2008 Basketball High School Class
Greg Monroe Looks to Dazzle Fans at Georgetown University
A guide to the top recruits of the 2008 basketball high school class.
It's not too early to take a peek at the 2008 high school basketball recruiting class. For recruiters, it may even be too late.
Introducing the top players of the 2008 high school class by position:
Center
B.J. Mullens continues the trend of great centers heading to Ohio State. First, it was Greg Oden who donned a Buckeye uniform. Kosta Koufos followed. Now, this 7-0 260lbs big man with solid footwork and a soft touch.
Others to Watch:
- John Riek, 7-2 240lbs, undecided - Raw big man with excellent potential. Solid rebounder and exceptional shot blocker, but overall still a work in progress.
- Kenny Kadji, 6-10 255lbs, Florida - Great rebounder with tremendous upside, but needs to improve toughness as well as scoring.
- Tony Woods, 6-10 230lbs, Wake Forest - Solid rebounder with great athleticism. Not the best inside scorer and needs to get tougher.
Power Forward
6-10 forward Greg Monroe will showcase his versatility next season at Georgetown University. That should make the loss of senior center Roy Hibbert a bit easier for the Hoyas to deal with. The left-handed Monroe reminds some of Chris Bosh, with excellent face-up moves to the basket and great athleticism. Though he needs more polish, his ceiling is without compare in this class.
Others to Watch:
- Samardo Samuels, 6-9 240lbs, Louisville - Solid scorer on the low block, but needs to become more of a defensive stopper in the middle.
- Eloy Vargas, 6-9 220lbs, Florida - Will make a great pairing for Kadji. Good length and defensive presence with more of a face up game. Needs to get stronger.
- Delvon Roe, 6-8 220lbs, Michigan State - If he wants to make it to the NBA, he'll need to develop some ballhandling skills, as well as a perimeter shot. He is a great finisher and is fairly versatile.
Small Forward
Versatile, combo forward Al-Farouq Aminu should dazzle at Wake Forest next season. He's athletic and smooth and has NBA potential. He's fairly thin at 6-8 195lbs, but he has the ability to create open shots for himself and teammates. Though, he needs to work on his passing game.
Others to Watch:
- Devin Ebanks, 6-8 185lbs, Indiana - Has great length and the ability to create shots for himself. Is a good outside shooter, though needs to improve from beyond the arc.
- Terrelle Pryor, 6-6 215lbs, undecided - Is also a heavily recruited football quarterback. .
- Chris Singleton, 6-8 205lbs, Florida State - Exceptional athlete with great three-point range.
Shooting Guard
Demar DeRozan is headed to USC next season. If OJ Mayo decides to stay, it could mean one of college basketball's most athletic backcourts. At 6-5, DeRozan is the best finisher in this class, and continues to add range to his perimeter shot. He has a great crossover dribble and has NBA potential written all over him.
Others to Watch:
- Scotty Hopson, 6-5 180lbs, Mississippi State - Smart player with tremendous upside, but who needs to work on perimeter shooting.
- Elliot Williams, 6-4 170lbs, Duke - Athletic wing who can play multiple positions. Great penetrator.
- William Buford, 6-4 180lbs, Ohio State - Buford brings his perimeter scoring prowess to a team with promising big men.
Point guard
Jrue Holiday will continue the trend of great point guards at UCLA. At 6-3, Holiday is considered the best point guard in this class with a lot of polish.
Others to Watch:
- Tyreke Evans, 6-5 185lbs, undecided - Great perimeter shooter who scores a lot of points. Needs to work on being a pure point guard.
- Brandon Jennings, 6-0 170lbs, Arizona - Quick as lightning with great court vision. Needs to improve his perimeter shot.
- Willie Warren, 6-3 195lbs, Oklahoma - Excellent perimeter shot with great versatility. Needs to work on his defense.
Sources consulted:
- Scout.com, Retrieved from http://www.scouthoops.scout.com on 11 December 2007.
- NBADraft.net, Retrieved from http://www.nbadraft.net on 11 December 2007.
- Rivals.com, Retrieved from http://ssbasketball.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1617 on 11 December 2007.
