Here’s what KU’s 2013 basketball recruiting class would have looked like in previous years

By Staff May 29, 2013

Kentucky forward Anthony Davis bounces the ball off his fist during the Wildcats' practice at the Superdome on Friday, March 30, 2012.

Kentuckysports.com recently put together a blog post about the Wildcats’ recruiting class and how it might have looked like in earlier years.

Because Kansas coach Bill Self has compiled his best recruiting class (at least on paper) in his 10 years in Lawrence, I thought it would be interesting to do a similar exercise for the Jayhawks.

For this blog, we’ll use the RSCI recruiting rankings, which compile many of the top recruiting rankings to come up with a single list.

Here’s where the Jayhawks’ class finished up in those rankings:

Milwaukee Bucks' Brandon Jennings (3) drives against Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 105-97.

**KU’s recruiting class of 2013**
1. Andrew Wiggins
13. Wayne Selden
16. Joel Embiid
36. Brannen Greene
40. Conner Frankamp
89. Frank Mason

Just for fun, I looked up what KU’s recruiting class would have looked like if it had the first, 13th-, 16th, 36th-, 40th- and 89th-best players in previous years.

Here are the results (two/three players are listed under each other in case of a tie in the rankings):

**2012**
1. Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA)
13. Ricardo Ledo (Providence)
16. Gary Harris (Michigan State)
36. Katin Reinhardt (UNLV)
40. Brice Johnson (North Carolina)
89. Mike Gesell (Iowa)
Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)

**2011**
1. Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
13. Myck Kabongo (Texas)
16. Jabari Brown (Oregon)
36. Trevor Lacey (Alabama)
40. Jakarr Sampson (St. John’s)
89. Sidiki Johnson (Arizona)

Greg Oden, Ohio State

**2010**
1. Harrison Barnes (North Carolina)
13. Cory Joseph (Texas)
16. Joe Jackson (Memphis)
36. Cameron Clark (Oklahoma)
40. Jordan McRae (Tennessee)
89. Jarell Eddie (Virginia Tech)

**2009**
1. Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech)
13. Dante Taylor (Pittsburgh)
16. Alex Oriakhi (UConn)
36. Aaric Murray (La Salle)
40. Jamil Wilson (Oregon)
89. Donnavan Kirk (Miami FL)
Keith Clanton (Central Florida)

**2008**
1. Brandon Jennings (Europe)
13. Willie Warren (Oklahoma)
16. Elliot Williams (Duke)
Kemba Walker (UConn)
36. Kenny Kadji (Florida)
Darius Miller (Kentucky)
40. Anthony Jones (Baylor)
89. Matt Gatens (Iowa)

**2007**
1. O.J. Mayo (USC)
13. DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M)
16. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)
36. DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh)
40. Chris Allen (Michigan State)
89. Bradley Wanamaker (Pittsburgh)

**2006**
1. Greg Oden (Ohio State)
13. Daequan Cook (Ohio State)
16. Vernon Macklin (Georgetown)
36. Jerome Dyson (UConn)
40. Davon Jefferson (USC)
89. Taylor Harrison (California)

Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary's LeBron James goes up for a dunk in the first half of the McDonald's All-American Game. James had 27 points in the East's 122-107 victory Wednesday at Gund Arena in Cleveland.

**2005**
1. Josh McRoberts (Duke)
13. Greg Paulus (Duke)
16. Gerald Green (NBA)
36. Theo Davis (Iowa State)
Dominic James (Marquette)
40. Eric Boateng (Duke)
Fendi Onobun (Arizona)
89. K.C. Rivers (Clemson)

**2004**
1. Dwight Howard (NBA)
13. D.J. White (Indiana)
16. Juan Diego Palacios (Louisville)
36. Josh Wright (Syracuse)
40. Dorell Wright (NBA)
Isaiah Swann (Florida State)
Brian Johnson (Louisville)
89. Nick Young (USC)
Lorenzo Wade (Louisville)

**2003**
1. LeBron James (NBA)
13. Olu Famutimi (Arkansas)
16. Travis Outlaw (NBA)
Linas Kleiza (Missouri)
J.R. Giddens (Kansas)
36. Rodrick Stewart (USC)
40. Gary Forbes (Virginia)
Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas)
89. Omari Israel (Notre Dame)

**2002**
1. Amare Stoudemire (NBA)
13. Evan Burns (UCLA)
16. Anthony Roberson (Florida)
36. Eric Williams (Wake Forest)
40. Matt Walsh (Florida)
89. Marquis Kately (California)

**2001**
1. Eddy Curry (NBA)
13. David Harrison (Colorado)
Jonathan Hargett (West Virginia)
16. Maurice Williams (Alabama)
36. Billy Edelin (Syracuse)
40. Travis Diener (Marquette)
89. Derek Stribling (Tennessee)

Indiana's Scot Pollard, left, defends Portland's Zach Randolph. Pollard had six points and 16 rebounds in the Pacers' 101-69 victory Wednesday night in Indianapolis.

**2000**
1. Zach Randolph (Michigan State)
13. Jerome Harper (juco)
16. Darius Rice (Miami FL)
36. Cliff Hawkins (Kentucky)
40. Brian Boddicker (Texas)
89. Kim Bowers (Mississippi State)

**1999**
1. Donnell Harvey (Florida)
13. Kenny Satterfield (Cincinnati)
16. Casey Sanders (Duke)
36. Steve Hunter (DePaul)
40. Matt Carroll (Notre Dame)
89. Marque Perry (St. Louis)
Nathan Hair (USC)

**1998**
1. Al Harrington (NBA)
13. Michael Miller (Florida)
16. Ray Young (UCLA)
Corey Maggette (Duke)
36. Douglas Wrenn (prep school)
40. Jeff Boschee (Kansas)
89. Marqus Ledoux (LSU)
David Graves (Notre Dame)

A few interesting things:

• **If you’re wanting to dream on KU’s recruiting class, look no further than 2007.** O.J. Mayo, DeAndre Jordan Blake Griffin *and* DeJuan Blair? Obviously, the numbers fell just right for these players to be in these spots, and I’d guess 2007 was one of the strongest recruiting classes of all time. Still, if KU had close to that kind of talent coming in … look out.

KU's Jeff Boschee.

• **Though 2007 is encouraging for KU fans, there are other years that show high recruiting rankings don’t necessarily guarantee success.** I’m thinking the 1999 grouping is the worst (Donnell Harvey, Kenny Satterfield, Casey Sanders, Steve Hunter, Matt Carroll, Marque Perry, Nathan Hair), though a few recent ones like 2010 (Harrison Barnes, Cory Joseph, Joe Jackson, Cameron Clark, Jordan McRae, Jarell Eddie) lacked some star power as well.

• **It’s an interesting coincidence that Conner Frankamp shares the same RSCI ranking as former KU basketball player Jeff Boschee (No. 40).**

When I talked to Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi a few months ago, he even made the remark about Frankamp that “it’s too easy to make a Jeff Boschee comparison.”

I would guess KU fans would be thrilled if Frankamp went on to have a Boschee-like career for the Jayhawks.