Top 15 High School Basketball Recruits for Class of 2013

Top 15 High School Players Class of 2013

The basketball recruiting class of 2013 still has many top ranked recruits still deciding where they will attend college. There are a couple of brothers who will make their way to Lexington, KY next fall as well as some highly touted West Coast recruits.

I had the opportunity to interview the top ranked player on this list last July at the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards. There are many recruits who hail from Texas, California, the South, Chicago, and even Virginia(my home state) as well. Kentucky has fared well so far, but there are plenty of recruits still uncommitted and anything can happen.

This list is by no means final for the class, and we will continue to examine this class of recruits as the year goes on. You will no doubt see many of these players on the McDonald’s All American Team at the end of the year and they will be some of college basketball’s best players next year.

Billy Donovan and Florida have a solid class that should compete with Kentucky for the best recruiting class, but some other schools like N.C. State have scooped up gems in the top 15 as well. Many of the recruit rankings have the list of top 5 recruits in some different order, but this is the order that I think they will have the biggest impact in college hoops next year.

Have any questions or critiques of my list? Feel free to Rant about below or you can follow my twitter account: @ALLDAVE_ALLDAY

15. Marcus Lee (Antioch, CA)-

Lee is one of the best shot blocking Centers in the class. He has high upside as a result of his great athleticism and length. He is still a project offensively and needs to improve his footwork. At 6’9” 220 lbs, he could also put on a bit more muscle, but he could develop into one of the college game’s best centers. He has gotten interest from California, Kentucky, and Louisville and reported “loved” his most recent visit with Rick Pitino. It would definitely be intriguing to see how Pitino could develop Lee’s game and I’m sure Pitino would love to stick it to his rival John Calipari as well.

14. Bobby Portis (Little Rock, AR)-

Portis is the 6th ranked PF by Scout.com out of Little Rock, Arkansas and he will be attending college close to home at the University of Arkansas. He is an elite rebounder who can score down low as well. His length at 6’8” will make him a force in the SEC and Arkansas beat out the likes of Baylor, Florida and Memphis for his services.

13. Isaac Hamilton (Los Angeles, CA)

The shooting guard out of St. John Bosco High School already has elite scoring skills. He scores like he breathes; he can attack the basket and has an excellent mid-range game as well. He needs to improve his strength at the next level, because at 6’4” 175 lbs. he could get pushed around by some of the larger guards. He is undeclared, but has offers from Baylor, SDSU, UNLV, UTEP, and Washington. I expect Hamilton to stay close to home, but he could end up in Texas as well.

12. Robert Hubbs (Newbern, TN)-

SG Hubbs is a Tennesse native and won’t be going far from home for school. He can score around the basket, because of his long wingspan and solid frame. For a shooting guard, he loves to grab offensive boards and even has a bit of a low-post game. He needs to improve his 3-point shooting to be elite at the next level, but the Volunteers will be happy to have him next year.

11. Isaiah Hicks (Oxford, NC)

The PF out of J. F. Webb High School runs the floor extremely well, blocks shots, rebounds, and has a decent mid-range game to boot. He will be attending UNC and is a perfect fit for Roy Williams’ up-tempo system. He currently stands at 6’8” 210 lbs., and needs to put on a bit more weight. My prediction is that he will flourish under Williams, and we will be seeing him in the pros one day.

10. Jarrell Martin (Baton Rouge, LA)-

Martin is taking his time with recruiting and still has 11 teams vying for his services. Martin has a great outside shot, can run the floor and throw down alley-oops too. His game reminds me a bit of a taller, more focused, J.R. Smith. My guess is Martin ends up at LSU and gives the SEC fits for as long as he stays in school.

9. Anthony Barber (Hampton, VA)

Barber is probably the fastest end to end point guard in the class. He needs to improve his 3-point shooting, but he definitely wins the honorary Brandon Jennings award for best hair cut in the class. He will be attending N.C. State, where I predict he will make State a force in the ACC and put them right up there with Duke and North Carolina.

8. James Young (Rochester Hills, MI)-

James Young is one of the top all around scorers in the 2013 class. The Small Forward is 6-foot-5, has good size, and is an impressive athlete. He has a consistent jumpshot and can attack the basket as well. He still needs to improve his ballhandling , but I expect him to be a McDonald’s All American at the end of the year. He has a high level of interest in Kentucky, but has not committed yet.

7. Kasey Hill (Clermont, FL)

Kasey might be the best pure point guard in the class, but he is a legit scorer too. He has a high basketball IQ and plays with amazing pace. He always looks in control on the court. He will be attending the University of Florida and Billy Donovan will be lucky to have him.

6. Chris Walker (Bonifay, FL)

Another Florida commit lands just out of my top 5 rankings. Between Hill and Walker, Billy Donovan already has a solid class coming to help him out next year. Walker’s rise through the rankings has been swift, because he has grown to 6’10” without losing his mobility. It reminds me a bit of how Anthony Davis rose his Junior Year. Walker runs the floor with the best and is also an impressive rebounder. He needs to improve his scoring touch, but the ceiling is quite high for this young man.

5. Aaron Gordon (San Jose, CA)

Gordon is a versatile PF in the class of 2013. An excellent defender and rebounder, he also knows how to push the fast break. His strong frame will make him an excellent pick and roll option, but he could improve his range a bit more. Gordon is looking to play either at Arizona or Washington.

4. Aaron Harrison (Richmond, TX)

The top ranked SG in the class, Harrison is hardnosed and competitive. At 6’5”, he has great size for a guard and can score in bunches. He is always in attack mode, can finish at the rim, and is a superb outside shooter. He could improve his midrange game, but he and his brother will be an excellent addition to John Calipari’s team in Kentucky.

3. Andrew Harrison (Richmond, TX)

Harrison is one of the most versatile point guards seen in a while. He has great size for the position, which will allow him to pass over the top of many opponents. As tough and competitive as his brother, it will be amazing to watch the two brothers go to work in Lexington. You won’t hear John Calipari complaining any time soon.

2. Julius Randle (Plano, TX)-

Randle might be the best low post scorer in the class of 2013, but he needs to improve his 3-point range and mid-range game. Randle has all of the intangibles to develop into a defensive and rebounding phenom; he is also the premiere athlete in the class as well. He is currently uncommitted, but has interest and offers from Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, and Texas. Most recently, he visited Florida on October 6th. He is ranked #1 by Rivals, but I have him slightly behind my frontrunner for the class of 2013.

1. Jabari Parker (Chicago, IL)–

Jabari Parker is quite the anomaly. An African American Mormon. The #1 ranked basketball player in his class, but also a standout student, and according to SI, “the best high school basketball player since LeBron James”. He is a blue chip recruit, who is still legitimately considering attending Brigham Young University (for reasons see Mormon reference above). Parker has led Simeon Academy to 3 straight Illinois State Championships and will try to make it 4 in a row this year. He recently cut his list of schools down to 5: BYU, Duke, Florida, Michigan State, and Stanford. I think he ends up at Michigan State, because his down to earth personality fits Mike Izzo’s style and he also strikes me as the type of kid who would prefer to stay nearer to home. That’s just my guess, but any one of those 5 schools would be lucky to have him. If he ends up at BYU, then if you thought Jimmer-mania was crazy, wait for the reaction of the Cougar faithful.