The Class of 2013, headed by the reigning Mr. Basketball winner Jabari Parker of Simeon, is a good one. Ironically, Parker is the lone, fully-qualified, highly-ranked prospect left on the board in this senior class as he decides between Duke, Michigan State, Florida, BYU and Stanford.
There will be several more Division I commitments for sure, but the majority of the top uncommitted prospects left in the class will likely be junior college or prep school bound next year.
Here is the class by the numbers so far:
• Currently, there are 29 players in the Class of 2013 committed to Division I programs (Parker and others will push it well beyond 30).
• When you consider the no-brainer Division I prospects who will be forced to go to a juco or prep school for academic reasons, the number will surely top 40-plus at the end of the day. Typically, the average among of Division I prospects in Illinois from year to year ranges from 35-45.
• There are 15 senior prospects committed to programs at the mid-major/mid-major plus levels, while four are committed to low-major college programs.
• Counting the uncommitted Parker and SMU commits Sterling Brown and Ben Moore (SMU will be moving from Conference USA to the Big East following this season), there are 11 players who will sign with high-major conferences.
As we near the upcoming signing day in November, here is a look at all the players who have committed to Division I programs and will sign in November (listed alphabetically):
Jubril Adekoya, 6-6, PF, Tinley Park (Andrew) … VALPARAISO
Sterling Brown, 6-5, WF, Maywood (Proviso East) … SMU
Jared Brownridge, 6-1, 2G, Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) … SANTA CLARA
David Cohn, 6-2, PG/2G, Elmhurst (York) … COLORADO STATE
Steven Cook, 6-4, 2G/WF, Winnetka (New Trier) … PRINCETON
Kyle Davis, 6-0, PG/2G, Chicago (Morgan Park) … DAYTON
Sam Downey, 6-8, PF, Lake Forest … YALE
Andrew Drone, 6-10, C, Gallatin County … RICE
Alvin Ellis, 6-4, WF, Chicago (De La Salle) … MINNESOTA
Alex Foster, 6-7, PF, South Holland (Seton Academy) … MINNESOTA
Billy Garrett, 6-4, PG, Chicago (Morgan Park) … DePAUL
Malcolm Hill, 6-6, WF, Belleville (East) … ILLINOIS
Robert Knar, 6-0, 2G, Mundelein … NORTHERN IOWA
Paris Lee, 5-10, PG, Maywood (Proviso East) … ILLINOIS STATE
Andrew McAuliffe, 6-8, PF, Northbrook (Glenbrook North) … DAVIDSON
L.J. McIntosh, 6-0, PG/2G, Chicago (Marist) … PAN AMERICAN
Matt Mooney, 6-3, PG/2G, Niles (Notre Dame) … AIR FORCE
Ben Moore, 6-8, PF, Bolingbrook … SMU
Kendrick Nunn, 6-1, 2G, Chicago (Simeon) … ILLINOIS
Sean O’Brien, 6-6, 2G/WF, Mundelein … SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Quentin Payne, 6-4, 2G/WF, St. Charles (North) … LOYOLA
Alec Peters, 6-7, PF, Washington … VALPARAISO
Kendall Pollard, 6-5, WF, Chicago (Simeon) … DAYTON
Jabari Sandifer, 6-1, PG, Naperville (Neuqua Valley) … WESTERN ILLINOIS
Kendall Stephens, 6-5, 2G, St. Charles (East) … PURDUE
Nathan Taphorn, 6-7, WF, Pekin … NORTHWESTERN
Jaylon Tate, 6-2, PG, Chicago (Simeon) … ILLINOIS
Lance Whitaker, 6-4, WF, Bartlett … UIC
Lexus Williams, 5-11, PG, Chicago (Marist) … VALPARAISO
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