The recruiting period is starting to wrap up for the college basketball season, and the Memphis Tigers are surging towards the top of the list on the strength of an excellent recruiting class.
When we released our list of the top 10 college basketball recruiting classes last week, the Memphis Tigers barely cracked the list. The Tigers had already secured a commitment from the nation’s top prospect, center James Wiseman, but things have changed significantly since then.
The latest big-time prospect to join the Tigers was guard Rejean “Boogie” Ellis, who recommitted from Duke after the Blue Devils recruited over him by landing guard Cassius Stanley. Ellis is the sixth four or five-star recruit to join Memphis already this year, and that haul doesn’t even count wing Rayjon Tucker, who was one of the top grad transfers on the market before committing to Memphis.
The updated list of the top classes to reflect Memphis’ gains:
- Arizona
- Duke
- Kentucky
- Villanova
- Memphis
- USC
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Louisville
- Gonzaga
The scary thing about this class is they may not be done yet. The Tigers have remained linked to several of the top players who haven’t signed with colleges yet, including forward Precious Achiuwa and reclassified point guard R.J. Hampton. Adding either one of those players would be the topper for an excellent offseason for Memphis, which made a late push for the NCAA Tournament this spring.
Head coach Penny Hardaway has proven to be a tremendous recruiter, bringing a talent haul to the Tigers unlike any the school has seen since John Calipari was roaming the sidelines at Memphis. There is no reason to believe the Tigers can’t land Achiuwa, who is arguably the best fit for their roster among the top unsigned recruits, and vault even further up the list of top classes.
The Tigers play in a tough AAC, but this recruiting class should have them in an excellent position to compete with the likes of Houston and Cincinnati for league supremacy. If all goes well, national title contention is also a strong possibility.