Top 10 High School Basketball Recruits Who Could Skip College


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Top 10 High School Basketball Recruits Who Could Skip College

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US PRESSWIRE- Evan Habeeb

The young basketball talent in this country has never been better. Kevin Durant is still college aged, LeBron James is just entering his prime, and there are a slew of talented young players like Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, and James Harden waiting in the wings for their shot.

But there is major talent right now at the high school level as well. Are there 10 who could make a legitimate leap straight from high school to the NBA? I think so; not all of them would be stars in the league, but there are definitely some good NBA starters and role players down in the high school ranks.

Jabari Parker has been called the best high school basketball player since LeBron James, and he will definitely make an appearance on this list. There are a few players from Texas here as well, and I’ll give you a hint to guess two of them. They’re twins. If that doesn’t give it away, how about you can see them next year in Lexington, Kentucky.

The list is mostly high school prospects in the class of 2013, because they have developed a bit more than the class below them, but there are three members of the 2014 class who I think could contribute at the NBA level without going to college.

As the rules currently stand though, all of these young men have to wait until a year after high school to declare for the draft, so they might as well try to go get themselves a national championship. So you will see many on this list are going to Kentucky or considering it. The top 2 players on this list are undeclared however and they will make large splashes on whatever team they end up on.

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10. Jahlil Okafor-

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US PRESSWIRE- Anthony Gruppuso

It must be admitted that pedigree matters on this list. Okafor and a few other members of this top 10 have family who have been in the NBA. Families that already know the ins-and-outs of the pro basketball world can help their transition; this will make Okafor’s transition to the NBA a bit smoother as he has a cousin currently on the Washington Wizards.

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9. Anthony Barber-

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US PRESSWIRE- Evan Habeeb

The more I watch tape of this kid the more I like him. The “Cat” recently revealed in an interview that it’s his job to hate Duke now. Even though he grew up a Blue Devils fan, Coach K spurned Barber in recruiting for some reason. The Blue Devils may come to regret not offering Barber a scholarship if NC State is knocking Duke out of the NCAA tournament “Derrick Williams”- style.

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8. Tyus Jones-

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US PRESSWIRE- Bryan Spurlock

I cannot wait to watch this kid live on TV. Every video I’ve seen of him he looks so balanced with such a terrifying combination of speed and otherworldly ball handling ability. My gut really wants him to go to North Carolina, because his skill set fits Roy Williams offensive style more than any player in the 2014 class.

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7. Karl Towns-

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US PRESSWIRE- Mark Zerof

Towns recently reclassified as a 2014 recruit and announced this when he decided on Kentucky as his college choice. Calipari coached him on the Dominican National team, so it will be a quick transition for him to the Wildcats.

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6. Julius Randle-

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US PRESSWIRE- Melina Vastola

Randle has an NBA ready body and motor. He will need to develop his jump shooting to be a pro player even though he already has an NBA player’s drive to the hoop. He is currently undecided on where he will play college ball.

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5. Andrew Harrison-

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US PRESSWIRE- Mark Zerof

Andrew is the top ranked point guard in his class. He is 6-foot-5, which will certainly help him at the next level. He is equally good at getting his teammate’s an open look or creating offense himself. Him and his twin brother Aaron will make big things happen in Lexington next year.

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4. Aaron Harrison-

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US PRESSWIRE- Bryan Spurlock

Harrison might be the top scorer in the entire class. He has range beyond the 3-point line, but also always seem to be in attack-the-rim mode. His game reminds me a bit of Eric Gordon.

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3. Aaron Gordon-

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US PRESSWIRE- Casey Sapio

A versatile and unique four-man, Gordon is a very good defender, who has special rebounding and can push the fast-break better than any other PF in this class. He also has a nice mid-range game, but can’t quite extend the defense to the 3-point line. Gordon is still considering Arizona, Washington, and Kentucky.

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2. Andrew Wiggins-

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US PRESSWIRE- Rob Kinnan

One of the reasons I don’t have Wiggins at no. 1 is because of his current strength level. He will need to really hit the weights his freshman year, but his outside shooting, athleticism, and 7 foot wingspan give him big upside at the next level. I see him ending up at North Carolina, but his father went to FSU so they could be a wildcard.

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1. Jabari Parker-

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US PRESSWIRE- Mark L. Baer

Parker has been my favorite player in the 2013 class for some time and I think he will transition incredibly smoothly to the NBA. I believe he is a future franchise player and having a dad who played in the NBA certainly doesn’t hurt, but Parker’s game is smooth like George Gervin and I can’t wait to see him suit up in an NBA uniform.


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