ESPN.com issued their new rankings for the Class of 2015, and eight of the top 12 prospects have yet to declare for college.
All eight are McDonald’s All-Americans.
That should make for an interesting couple of months going into April and May, as these players will wait to evaluate coaching changes, early-entry NBA decisions and other factors before making their college choices.
LSU-bound Ben Simmons is the No. 1 prospect in the ESPN rankings, Kentucky commit Skal Labissiere is No. 3, Marquette signee Henry Ellenson is No. 5 and Duke pledge Chase Jeter is No. 9.
The other players in the top 12 are uncommitted. Here’s a look at where they stand.
No. 2 – Jaylen Brown
The 6-foot-7 Marietta (GA) Wheeler wing is considering Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, North Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Michigan. Anyone who tells you they know where he is leaning is probably deceiving you. This recruitment is wide open. Brown recently decided to reschedule his Michigan visit from Jan. 24 due to a conflict, but he will visit Georgia unofficially Feb. 17 and hopes to see Georgia Tech as well.
Projected NBA Draft pick: No. 1 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
No. 4 – Malik Newman
The 6-4 Newman out of Callaway (MS) is considering Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and N.C. State, among others, and isn’t expected to announce until at least April. On the recruiting front, Newman has set an official visit to Ohio State this weekend and will also visit Kentucky, Kansas and N.C. State.
He could choose a traditional powerhouse like Kentucky (where he would team with his friend Isaiah Briscoe in the backcourt) or Kansas. Or he could stay local and try to make a statement at Ole Miss or Mississippi State (his father’s alma mater).
Projected NBA Draft pick: No. 5 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
No. 6 – Ivan Rabb
The 6-10 Rabb out of Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd has taken official visits to Arizona and Kentucky, and plans to visit California, Kansas, UCLA, the other three schools on his list. His mother told SNY.tv that Cal will get the last visit because they’re the local school. Cal coach Cuonzo Martin has put in a lot of work on Rabb, including reportedly offering O’Dowd coach Lou Richie a job at one point, and will try to keep him local.
“I have the best relationship with Cuonzo Martin,” Rabb told SNY.tv at the HoopHall Classic. “Him being so close, I can basically go up there whenever I want.”
For more, read here.
Projected NBA Draft pick: No. 7 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
No. 7 – Diamond Stone
Not much has been heard from the 6-10 Stone out of Milwaukee (WI) Dominican in recent weeks. He has kept a low profile. Stone is considering Maryland, UConn, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin and will commit sometime this spring after initially targeting a November decision.
Projected NBA Draft pick: No. 3 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
No. 8 – Caleb Swanigan
The 6-foot-8 power forward out of Fort Wayne (IN) Homestead had a recent in-home visit with Duke and also attended Michigan State’s win over Indiana Jan. 5. Duke told him he could replace Jahlil Okafor there next year.
In addition, Kentucky, Louisville, Cal, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Arizona, UCLA, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, New Mexico and Chicago State are also in the mix, Roosevelt Barnes, Swanigan’s guardian, told SNY.tv.
Projected NBA Draft pick: N/A
For more, read here.
No. 10 – Stephen Zimmerman
The 7-foot Zimmerman out of Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman is down to Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Arizona and UNLV, having taken officials to all five. UNLV assistant He expects to decide by February or March, but won’t sign an NLI.
Projected NBA Draft pick: N/A
No. 11 – Cheick Diallo
The 6-foot-9 forward from Our Savior New American on Long Island, remains “wide open” in his recruitment and is still considering Kentucky, Kansas, St. John’s, Iowa State and Pitt.
“He’s still wide open,” a source close to Diallo told SNY.tv. “We will evaluate every single detail of each program.”
Diallo, who was recently nominated for the McDonald’s All-American Game, has stayed out of the media because he rarely gives interviews, but he is expected to commit in “late April,” the source said.
Projected NBA Draft pick: No. 4 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com
For more, read here.
No. 12 – Brandon Ingram
The 6-foot-9 Ingram out of Kinston (N.C.) High is considering a final six of Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and N.C. State. He said this weekend at the HoopHall he plans to visit Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA down the road. Ingram is tight with recent Kansas commit Carlton Bragg and the two have talked about potentially packaging.
Still, Ingram said he has the best relationship with three in-state coaches, Roy Williams of North Carolina, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Mark Gottfried of N.C. State.
“They’ve been recruiting me my whole high school career,” he said.
Projected NBA Draft pick: No. 11 in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.
For more, read here.
