ESPN

Paul Biancardi

  (1:01 PM)

Good afternoon hoop fans! We're excited about our release of the new rankings and about what went down this summer. With school about to begin let's talk about what we saw this spring and summer and what will happen in the upcoming season. Let's go!

Brock (Durham)

What are UNC's chances of landing number one ranked in the EPSNU100 Harrison Barnes? Also, I hear James McAdoo is making another visit to Chapel Hill in the near future, do you foresee a commitment for the 2011 star?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:03 PM)

Thanks, Brock. I think UNC has a solid chance at landing Barnes along with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Florida along with Iowa State, although they're on the outside looking in. They have an even better chance at landing McAdoo who is a stud in 2011. He's missed this summer with a slightly torn labrum. Do stay tuned.

Tony (Lake Orion, MI)

Oakland Univ. looks set to have a strong season in 09-10 due to some highly ranked recruits (by summit league standards). Are they on the radar for another strong Summit League recruiting class for 2010?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:05 PM)

Thanks, Tony. I like talking mid-majors. They have already landed Cory Petros, who's a 6-9 post player and a solid athlete. He'll be real good for them. Coach Greg Kampe has done a good job recruiting the state of Michigan.

atrahan (Bloomington)

Any thoughts on Indiana U. recruiting and Tom Crean's efforts? Who do you see them landing?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:07 PM)

It's still early as recruits are still forming lists but they're in with Kyrie Irving although they have a battle ahead for him. They need him and want him desperately along with others. Too early to tell right now who else they'll go after.

Kyrie Irving (NJ)

Where will I end up?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:09 PM)

Hi Kyrie! Looking into my crystal ball I would say it would be one of these five: Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, UConn and Seton Hall. He says he'll narrow his list after the Boost Mobile Elite 24 game on Aug 21 on ESPNU.

Eric (Philadelphia)

Can Duke pull off the Barnes-Irving double? Is there a backup plan?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:12 PM)

Eric, they have a legitimate shot at both, and they're recruiting others in the same position. Brandon Knight and Joe Jackson at the point. Andre Dawkins will be there this year and they're also taking a look at some other small forwards like Roscoe Smith.

Barge (Large, PA)

Thoughts on Cameron Wright and Maurice Walker? Thanks

Paul Biancardi

  (1:16 PM)

Thanks Barge. Cameron is a very talented and athletic slasher. He can be very good at Pitt if he maintains his aggressiveness on a consistent basis. Walker's a highly graded Canadian kid with great size and strength. He's a tad under the radar right now so keep we'll keep eye on him.

Josh (Charlotte)

Paul - Quincy Miller has made a big jump in the last few months. Can you compare his game to someone else in the last few classes and where do you think he lands? Thanks.

Paul Biancardi

  (1:18 PM)

Hey Josh, we're in the same town! Miller had a strong performance at the Nike Hoop Jamboree and a terrific summer overall. Currently he's a four but in time he'll be a 3-man. With his skills and athleticism he'll be the ultimate small forward. He's originally from Chicago but it will be awfully hard to get him out of North Carolina. He's an elite player. Check out our latest ESPNU Super 60 rankings for the Class of 2011 on Friday and see where he lands!

anon (Kentucky)

How does Kendall Marshall compare to other PG's in this class. He's rated lower, but it seems that he's better in terms of intangibles (floor general, passing).

Paul Biancardi

  (1:22 PM)

Kendall is an elite PG in this class. Just because he lost one or two spots it wasn't so much his lack of production as it was other players jumping ahead like Josh Selby who had an outstanding summer. Kendall needs to tighten up his jump shot but this young man leads his team as well as anyone in the country and is the best passer in the class.

Scott (Arkansas)

So, Joe Jackson starts the summer being named a co-MVP of the Pangos AA camp all star game, was the best player at the Reebok camp and then was named MVP of the adidas 64 event in Vegas after leading his AAU team to the championship. Remind us again why he dropped in your rankings to #21?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:29 PM)

Thanks Scott, that's a good question. Joe Jackson is a terrific scoring point guard and he is highly thought of by ESPN Scouts Inc. We decided to move Selby and Marshall ahead of him, slightly, because we feel that Josh has the edge because he's taller and stronger which makes him more effective in the lane. And Marshall is the consummate point guard and is the closest thing out there to a coach on the floor.

