Three major recruiting services are considered the authority on evaluating the talent of top high school and junior college players. If your play earns the attention of Rivals.com, Scout.com or ESPN's recruiting website, chances are you'll be playing college basketball at some level. Rivals and Scout rank players based on a five-star system. ESPN rates players on a 1-100 scale (they didn't start using stars at all until 2010). However, a player's ranking doesn't always determine their own or their team's future success. Of the following 12 players, only one had a five-star rating, and that was from only one of the three recruiting services.
Louisville Cardinals
Russ Smith - South Kent School (South Kent, CT)
Peyton Siva - Franklin High School (Seattle, WA)
Gorgui Dieng - Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV)
Michigan Wolverines
Trey Burke - Northland High School (Columbus, OH)
Mitch McGary - Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH)
Tim Hardaway Jr. - Miami Palmetto High School (Pinecrest, FL)
Syracuse Orange
Michael Carter Williams - St. Andrews School (Barrington, RI)
James Southerland - Notre Dame Preparatory School (Fitchburg, MA)
C.J. Fair - Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH)
Wichita State Shockers
Malcolm Armstead - Chipola Junior College (Marianna, FL)
Cleanthony Early - Sullivan County Community College (Loch Sheldrake, NY)
Ron Baker - Scott City High School (Scott City, KS)
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Wildcats 2012 recruiting class looked like this:
