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Article assessing if this is MU's top class ever
Posted on: May 24, 2017 at 12:31:26 CT
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http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/has-martin-signed-mizzou-s-best-class-ever/article_26bd1e88-c082-5033-ac5c-ddcd1485d3ff.html
Missouri’s basketball recruiting class was already considered the top-rated group the program has produced in a generation, but with the possible addition of five-star forward Jontay Porter, Cuonzo Martin’s first collection of newcomers could join a class of its own.
Before we compare the Class of 2017 with those from Mizzou’s past, let’s recap where the class stands, using 247Sports.com’s composite ratings, which compute all the recruiting outlet’s rankings into one number.
• Michael Porter Jr.: 5 stars, No. 1 player overall, No. 1 small forward. He's the headliner, for obvious reasons. A transcendent player, the 6-10 Porter is widely considered the top NBA draft prospect for 2018 and would probably be a top pick in this year's draft. The former Washington signee could be the SEC preseason player of the year.
• Jeremiah Tilmon: 4 stars, No. 40 player overall, No. 9 power forward. The former Illinois signee should give the Tigers an instant physical presence inside. He's the first four-star St. Louis area high school prospect to choose Mizzou since Kalen Grimes 13 years ago.
• Blake Harris: 4 stars, No. 119 player overall, No. 25 point guard. Another former Washington signee, Harris adds instant depth to the point guard position and could challenge junior Terrence Phillips for minutes at the point.
• C.J. Roberts: 4 stars, No. 169 player overall, No. 33 point guard. More of a combo guard, the class' lone addition who signed under Kim Anderson could develop into a scoring threat from the perimeter while offering ballhandling skills.
Then there’s 2018 recruit Jontay Porter, who has committed to Mizzou and gave some strong signals that he’ll reclassify and enroll at MU this summer but hasn’t officially made that announcement. He’s rated the No. 18 player overall and No. 6 power forward. A budding stretch four who can protect the rim and float outside to stretch defenses, Porter continues to develop his skills.
The class also includes Canisius College graduate transfer Kassius Robertson, a double-digit scorer and 3-point specialist who has one year of eligibility at Mizzou but doesn’t figure into the national rankings.
Without Jontay Porter, Mizzou’s class ranks No. 7 nationally. Add the No. 18 player for next year’s class — Rivals.com has him even higher at No. 10 — and the Tigers could eclipse No. 6 Alabama or No. 5 Texas and inch closer to UCLA at No. 4 or Arizona at No. 3. (Using 247Sport’s Class Calculator tool, if Mizzou were to add this year’s No. 18 recruit, currently uncommitted forward Brian Bowen, the class would climb to No. 4, just fractions of a point behind Arizona at 3.)
Recruiting class rankings are just that, numbers affixed to a class months before the first ball of the season is tipped. But where would Mizzou’s class rank in historical context with other Mizzou classes? The data collected by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com only goes back to the early 2000s. In terms of classes that predate the data, you can’t have a discussion about Mizzou’s best classes without mentioning these:
1979: STIPO AND SUNDVOLD
Norm Stewart signed the state’s two best players, elite big man Steve Stipanovich from De Smet and Blue Springs guard Jon Sundvold, two players who would lead the Tigers to four straight Big Eight championships and have their jerseys hanging from the rafters of the Hearnes Center.
1984: CHIEVOUS AND HARDY
Mizzou went to New York City to land prolific scorer Derrick Chievous, who left the school four years later as the program’s all-time points leader. Point guard Lynn Hardy, one of the first imports from Mizzou’s Detroit pipeline, also joined the team that year.
1987: SMITH AND IRVIN
Doug Smith, a future All-American and NBA lottery pick, headlined the 1987 class, while the Tigers also added two transfers, Byron Irvin from Arkansas and John McIntyre from Detroit.
1990: CRUDUP AND BOOKER
The nucleus of a future Big Eight championship team came along in 1990: Jevon Crudup, future Big Eight player of the year Melvin Booker, Reggie Smith, Jed Frost and Lamont Frazier.
