After yesterday’s list post, Rivals.com released their top-150 final rankings for 2011 class. Khem Birch cracked their top-10 by being ranked number 9 overall. Durand Johnson was ranked at #120 and Malcolm Gilbert was #133. Scout.com had Birch 14th, Gilbert 83d and Johnson 88th. So the real differences were in how they viewed Gilbert and D. Johnson. Gilbert, especially, was viewed very differently.
Some insight with the disparity on Gilbert can actually be explained from a piece from one of Scout.com’s basketball guys.
On the interior Malcolm Gilbert is a bit of a lightning rod. Some view him as a dominating defensive player who is developing a complete game. Others see a kid who lacks toughness and has no ability to score on the offensive end.
That kind of disagreement makes for an interesting discussion when it comes to ranking him. Ultimately Gilbert ended up in the top 100 on the strength of his ability to block shots and change the game on defense. His offense isn’t there, but the length and athleticism proved to be too much to leave unranked.
Gilbert will almost certainly have to see time this year because the team is thin up-front. With him and Birch — both players who excel at shot-blocking but not particularly thick framed — Pitt’s interior defense will be far different from every year previously under Coach Jamie Dixon.
Really odd was in the Rivals.com final class rankings. Pitt did not crack their top-30 despite having a top-10 ranked player and two more in the top-150. I really don’t get the methodology. Especially when you look at the other teams from about #20 down. Do they consider John Johnson that bad a player?
UPDATE: The Rivals.com class rankings are outdated. They were from the early signing period. Not up to date. So, that issue is moot — at least until they issue their final rankings — probably in May. My mistake.
I’ve covered this before. Stud, impact centers are very, very few and far between. In any year there are at best maybe 2-3 kids that meet that criteria. Most are projects of some kind or another. DeJuan Blair — once again — was the extremely rare exception.
Generally given their size they rarely have a lot of moves since their HS competition and even a good deal of AAU competition puts them in a position more often to just be right by the basket and put it in on rebounds or slams.
Gilbert is a 3-4 star center depending on whose rankings you use. In addition to the rankings of 83 and 133 in the sites I mentioned, Gilbert is rated as the 57th best player by ESPN.com and the 8th best center in the class.
In terms of recruiting quality big men, exactly how would you characterize Steven Adams, who will be arriving on campus in 2012?
Square was up for the weekend last weekend and we went to the new baseball park behind Trees Hall for a game. I gotta tell you guys it was a super expeerience. Pitt has a solid team with good bats and the field is absolutely beautiful. $5 for a seat ($2 if you’re over 55) and we sat behind home plate. I recommend it highly. There are games this weekend and Mid May as well.
I’ve seen this happen repeated times over the years, and as some of you younger guys get older, you will start believing it as well. Let the denials and attacks begin. LOL
Birch was classified as a 2012 recruit — and projected near the top of that class. He reclassified a year earlier, and based on that he was ranked a bit lower. Not because of any bias against Pitt, but because he signed a year earlier. Less maturity (Physically and mentally). Less polish. Any kid that reclassifies a year earlier drops in rankings.
I think Gibert is more like a legit 6-11.
