Recruiting is a sign of looking ahead toward the future. Given it's national signing week, however, we are going to look back.
This is the 15th season in which ESPN has ranked men's college basketball recruiting classes and prospects. Currently, Michigan leads the race for the No. 1 spot in the Class of 2021. Here are the teams that have earned that ranking since 2007:
2007: USC
2008: UCLA
2009: Kentucky
2010: Kentucky
2011: Kentucky
2012: UCLA
2013: Kentucky
2014: Duke
2015: Duke
2016: Kentucky
2017: Duke
2018: Duke
2019: Memphis
2020: Kentucky
But of those, which ones are the best? We rank the top five No. 1-ranked recruiting classes based on how their groups of prospects impacted their school, how far they led their college in the NCAA tournament, where those players were drafted and how they are faring professionally.
5. 2012 UCLA Bruins
Prospects: Shabazz Muhammad (No. 2), Kyle Anderson (No. 5), Tony Parker (No. 26), Jordan Adams (No. 41)
Ben Howland recruited this group after going to three consecutive Final Fours. In their lone season together, they were upset as a No. 6 seed in the second round of the NCAA tournament, however, that does not tell the whole story of this recruiting class.
Muhammad, the McDonald's All American Game MVP, was ineligible to start the season due to impermissible benefits, but once he stepped onto the court, he made a big impact with the Bruins, averaging 17.9 points and was named Pac-12 co-Freshman of the Year. He was selected 14th overall in the 2013 NBA draft and spent five seasons in the league before playing professionally in China.
Anderson was the epitome of versatility thanks to his ability to play multiple positions. He helped lead St. Anthony High School (New Jersey) to a 65-0 record in his last two years. In Westwood, he brought UCLA to a Pac-12 title and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2014. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his two seasons before being drafted 30th overall.
Parker won four straight championships at Miller Grove High School (Georgia) and was named Mr. Georgia as a senior. He played all four seasons at UCLA and increased his scoring average each year, scoring 12.6 points per game as a senior. He last played professionally in Mexico.
Originally from Lawrenceville, Georgia, Adams is one of few players who have scored 1,000 points at powerhouse Oak Hill Academy (Virginia). He stepped onto campus as a top-50 prospect with strong defensive skills. Adams averaged 16.4 points and 2.4 steals in his two seasons. He was drafted 22nd overall in 2014, but injuries derailed his NBA prospects. He floated around in the G League and, more recently, professional leagues in Mexico.
4. 2016 Kentucky Wildcats
Prospects: Bam Adebayo (No. 5), De'Aaron Fox (No. 6), Malik Monk (No. 9), Wenyen Gabriel (No. 14), Sacha Killeya-Jones (No. 24), Tai Wynyard
Before Adebayo was an All-Star and one of the NBA's budding phenoms, he was a top recruit for John Calipari and Kentucky. He was known for his strength, explosiveness around the rim, secure hands and fluid footwork, as well as his strong passing and scoring abilities. He averaged 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, helping lead the Wildcats to an SEC title and Elite Eight appearance in his lone season. He was drafted 14th overall by the Miami Heat and averaged a double-double in his third season in the pros.
Fox was one of the fastest guards I have evaluated. In high school, he would regularly record double-doubles with points and assists. Following a senior season in which he was named a McDonald's All American, he averaged 16.7 points and 4.6 assists with Kentucky. His 39-point performance over the Lonzo Ball-led UCLA squad in the Sweet 16 sent the Wildcats to the Elite Eight, and Fox was eventually drafted fifth overall by the Sacramento Kings.
Monk was a scoring machine in high school, and that prowess translated to the college game, where he led the team with 19.8 points per game. He shot 39.7% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the line, being named SEC Player of the Year. The Charlotte Hornets drafted him 11th overall in 2017, with whom the 22-year-old has averaged 8.6 points on 39.5% shooting.
Gabriel had only a few Division I offers before he blossomed during his rising senior summer playing for Mass Rivals. He averaged 4.6 points in 17.7 minutes per game as a freshman, and those numbers went up to 6.8 points and 23.1 minutes as a sophomore. He averaged 1.1 blocks in the 2017-18 season, and most recently he worked his way onto the Portland Trail Blazers' roster.
Wynyard played only limited minutes for Kentucky in his first season. In his second season, he was injured and then suspended for a violation of team rules. He transferred after his sophomore year to Santa Clara and is now in the New Zealand NBL. Killeya-Jones transferred after his sophomore year to NC State and now plays professionally in Poland.
3. 2018 Duke Blue Devils
Prospects: RJ Barrett (No. 1), Zion Williamson (No. 2), Cam Reddish (No. 3), Tre Jones (No. 17), Joey Baker (No. 41)
Coach Mike Krzyzewski did something that had never been done before with this recruiting class: land the top three overall recruits. The youngest team in college basketball, Duke won the ACC title for the 21st time and reached the Elite Eight, as the Blue Devils were the biggest show in men's college basketball in the 2018-19 season.