1993: FIVE CORE PLAYERS
Five more core players arrived to give Stewart a deeper bench for the 1994 undefeated run through the Big Eight: Kelly Thames, Jason Sutherland and Derrick Grimm, along with midseason addition Paul O’Liney and SLU transfer Julian Winfield.
1998: DOOLING AND GILBERT
Stewart’s final recruiting class included two Florida pals, electric guard Keyon Dooling and prolific shooter Clarence Gilbert.
2000: DETROIT DUO
After his first year on the job Quin Snyder created a buzz with four high-profile signees in a class that ranked No. 11 by ESPN: Detroit tandem Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding, McDonald’s All-American big man Travon Bryant and California point guard Wesley Stokes.
Now here are the top four classes as rated by 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. Junior college transfers are rated among other junior college transfers.
2003: NO. 14
Linas Kleiza: 5 stars, No. 14 overall, No. 5 power forward
Thomas Gardner: 4 stars, No. 32 overall, No. 8 shooting guard
Spencer Laurie: 3 stars, No. 245 overall, No. 47 point guard
Randy Pulley (juco): 3 stars, No. 55 overall juco, No. 9 point guard
Class notes: In 2003, VMI transfer Jason Conley, the nation’s leading scorer in 2001-02, also became eligible to play for MU. Kleiza was done at MU after two years and became a first-round NBA draft pick. Gardner left the Tigers after a strong junior season but went undrafted. Laurie transferred to Missouri State. Pulley, a former SLU guard, appeared in just 11 games for the Tigers.
2004: NO. 11
Marshall Brown: 4 stars, No. 41 overall, No. 7 small forward
Jason Horton: 4 stars, No. 65 overall, No. 14 point guard
Kalen Grimes: 4 stars, No. 68 overall, No. 16 power forward
Glen Dandridge: 4 stars, No. 88 overall, No. 19 small forward
Horton and Brown played all four years at MU, though saw their roles and production diminish after the coaching change to Mike Anderson. Grimes was dismissed from the team after an arrest but later graduated from MU. Dandridge was out after three years and transferred to Lambuth.
2010: NO. 14
Tony Mitchell: 5 stars, No. 16 overall, No. 4 small forward
Phil Pressey: 4 stars, No. 48 overall, No. 13 point guard
Kadeem Green: 3 stars, No. 203 overall, No. 48 small forward
Ricky Kreklow: 3 stars, No. 216 overall, No. 50 shooting guard
Ricardo Ratliffe (juco): 3 stars, No. 1 overall juco, No. 1 power forward
Matt Pressey (juco): 3 stars, No. 26 overall juco, No. 6 shooting guard
Mitchell headlined this class and shot the Tigers into the top 15, but he never qualified academically and later enrolled at North Texas, played two seasons and became a second-round NBA pick in 2013. Phil Pressey became MU’s career leader in assists and steals, entered the draft after his junior season, went undrafted but has bounced around several organizations. Matt Pressey was a two-year regular in MU’s rotation. Kreklow transferred to Cal and later Creighton. Green appeared in just 11 games for Mizzou before transferring to Ohio. Ratliffe was a stalwart for MU under Anderson and led the nation in field goal percentage in 2012.
2014: No. 11
Teki Gill-Caesar: 4 stars, No. 35 overall No. 12 shooting guard
Jakeenan Gant: 4 stars, No. 54 overall, No. 10 power forward
Namon Wright: 4 stars, No. 69 overall, No. 20 shooting guard
D’Angelo Allen: 3 stars, No. 156 overall, No. 42 small forward
Tramaine Isabell: 3 stars, No. 260 overall, No. 50 point guard
All five players from Kim Anderson’s first class were gone from the program after two years. Gill-Caesar was the first to leave (to San Diego State) after a promising freshman season undone by a back injury. Allen left late in his sophomore year and hasn’t resurfaced at another school. Wright made progress as a sophomore but bolted for Colorado, while Isabell, in and out of Anderson’s doghouse for two years, left for Drexel while Gant left for Louisiana-Lafayette.