Jack (St. Louis)

Paul,Can you talk about Brad Beal's game and where he may end up?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:30 PM)

Hi Jack. I love St. Louis, great city. Beal is a smooth, scoring wing guard with no wasted motion. He's like a machine offensively. He's wide open and Kansas is pretty much at the top of his list. He'll be able to choose wherever he wants.

Dave (Syracuse University!)

How good is Syracuse's recruiting class going to be? And what are the chances Tobias signs with us too?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:33 PM)

Dave, I really love Syracuse's class. It has great length with Moussa Keita, C.J. Fair and now Fab Melo. Tremendous length and size and very versatile. Add big time scoring guard Waiters and this class is shaping up as one of the best in the country. They also have a legitimate chance at Tobias Harris, which would be the icing on the cake.

Chief (Chicago)

I was wondering what the justification was for Jereme Richmond dropping 12 spots (from 5 to 17)!!! GO ILLINI!!!

Paul Biancardi

  (1:36 PM)

Good question, Chief. I had a chance to coach Jereme at the Vince Carter skills academy. He's extremely talented with great athletic ability and a good IQ for the game. Our staff watched him all summer, however, and there were times where he had poor showings. Vegas was not one of his better performances. He's still a top 20 player. He was a highly ranked player as a freshman and to stay that high you must be extremely productive and consistent. Jereme is learning that.

Brendan (Buffalo NY)

I know you mentioned in the article that the updated list is going on the assumption that Andre Dawkins will be playing in Durham this year, but when you click on the Duke commits page it lists him as a 90 overall and the 44th best SG prospect. Mistake?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:38 PM)

Thanks Brendan. We moved him out of our 2010 Top 100 and put him in the Class of 2009. He is set to receive his diploma tomorrow from Atlantic Shores and has a correct grade of 95/high major in the '09 class.

Sieka Siklo (Silver Spring, MD)

What took you guys so long to realize that Josh Selby was a top 10 talent, and just a top 20 talent?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:40 PM)

Sieka, here are the facts. He didn't play the second half of his junior season in high school yet going into the spring we still had him at No. 24. After a strong spring and an outstanding summer we put him back into the top 10. We have to see them before we rank them.

Terry (Fort Wayne)

How come you've never mentioned anything about the 2010 combo foward Deverin Muff from Strongsville, Ohio. He's defintly owe of the best in his class from what I've seen this summer. He even help his aau team win the classic bracket in Orlando at nationals with basketball stars of America from Pennsylvania. I've seen this kid play against the best and is by far deserving of beingentioned for top 100 talk. He's one if the best shot blockers in his class shutting down player such as Will Barton in tournamnet play. Come on now this kid deserves some hype!

Paul Biancardi

  (1:44 PM)

Thanks Terry. Deverin is a talented player but he's not Top 100 in the country. He's very talented and is one of the better sleeper's in Ohio he just needs to be productive, especially in high school, in order to see his stock raise. He doesn't play as hard as we would like to see.

will (asheville)

Given his performance at the NBA Camp, is Kendall Marshall going to move up anymore in your top 100?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:47 PM)

Good question Will. Kendall had an outstanding NBA camp, you're right. And when it comes to the elite players in the country, we at Scouts Inc. see them dozens and dozens of times over their career. He only moved down two spots which had nothing to do with him and everything to do with other kids playing as well or better.

Jacob (Nashville, TN )

What do you think of the recruiting class that the Dayton Flyers are putting together?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:52 PM)

Jacob, Dayton secured three terrific perimeter players. Staten is the star of the class so far. He's in our ESPNU 100 and played for the All-Ohio Red which has dominated the AAU scene for the last few years. Along with Spearman, Berry and Hill this will be one of the better classes, for sure, in the A-10.

josh t (california)

what are the chances that duke lands brandon knight and kyrie irving

Paul Biancardi

  (1:53 PM)

Josh, all the way from the West Coast, thanks. Duke has a great chance of landing Irving or Knight but probably not both. They can't go wrong with either one.

adam (lebo, ks)

does kansas have a chance at harrison barnes? thanks man!!! :)

Paul Biancardi

  (1:54 PM)

Kansas has a big time chance with Barnes.