Barrett led Montverde Academy (Florida) to an undefeated season and GEICO national championship in 2018, and he also represented Canada in the FIBA U19 World Cup. He made his presence felt with Duke, averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his lone season with the Blue Devils, leading to his all-ACC first-team selection. The New York Knicks drafted him third overall in the 2019 draft, and he averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 56 games as a rookie.
A generational talent, Williamson cemented his identity with an incredible highlight reel, amazing physical tools and a strong skill set that set up mismatches on the court. He was named consensus national player of the year and was a perfect 13-for-13 from the field in an ACC tournament win over Syracuse, a school and tournament record. The No. 1 draft pick was limited to 24 games due to injury, but he averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 boards with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Reddish was listed as the No. 3 prospect, but people could make the case he was the most talented among this core. A 6-7, 203-pound small forward from Westtown School (Pennsylvania), Reddish averaged 13.5 points with the Blue Devils, demonstrating his playmaking abilities and scoring prowess. He was drafted 10th overall by the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 10.5 points as a rookie.
Jones, the younger brother of Tyus Jones, worked his way into the top 20 thanks to his strong defensive abilities. He often went overshadowed as a freshman, averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds. As a sophomore, he assumed a larger role, and his game reflected that by being named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He is projected as a late first-round pick or early second-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Baker played sparingly as a freshman and averaged 5.0 points and 12.1 minutes per game as a sophomore.
2. 2014 Duke Blue Devils
Prospects: Jahlil Okafor (No. 1), Tyus Jones (No. 4), Justise Winslow (No. 15), Grayson Allen (No. 21)
Four years before landing the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 prospects, Krzyzewski landed four McDonald's All Americans and four future first-round NBA draft picks. This class had tremendous firepower and chemistry, which led the Blue Devils to the national championship.
With his 6-10, 265-pound frame, great hands and efficient footwork, Okafor was the most dominant big man as a high school senior. He earned the prestigious Morgan Wootten McDonald's National Player of the Year out of Chicago's Whitney Young High School. Okafor was unstoppable in the paint, on the glass and at the rim. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds en route to ACC Player of the Year honors. He has averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds with three teams in his five-year NBA career since being the third overall pick by the Pelicans in 2015.
Jones was the top-ranked point guard in the class, a steady hand during Duke's championship run. He shot 37.9% from beyond the arc and 88.9% from the line while averaging 5.6 assists. His 26-point, five-rebound performance in the national championship game over Wisconsin led to him taking home the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award, and it was a big reason why he was drafted 24th overall in 2015. He is now with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Winslow, a four-year starter at St. John's High School (Texas), was a McDonald's All American who was a scoring and rebounding mismatch for opponents at the NCAA level. Prior to the NCAA tournament, he averaged 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds, but in the Big Dance, those numbers went up to 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds. He was drafted 10th overall by the Miami Heat in 2015 and is now with the Grizzlies.
Allen averaged just 4.4 points in 9.2 minutes as a freshman, but his 16-point performance in the national championship game helped set the tone for his next three years in Durham. He became one of the best players in college basketball during that time, averaging 21.6 points as a sophomore, 14.5 as a junior and 15.5 as a senior. Allen was drafted 21st overall by the Utah Jazz in 2018, and he, too, is now with the Grizzlies.
1. 2011 Kentucky Wildcats
Prospects: Anthony Davis (No. 1), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (No. 4), Marquis Teague (No. 8), Kyle Wiltjer (No. 19)
Since Calipari arrived in Lexington, the Wildcats have had either the No. 1 or No. 2 class in each year except 2019, when they were third. Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague all finished with the No. 1 spot at their respective positions. Their strong résumé, skills and collective power, as well as veteran leadership from players like Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones, led Kentucky to the 2012 championship.
It helped, of course, that Davis was the best player in all of college basketball that year. He was a late-blooming prospect with guard-like skill early in high school before a growth spurt pushed him to 6-10. He was unanimous national player of the year, Final Four Most Outstanding Player, national freshman of the year and SEC player of the year, averaging 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks for a Kentucky squad that finished 38-2. Since leaving after his freshman year, he was drafted No. 1 overall and has gone on to become one of the NBA's top players: a seven-time All-Star who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship.
Kidd-Gilchrist would beat opponents with his will and skill. He was an elite defense-minded player who excelled in transition, scored on second chances and put his opponents into foul trouble. He was named co-MVP of the McDonald's All American Game and averaged 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Wildcats. He was drafted right behind Davis in the 2012 draft and was named to the NBA all-rookie second team. He is now with the Dallas Mavericks.
Teague had tremendous straight-line speed and was a tough on ball defender. Starting all 40 games at point guard as a freshman, Teague averaged 10 points and 4.9 assists. He was drafted 29th overall in 2012.
Wiltjer was a big man who had a great shooting stroke. He came off the bench to average 5.0 points and shoot 43.2% from beyond the arc as a freshman. After a sophomore season in which he averaged 10.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, he transferred to Gonzaga, where he averaged 18.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in two seasons. He appeared in 14 games with the Houston Rockets in the 2016-17 season before playing overseas.