Missouri’s basketball recruiting class was already considered the top-rated group the program has produced in a generation, but with the possible addition of five-star forward Jontay Porter, Cuonzo Martin’s first collection of newcomers could join a class of its own.
Before we compare the Class of 2017 with those from Mizzou’s past, let’s recap where the class stands, using 247Sports.com’s composite ratings, which compute all the recruiting outlet’s rankings into one number.
• Michael Porter Jr.: 5 stars, No. 1 player overall, No. 1 small forward. He's the headliner, for obvious reasons. A transcendent player, the 6-10 Porter is widely considered the top NBA draft prospect for 2018 and would probably be a top pick in this year's draft. The former Washington signee could be the SEC preseason player of the year.
• Jeremiah Tilmon: 4 stars, No. 40 player overall, No. 9 power forward. The former Illinois signee should give the Tigers an instant physical presence inside. He's the first four-star St. Louis area high school prospect to choose Mizzou since Kalen Grimes 13 years ago.
• Blake Harris: 4 stars, No. 119 player overall, No. 25 point guard. Another former Washington signee, Harris adds instant depth to the point guard position and could challenge junior Terrence Phillips for minutes at the point.
• C.J. Roberts: 4 stars, No. 169 player overall, No. 33 point guard. More of a combo guard, the class' lone addition who signed under Kim Anderson could develop into a scoring threat from the perimeter while offering ballhandling skills.
Then there’s 2018 recruit Jontay Porter, who has committed to Mizzou and gave some strong signals that he’ll reclassify and enroll at MU this summer but hasn’t officially made that announcement. He’s rated the No. 18 player overall and No. 6 power forward. A budding stretch four who can protect the rim and float outside to stretch defenses, Porter continues to develop his skills.
The class also includes Canisius College graduate transfer Kassius Robertson, a double-digit scorer and 3-point specialist who has one year of eligibility at Mizzou but doesn’t figure into the national rankings.
Without Jontay Porter, Mizzou’s class ranks No. 7 nationally. Add the No. 18 player for next year’s class — Rivals.com has him even higher at No. 10 — and the Tigers could eclipse No. 6 Alabama or No. 5 Texas and inch closer to UCLA at No. 4 or Arizona at No. 3. (Using 247Sport’s Class Calculator tool, if Mizzou were to add this year’s No. 18 recruit, currently uncommitted forward Brian Bowen, the class would climb to No. 4, just fractions of a point behind Arizona at 3.)
Recruiting class rankings are just that, numbers affixed to a class months before the first ball of the season is tipped. But where would Mizzou’s class rank in historical context with other Mizzou classes? The data collected by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com only goes back to the early 2000s. In terms of classes that predate the data, you can’t have a discussion about Mizzou’s best classes without mentioning these:
1979: STIPO AND SUNDVOLD
Norm Stewart signed the state’s two best players, elite big man Steve Stipanovich from De Smet and Blue Springs guard Jon Sundvold, two players who would lead the Tigers to four straight Big Eight championships and have their jerseys hanging from the rafters of the Hearnes Center.
1984: CHIEVOUS AND HARDY
Mizzou went to New York City to land prolific scorer Derrick Chievous, who left the school four years later as the program’s all-time points leader. Point guard Lynn Hardy, one of the first imports from Mizzou’s Detroit pipeline, also joined the team that year.
1987: SMITH AND IRVIN
Doug Smith, a future All-American and NBA lottery pick, headlined the 1987 class, while the Tigers also added two transfers, Byron Irvin from Arkansas and John McIntyre from Detroit.
1990: CRUDUP AND BOOKER
The nucleus of a future Big Eight championship team came along in 1990: Jevon Crudup, future Big Eight player of the year Melvin Booker, Reggie Smith, Jed Frost and Lamont Frazier.
