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7/20/05

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Ten for Tuesday: Buckeyes lead '06 recruiting pack


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=50></TD><TD noWrap>July 19, 2005
By Gregg Doyel
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
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</TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-LEFT: #cccccc 1px solid" width=5></TD><TD><NOBR> </NOBR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- T8659033 --><!-- Sesame Modified: 07/19/2005 19:19:05 --><!-- sversion: 1 $Updated: georgem$ -->College coaches are concocting their recruiting classes for next year, and already in the hyperbolic world of recruiting, three schools are putting together THE CLASS OF THE CENTURY: Ohio State, Duke and North Carolina.

Ten for Tuesday ranks the best recruiting classes (so far) for 2006, and unlike everyone else, we're going to include transfers in these rankings. Because we can.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=150 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD width=150> </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=150>Thad Matta is on fire on the recruiting circuit. (Getty Images) </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1. Ohio State: Who does Thad Matta think he is, Mike Krzyzewski? Matta has commitments from 7-foot Greg Oden, the most celebrated high school center since Ralph Sampson, plus three other potential McDonald's All-Americans (wings David Lighty and Daequan Cook, and point guard Michael Conley). Oh, and the OSU football team has a commitment from 6-8 receiver Josh Chichester, who's a basketball beast. Matta isn't done, either, with top 10 wing Thaddeus Young among his targets.

2. North Carolina: Roy Williams has commitments from three players who will provide immediate help in 2006-07, including two potential ACC all-rookie selections: wing Wayne Ellington and point guard Tywon Lawson. The other commitment, 6-5 William Graves, is a hulk of a small forward. The Tar Heels also are in the mix for Young as well as some of the top available big men from the Class of 2006.

3. Duke: Used to be Coach K signed an enormous recruiting class every other year. With Duke no longer immune to losing underclassmen to the NBA, and without the eight-and-five scholarship restriction, Coach K goes for enormity every year. In 2006 he'll add a future star at shooting guard (Jon Scheyer), small forward (Gerald Henderson) and center (7-footer Brian Zoubek). Like UNC and Ohio State, Duke is in good position with other star juniors, too.

4. Stanford: It's hard enough to find one potential NBA big man. Stanford has two: commitments from 6-11 Brook Lopez and 6-11 Robin Lopez, the most heralded set of twins since the Collins brothers chose (ahem) Stanford in 1997.

5. New Mexico: Ritchie McKay has seen Reggie Theus' early returns at New Mexico State -- and McKay has raised the ante. McKay has found the Lobos three stud transfers for the 2006-07 season, including Big Ten rebounding leader Aaron Johnson from Penn State and one-time projected lottery pick J.R. Giddens from Kansas. McKay also accepted a transfer from point guard Josh Jenkins, who averaged 10 points and 3.5 assists last season at ... New Mexico State.

6. New Mexico State: After inheriting a 6-24 team this spring, Theus began stocking up for his second season by accepting transfers from Kansas State guard Fred Peete, Utah wing Justin Hawkins and Charlotte center Martin Iti. A fourth transfer, Trei Steward of Division I independent Northern Colorado, is a 6-7, 250-pound banger.

7. Florida State: FSU coach Leonard Hamilton has taken some from Column A (high school recruits) and one from Column B (transfers). The transfer is guard Toney Douglas, who averaged 16.9 points as a freshman but left Auburn because his daddy wanted him to play the point. Point guard Jose Soto is the highest-rated of the Seminoles' three recruits, but that's a mistake. Jon Kreft, a 7-foot center, is definitely better, and 6-4 wing Aaron Holmes might be better as well.

8. Louisville: The Cardinals have just two commitments, but after signing 49 players a year ago, two will do. Especially these two: point guard Jerry Smith and shooting guard Edgar Sosa, both of whom can fill it up.

9. Texas: By himself, 6-10 small forward Kevin Durant puts Texas into the top 10. He's that good. The Longhorns also have a commitment from Justin Mason, a solid shooting guard, and could get one soon from top 100 wing Solomon Tat.

10. Georgetown: John Thompson III is recruiting better than he coached in his first season with the Hoyas -- and he coached awfully well in 2004-05. Thompson has commitments from big scoring guard Jeremiah Rivers (Doc's son) and power forward DaJuan Summers, plus an athletic transfer in ex-Indiana forward Patrick Ewing Jr. Headline writers (and me, too) can't wait for John Thompson to again coach Patrick Ewing at Georgetown.

Ten for honorable mention: Villanova (best addition: Reggie Redding), Connecticut (Curtis Kelly), Illinois (Brian Carlwell), Oklahoma (Damion James), Wake Forest (Jamie Skeen), Virginia Tech (Nigel Munson), Baylor (Demond Carter), Miami (Siena transfer Frank McClinton), Arkansas (Mississippi State transfer Gary Ervin), Minnesota (junior college transfer James Davis).
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