247Sports is proud to announce its new partnership with PrepStars.com by unveiling "The 247," our list of the top 247 basketball prospects in the class of 2011.
Where did future Buckeye Shannon Scott land on the list?
We gave everyone a sneak preview of the top 100 last week, but today we reveal the complete list.
According to Rob Harrington of PrepStars, this group features strong point guard play but is light on big men in the middle.
"The point guards aren't as gifted as those in the Class of 2010, but they are significantly more accomplished than those in the 2012 or 2013 classes," Harrington said. "It's common for the center position to be the weakest, but that was especially true in this class. Not only were big men lacking generally, there is a painful absence of power players."
One player that isn't ranked at this point is forward Alex Murphy, a Duke commitment who has moved up into this class after previously being a class of 2012 prospect. Murphy has yet to sign a letter of intent, unlike Khem Birch - who is heading to Pittsburgh a year earlier than expected.
"We chose not to rank Murphy because those situations can be fluid," Harrington said. "At one point, James McAdoo appeared bound for North Carolina this past season but changed his mind during the summer. Assuming nothing changes, we'll include Murphy and make sure he is reflected in Duke's team ranking during the summer. In the 2011 class I suspect Murphy would be ranked somewhere in the 20s"
The Kentuckys, Dukes, North Carolinas and other power programs landed their share of prospects on this list, but many smaller programs landed big-time players, too. Schools like East Carolina, Ohio, Drexel, Western Kentucky, South Alabama and High Point landed players on the list, too.
"There is definitely a trend toward a more equitable distribution of talent," Harrington said. "Mid-major programs are receiving unprecedented funding from their universities. This phenomenon also explains why more mid-major head coaches are choosing to stay put rather than jump at the first high-major offer that comes their way."
- Kevin Ryan
- Publisher - 247Sports