Daniel (Atlanta)

Paul what are the chances that Georgia Tech can land both Tobias Harris and Jelan Kendrick? Thanks

Paul Biancardi

  (1:54 PM)

Daniel, I don't think they'll get both. They probably have the best chance with Kendrick. They've been on him the longest and he's in their backyard.

Tom (Bloomington,IN)

What do you think of Indiana's chances with Jelan Kendrick and Kyrie Irving?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:55 PM)

Tom, Indiana's chances with Irving are good. They're right there. They'll have to beat out Georgia Tech, though, for Kendrick.

Rob (Charlottesville, VA)

Hey Paul, Syracuse fan here. With the recent addition of Fab Melo, where would you rank Syracuse's recruiting class? Does Ohio State still have the most impressive class?

Paul Biancardi

  (1:57 PM)

Hey Rob, being a Syracuse fan right now is a great thing. With the addition of Melo the Orange class is right near the top. Where they'll end up we'll have to see. As of today, the Buckeyes have the best class, but stay tuned as we'll soon release our new Class Rankings.

Rodney (Portland, OR)

What's your take on Terrence Jones' improvement over the summer? It seemed like he dominated many of the events he played in this summer but remained at #15 in the new rankings.

Paul Biancardi

  (2:00 PM)

Rodney, I had a chance to coach Jones at the Vince Carter Academy. He's physical specimen who has made a lot of improvements. Staying at 15 is a good thing because so many of the elite players played so well this spring and summer and some new players burst on to the scene. High School hoops is an extremely competitive market.

jared (clemson)

Oliver Purnell has improved recruiting at Clemson, do you think this could translate into a top ten basketball program within the next five years?

Paul Biancardi

  (2:01 PM)

Oliver Purnell has done a stellar job at Clemson and his excellent recruiting has kept the Tigers near the top of the ACC, which is extremely difficult to do. I can see them consistently in the Top 25 under Purnell.

timmy c. (lancaster, pa)

Hi Paul,Kyrie Irving is killin' it this summer! Has he done enough to surpass the injured B. Knight as the top 2010 pg?

Paul Biancardi

  (2:03 PM)

Your're right, Timmy. Kyrie has had a great spring and summer. Knight was having a great campaign as well before he got injured which allowed him to hold on to a top 5 spot. That's how it will remain until the rankings change again.

Nick (Cincy)

Paul, what are your thoughts on the Cincinnati basketball program and the potential addition of Lance Stephenson?

Paul Biancardi

  (2:04 PM)

Nick, I love the job that Mick Cronin's doing. When he took over, there were very few "Big East" players in the program, if any. With the addition of Lance, Coach Cronin has built the Bearcats into a team which should challenge the upper echelon teams in that conference.

Tom (Kentucky)

whats you take on fab Melo? He seems over-rated.

Paul Biancardi

  (2:05 PM)

Tom, Fab just came to this country last year and has steadily improved. I don't think he's overrated at all. He should be a dominating force at Syracuse and with hard work and dedication could have a nice NBA career.

Marie (san Francisco)

Hi Paul. Do you have any updates on the Andre Dawkins situation? And where would he have ranked if he was still a member of the class of 2010?

Paul Biancardi

  (2:07 PM)

Marie, you made the cut. Last question. Dawkins will officially enroll at Duke. If he was still in the 2010 class he would certainly be a top 15 prospect. I had a chance to watch him play this summer. His athletic ability and 3-point stroke will be a big plus for Duke, now and in the future.

Paul Biancardi

  (2:08 PM)

Thanks for all the great questions and for your passion for high school basketball/recruiting. Please stay tuned as our rankings for the Class of 2011 and 2012 will come out shortly. Have a great day!