Let’s face it. The Champions Classic was going to be loaded this year anyway.
Kentucky, Duke and Michigan State already had the Nos. 1, 2 and 3-ranked recruiting classes in 2016 according to Scout.com and 247Sports.com.
But now with Josh Jackson’s commitment to Kansas, the Jayhawks are up to No. 7 on Scout and No. 13 on 247Sports.com.
On Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden, Duke, which figures to be the preseason No. 1 team in most polls, will face Kansas, while Kentucky meets Michigan State.
Last November, there were more than 60 NBA personnel on hand in Chicago for this event, and you can bet that number will be matched or exceeded this year.
Duke’s recruiting class includes Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum, Frank Jackson, Javin DeLaurier and Jack White.
Kentucky’s incoming group includes De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones.
Both schools remain in the mix for 6-foot-10 Marques Bolden, who could announce at anytime.
Despite missing out on Jackson, Sparty’s class includes Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston, Josh Langford and Nick Ward.
And Kansas’ 2016 crew now includes Jackson, Udoka Azubuike and Mitch Lightfoot.
To put in perspective what that group means, 11 of the 21 players named to Friday’s Jordan Brand Classic will play in the Champions classic: four Kentucky guys (Fox, Monk, Gabriel, Killeya-Jones), three Duke recruits (Giles, Tatum, Jackson), two Michigan State signees (Bridges, Winston), one Kansas guy (Azubuike) plus Bolden.
Looking ahead to the 2017 NBA Draft, the projected top-3 picks on DraftExpress.com — Tatum, Giles and Jackson — will all be at the Champions Classic. So will the projected No. 8 (Adebayo), 14 (Fox), 15 (Bolden) and 17 (Monk) picks.
Jarrett Allen, the No. 8 projected pick, is also still considering Texas, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Notre Dame and North Carolina, so he could wind up at the Garden, too.
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