#3 NCAA Basketball Recruiting Class of All Time – 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State had the best recruiting class in school history in 2006 in Greg Oden, Daequen Cook, David Lighty, Mike Conley, Jr, and Othello Hunter with Conley coming in as the 4th rated player of the group. If we weren’t in the era of one or two years and done by the best players, then this class would likely have been battling North Carolina for the 2009 NCAA Title this past season. Unfortunately that is not the case, so Buckeye’s fans are left with ‘what might have been.”
The Kentucky Wildcats had one of the greatest three year runs of all time in men’s college basketball from 1996-1998, winning two national titles and coming in second place in 1997. The 1993 recruiting classes was one of the core classes that helped the Cats overtake the Tar Heels in overall number of program victories and take sole posession of 2nd place in overall number of national titles. Derek Anderson, Anthony Epps, and Jeff Sheppard were the nucleus behind two of the three teams that made the mid-90′s run by the Wildcats. Although not quite as flashy as other recruiting classes, their measure is based on their overall contribution to the team accomplishment.
#5 NCAA Basketball Recruiting Class of All Time – 1991 Michigan WolverinesThe 1991 Michigan Wolverines were one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time. The five stars of the class were: Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson with Webber, Howard, Rose, and King all being 1991 McDonald’s All-Americans. The Fab Five made the NCAA finals both their freshman and solphomore years losing in the final game. Chris Webber went pro after his sophomore year, and Howard and Rose took Michigan to the Elite Eight the next season.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari
Trying to determine the best NCAA basketball recruiting class of all time is similar to arguing about the best World Series team or top Super Bowl champion of all time. Every year’s top class has to be looked at in context against the remainder of the competition for that year. You just don’t know when the 4th or 5th best player in a class would have been the best player in a subsequent year. John Calipari, however, may have signed the single-best NCAA basketball recruiting class of all time this year at Kentucky. You just don’t see many teams landing four top 25 and five top 50 recruits in a given class, but Coach Cal has done just that making the Kentucky Wildcats one of the favorites for the 2009-10 NCAA title.
Top Five NCAA Basketball Recruiting Classes of All Time
#1 NCAA Basketball Recruiting Class of All Time – 2009 Kentucky Wildcats
No one argues that the 2009 Kentucky Wildcat basketball recruiting class is the hands-down best in college basketball. For whatever reason, we just didn’t hear as much buzz about the Memphis recruits who followed Coach Cal until he migrated north. As far as best of all time, we’ll just have to wait and see how the team performs in the 2009-10 season and how many of the players end up playing professional basketball. The recruits that have signed with Kentucky for 2009 are:
- John Wall, #1 2009 NCAA Basketball Recruit, Point Guard
- Demarcus Cousins, #2 2009 NCAA Basketball Recruit, Power Forward
- Daniel Orton, #22 2009 NCAA Basketball Recruit, Center
- Eric Bledsoe, #23 2009 NCAA Basketball Recruit, Point Guard
- Jon Hood, #40 2009 NCAA Basketball Recruit, Shooting Guard
- Darnell Dodson, 4 Star JUCO Transfer from Miami Dade Community College, Small Forward.
#2 NCAA Basketball Recruiting Class of All Time – 1997 Duke Blue Devils Coach Krzyzewki’s 1997 class had three top 10 players with Elton Brand, Shane Battier, and Chris Burgess to go with point guard Will Avery. The 1997 Duke class would lose to the Huskies in the 1999 NCAA championship game after which Coach K would see Elton Brand and Will Avery would go on to play in the NBA. Battier would stay through all four years of his eligibility and keep the Blue Devils as persistent final four contenders throughout his time at Duke.
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About Will Harney
Will is the admin of the site. A life-long college basketball fan who appreciates quality basketball played anywhere in the country, he works to bring the latest college basketball schedule and tournament information to sports fans.
