Rivals Re-Examines 2013

by:Corey Nichols08/27/12
Rivals is going to give their 2013 Top 150 a makeover tomorrow, but before they do, they pondered publicly just how secure Jabari Parker's top spot actually is.  Yesterday they published a primer for the new rankings, highlighting some of the tough questions they had to answer before shuffling the list.  Among the heavy questions asked were: 1) "Who's most deserving of the top spot?" 2) "How do we handle the Harrison twins?" 3) "Would you rather fight ten chicken-sized rhinos, or one rhino-sized chicken?" Let's take a look at their musings:
Who is number one? The race for number one in the class of 2013 has been a tough one. Chicago (Ill.) Simeon small forward Jabari Parker currently sits on top with Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison and Aaron Gordon nipping at his heels. ... On the production side of things, Randle was as good as it gets with his inside/out game. Then we have the Harrison twins, two of the biggest bullies (in a good way) on the perimeter that we've seen in some time. How to rank the Harrison twins? Houston twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison have long been among the nation's elite players. And for most of that time it's been the point guard of the two, Andrew, who has been ranked higher between the 6-foot-5 twins. After watching them extensively over the years, could it be time to switch that around? While they are incredibly close as prospects and the line separating them -- if there even is one -- is razor thin, one could argue that perhaps Aaron has overtaken his brother by the slightest of margins. Playing off the ball as a shooting guard, Aaron has long depended on his brother setting him up for shots. But more recently Aaron has become stronger at getting his own looks and has also proven to be a viable option as a point guard when Andrew goes out of the game. [What to do with Mamadou?] There are plenty of guys in the class of 2013 who are tough to get a read on, but 7-foot-5 center Mamadou Ndiaye is maybe the most perplexing case. ... Based on what Rivals.com has seen, Ndiaye needs to be in the rankings. The tough part, though, was determining exactly where to put him.
Overall, great news to see some prospective Wildcats either in, or getting consideration for the top spot.  Parker's claim on the crown has been tenuous since Sports Illustrated unwisely proclaimed him the "best high school player since LeBron James," but other Wildcats are primarily the sole competitors.  Only Tuesday will tell, but Randle, the Harrisons, and Parker are all in contention for 2013's crown.  If Andrew Wiggins reclassifies, all bets are off. Meanwhile, there's a little bit of sibling rivalry between the hyper-talented Harrison twins, which has Kentucky (and optimistic Maryland) fans salivating.  And the situation with Mamadou Ndiaye bears examination going forward: if he develops skill-wise, his size will allow him to skyrocket toward the top.  With only size, he may have to stick around the higher digits for a little bit. And of course, most recruits would rather fight ten chicken-sized rhinos.  Obviously.

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