Top Recruits in the Class of 2008

Of the top 25 recruits in the Class of 2008 (per scout.com), six of them have yet to decide which school they will attend in the fall of 2008. I offer a quick take on each of them.

#1 Greg Monroe-

Monroe is a player that just oozes upside. This 6-10 prospect will make an immediate impact and start at any school he chooses. Monroe is the best rebounder in the Class of '08 and probably a one and done.

Considering: Kansas, LSU, Duke, Baylor, Georgetown, Kentucky, Texas, USC.
Pick: Duke.
Darkhorse: Kentucky.

#4 Tyreke Evans-

The #4 player in this class hails from Pennsylvania. An excellent 3 point shooter and big time scorer, Evans will make an impact similar to Kevin Durant at the school he chooses. While he is not as tall and doesn't play the same position as Durant, he has a high basketball IQ and can play the 1, 2, or the 3. Also will most likely be a one and done player. Louisville will be very tough to beat because Rick Pitino has been on this kid since he was 13 years old. Connecticut and Seton Hall are making a great effort to get him.

Considering: Louisville, Villanova, Seton Hall, Memphis, Connecticut, Texas.
Pick: Louisville.
Darkhorse: Seton Hall.

#14 Elliot Williams-

Perhaps Williams' best reputation is as a student. However, he's a pretty decent basketball player as well. A 6-4 pure athlete, Williams will slice through defenses and open up the wings for other players or even himself. He averaged 26 ppg as a sophomore in high school. He has narrowed his list to four schools and figures to make a decision after he finishes his official visits.

Considering: Memphis, Duke, Tennessee, Virginia.
Pick: Duke.
Darkhorse: Tennessee.

#15 Iman Shumpert-

A great combo guard with a ton of potential, Shumpert recently disappointed Illinois fans by eliminating them from his list. Shumpert was wowed by his visit to Chapel Hill and they appear to be the clear favorite at this point. He will be a great scorer from the wing on his new team.

Considering: Georgia Tech, Marquette, North Carolina.
Pick: North Carolina.
Darkhorse: Georgia Tech.

#16 Tyler Zeller-

Zeller is the brother of Notre Dame player Luke Zeller. A big time center with a ton of upside, Zeller appears to be favoring North Carolina. He said location is not a factor, so that doesn't bode well for local schools Purdue, Notre Dame, and Indiana. UNC was his first official visit and he will make three more to the aforementioned schools later this month and in October. Zeller has NBA player written all over him.

Considering: Indiana, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Purdue.
Pick: North Carolina
Darkhorse: Indiana.

#24 Willie Warren-

Another stud out of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, Warren is a big time scorer who will fill up the box score with every statistic. Warren does need to improve on his defense, quite possibly the reason he isn't ranked near the top ten. Any player out of Oak Hill should be taken seriously and Willie Warren is no exception.

Considering: Arizona, Baylor, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas State, Louisville.
Pick: Florida.
Darkhorse: Connecticut.

Some other notes:

#39 Sylven Landesberg appears to be a heavy Virginia lean at this point. If he stays local, (he's from New York City) expect Norm Roberts and St. John's to win his services.

#49 Kevin Jones needs to start cutting his list down. This big time forward will be a great four year player no matter where he goes, but his list is simply too long at this point. It includes Indiana, Miami, Ohio State, West Virginia, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Massachusetts, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia, and St. John's.

#58 Mookie Jones (no relation to Kevin) is a strong Syracuse lean. Jim Boeheim has done a great job with him. Jones does have questionable academics which may turn some programs off.

#93 Quintrell Thomas looks to be headed to Kansas or Maryland. Rutgers is making a strong play for the local kid and may have a pretty good chance.

There were rumors that #13 Devin Ebanks might not honor his commitment to Indiana and go to Rutgers instead. As of now, I don't see that happening.

That's all for now. Look for some conference previews later on in October as the season is approaching quickly.

Appalachian State takes down #5 Michigan

Division 1-AA Appalachian State shocked the legions of Michigan fans in the Big House today, knocking off the Wolverines by a score of 34-32. I am certainly no fan of college football, but this has to rank among the greatest upsets of all time in any sport.

It also illustrates how unfair the college football bowl system is. With this loss, Michigan has lost any chance it had of winning the national title. While this was a terrible loss, one single loss should not exclude a team from competing for a national title. What if Michigan goes 11-1 and wins the Big Ten? If that's the case, they deserve a shot at a title assuming there aren't two undefeated teams from power conferences ahead of them. Even with all that said, it won't matter. This loss will preclude them from getting to the BCS championship game no matter how they perform during the rest of the season.

College football needs a playoff system or a tournament. Anything but the BCS.