February 26, 2012

Rivals.com recruiting staff
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting

1. Nerlens Noel
School: Tilton (N.H.) School
The Buzz: A top-three player in the class of 2013, the 6-foot-10 shot-blocking machine has announced he will move back to his natural class of 2012. The Boston-area native will be in the discussion for the overall top spot in the final 2012 Rivals150.

2. Melvin Johnson
School: Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict's
The Buzz: His previous high school (Rice in New York) closed down but the Miami-bound shooting guard has made an easy transition. He's got one of the better mid-range games in the country and is a scorer cut out of the mold of Missouri's Marcus Denmon.

3. Anrio Adams
School: Seattle (Wash.) Rainier Beach
The Buzz: Adams lost much of his junior year to transferring around and fell out of the 2012 Rivals150 due to questions about which class he would end up in. Now firmly back in the class of 2012, the Kansas verbal has had a strong senior year and is on pace to make it back into the rankings.

4. Daniel Dingle
School: Bronx (N.Y.) St. Raymond's
The Buzz: Temple has gotten itself a productive player who doesn't just put points and rebounds on the board, he leads. A physical player who does a little bit of everything, he's similar to Michigan State senior Draymond Green.

5. Josh Gray
School: Houston (Texas) Wheatley
The Buzz: The Mississippi State signee had a huge senior season. He's an athletic driver who loves to create off the dribble and is equally dangerous as a scorer and setup man.

6. Jordan Burgess
School: Richmond (Va.) Benedictine
The Buzz: Headed to VCU, Burgess looks to be a heck of a get for Shaka Smart and has staff. The wing has excellent size, good all-around skill and is a competitor with a great motor.

7. Carlos Morris
School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Arlington Country Day
The Buzz: One of the better unsigned wings in the country, Morris is a potentially explosive offensive player. He can shoot from deep, has strength to finish at the rim and has a short memory that allows him to keep shooting.

8. Fred Van Vleet
School: Rockford (Ill.) Auburn
The Buzz: Signed to play at Wichita State, Van Vleet is one of the top mid-major signees in the country. He's not going to blow anybody away with athleticism, but his savvy, smarts and feel are off the charts. He should be a more than adequate replacement for Joe Ragland.

9. Anthony Cortesia
School: Montverde (Fla.) Academy
The Buzz: The thin 6-foot-8 senior showed significant improvement under coach Kevin Boyle. Signed with Ole Miss, Cortesia is a combo forward who likes to face up and bomb away jumpers from deep.

10. Michael Qualls
School: Shreveport (La.) Huntington
The Buzz: One of the most electric wing athletes in the country, Qualls has really blossomed as a senior. At 6-5, he attacks the rim for slams in transition and has really improved his ability to produce in a halfcourt setting because of upgraded ball-handling and shooting.