hawkins earlier in the month.