1993: FIVE CORE PLAYERS
Five more core players arrived to give Stewart a deeper bench for the 1994 undefeated run through the Big Eight: Kelly Thames, Jason Sutherland and Derrick Grimm, along with midseason addition Paul O’Liney and SLU transfer Julian Winfield.
1998: DOOLING AND GILBERT
Stewart’s final recruiting class included two Florida pals, electric guard Keyon Dooling and prolific shooter Clarence Gilbert.
2000: DETROIT DUO
After his first year on the job Quin Snyder created a buzz with four high-profile signees in a class that ranked No. 11 by ESPN: Detroit tandem Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding, McDonald’s All-American big man Travon Bryant and California point guard Wesley Stokes.
Now here are the top four classes as rated by 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. Junior college transfers are rated among other junior college transfers.
2003: NO. 14
Linas Kleiza: 5 stars, No. 14 overall, No. 5 power forward
Thomas Gardner: 4 stars, No. 32 overall, No. 8 shooting guard
Spencer Laurie: 3 stars, No. 245 overall, No. 47 point guard
Randy Pulley (juco): 3 stars, No. 55 overall juco, No. 9 point guard
Class notes: In 2003, VMI transfer Jason Conley, the nation’s leading scorer in 2001-02, also became eligible to play for MU. Kleiza was done at MU after two years and became a first-round NBA draft pick. Gardner left the Tigers after a strong junior season but went undrafted. Laurie transferred to Missouri State. Pulley, a former SLU guard, appeared in just 11 games for the Tigers.
2004: NO. 11
Marshall Brown: 4 stars, No. 41 overall, No. 7 small forward
Jason Horton: 4 stars, No. 65 overall, No. 14 point guard
Kalen Grimes: 4 stars, No. 68 overall, No. 16 power forward
Glen Dandridge: 4 stars, No. 88 overall, No. 19 small forward
Horton and Brown played all four years at MU, though saw their roles and production diminish after the coaching change to Mike Anderson. Grimes was dismissed from the team after an arrest but later graduated from MU. Dandridge was out after three years and transferred to Lambuth.
2010: NO. 14
Tony Mitchell: 5 stars, No. 16 overall, No. 4 small forward
Phil Pressey: 4 stars, No. 48 overall, No. 13 point guard
Kadeem Green: 3 stars, No. 203 overall, No. 48 small forward
Ricky Kreklow: 3 stars, No. 216 overall, No. 50 shooting guard
Ricardo Ratliffe (juco): 3 stars, No. 1 overall juco, No. 1 power forward
Matt Pressey (juco): 3 stars, No. 26 overall juco, No. 6 shooting guard
Mitchell headlined this class and shot the Tigers into the top 15, but he never qualified academically and later enrolled at North Texas, played two seasons and became a second-round NBA pick in 2013. Phil Pressey became MU’s career leader in assists and steals, entered the draft after his junior season, went undrafted but has bounced around several organizations. Matt Pressey was a two-year regular in MU’s rotation. Kreklow transferred to Cal and later Creighton. Green appeared in just 11 games for Mizzou before transferring to Ohio. Ratliffe was a stalwart for MU under Anderson and led the nation in field goal percentage in 2012.
2014: No. 11
Teki Gill-Caesar: 4 stars, No. 35 overall No. 12 shooting guard
Jakeenan Gant: 4 stars, No. 54 overall, No. 10 power forward
Namon Wright: 4 stars, No. 69 overall, No. 20 shooting guard
D’Angelo Allen: 3 stars, No. 156 overall, No. 42 small forward
Tramaine Isabell: 3 stars, No. 260 overall, No. 50 point guard
All five players from Kim Anderson’s first class were gone from the program after two years. Gill-Caesar was the first to leave (to San Diego State) after a promising freshman season undone by a back injury. Allen left late in his sophomore year and hasn’t resurfaced at another school. Wright made progress as a sophomore but bolted for Colorado, while Isabell, in and out of Anderson’s doghouse for two years, left for Drexel while Gant left for Louisiana-Lafayette.
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Article assessing if this is MU's top class ever - FIJItiger MU - 5/24 12:31:26