Even though the Canes are only one toe deep in the shallow end of the figurative 2008-2009 swimming pool, I thought it appropriate (on the eve of Durand Scott's official press conference, no less) to look into the crystal ball and focus on the future once more. Frank Haith deserved all the praise he received for his recruiting as an assistant coach under Rick Barnes at Texas, and he has not missed a beat in continuing his own legacy as head coach in Coral Gables. While his talents as a recruiter may or may not wind up in the arrival of Scott on campus next fall (fingers crossed!), let's take a second to recognize the 2008 recruiting coups of coaches across the ACC to better prepare ourselves for what to expect from the conference this season. I'll be using Rivals rankings for the duration of the discussion, so bear with me here, because I know the rankings are far from perfect.
The ACC netted more than a few impressive new recruits across the board, with the most T.H.T.J.B.-relevant being Coach Haith's own five-star swingman DeQuan Jones - ranked the #4 small forward in the '08 class. The 6-6 Georgia native might already be one of the most athletic players in the conference; known for his highlight reel dunks and tremendous slashing abilities, Jones will be a key weapon in Coach Haith's growing arsenal. But you already knew that.
While grabbing a commitment from the #4 player at any position is never a bad thing for any recruiting class, please don't go into the season thinking Jones will win an uncontested ACC Rookie of the Year trophy. When I said the ACC freshman class was loaded, I wasn't kidding. To give you an idea, Jones (the #23 overall player in the country) happens to be the third-best freshman small forward in the ACC. You read that right: the third-best freshman small forward in the conference.
"How can that be right? The #4 overall is the #3 in conference? Does that mean...holy crap!" Holy crap indeed. This year's class is frighteningly good.
DeQuan, meet #1-ranked small forward Al-Farouq Aminu of Wake Forest. Aminu, who averaged over 22 points and 11 boards a game during his senior year at Georgia's Norcross High (alma mater of future Hurricane defensive back Prince Kent), has an older brother Alade who is in his last season on the court up at Georgia Tech. Al-Farouq had 21 points and 10 boards in the Deacons opener against NC Central as a starter, logging a team-high in minutes in the process. He'll be the main threat on the floor for the Deacons this season, and is widely regarded as the best new arrival to the ACC.
In addition to Jones and Aminu, Coach Leonard Hamilton received a commitment from yet another prize Georgia recruit - 6-8 swingman Chris Singleton, ranked the #3 small forward in the class. Singleton started and logged 29 minutes in the Seminoles unexpectedly tight win over Jacksonville (59-57), scoring 12 points and grabbing an impressive 17 boards. Expect the future Singleton - Jones showdowns to add even more intensity to the UM - FSU rivalry.
With many expecting this to be the swan-song of most (if not all) of North Carolina's terrible trio (Hansborough, Ellington, Lawson), North Carolina is rebounding in a big way for this season and beyond. Coach Roy Williams scored a commitment from Virginian 6-8 power forward Ed Davis, ranked the #4 player at his position and the #15 player overall. Davis came off the bench in the Tar Heels' 15-point victory over Pennsylvania, recording totals of 10 points and 14 rebounds in only 22 minutes. Davis figures to be teamed up in the future with #7-ranked center (and #33 overall player) and Indiana native Tyler Zeller, who started against Penn in Hansborough's absence and scored 18 points of his own. More so than his own '08 class, however, Williams is on the verge of an outrageous '09 class that includes two five-stars and three four-stars, including a set of twins from Santa Ana, CA.
What about our good friend Mike Sha-Shevsky up in Durham? Although Coach K has endured some early-round tournament exits (much to the chagrin of the rest of the college basketball world, to be sure), recent disappointment did not stop him from the successful recruitment of #3 ranked shooting guard Elliot Williams. A 6-4 Memphis native, Williams is a top-20 recruit (#16) who should immediately help make up for the loss of DeMarcus Nelson on the wing. No word yet on how Coach K plans to use Elliot (nicknamed 'e-mail') in the paint to help solve his frontcourt woes. Do stay tuned on that one.
Impressively enough, Wake Forest managed to haul in the #2 and #3 ranked centers from the '08 class in addition to the superstar Aminu. Ty Walker (NC) and Tony Woods (GA), both listed at 6-11, saw time in Wake's opener. Woods finished with 12 points on 6 for 7 shooting from the field. The Deacons will have an astounding amount of young talent on the floor this year; there's definitely something special brewing in Winston Salem.
The Best of the Rest:
- Leonard Hamilton re-stacked his roster by signing four players with a four-star ranking (in addition to the #12 overall, five-star Singleton)
- Gary Williams didn't make too big a splash with the graduation of Gist and Osby, but he was able to sign Baltimore native Sean Mosley, a 6-3 shooting guard ranked #11 in the country at his position
- It was the "Tale of Two Bergs" in Charlottesville this off-season - John Brandenburg and Sylven Landesberg are two new four-star recruits hoping to provide some hope to a barren Cavaliers roster
While Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson and NC State were especially quiet on the recruiting front this past year, the ACC certainly does not have a shortage of new conference talent. Freshmen will be playing a big role this season across the board, as some (Wake Forest) need new leaders, some (North Carolina) need replacement talent, and others (Miami, Florida State) are looking to add talent to an already solid core.
While everyone always looks forward to the conference tournament and post-season all-conference selections, this year's ACC Rookie of the Year race might be the most intriguing of them all.
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