ESPN Insider: Pair of Wildcats could be one-and-done
Apr 22, 2013, 5:41 PM | Updated: 6:57 pm
The University of Arizona basketball team is awaiting the arrival of two of ESPN’s top-20 recruits for their 2013-14 season.
Whether or not they remain Wildcats for more than a year remains to be seen, as ESPN’s Chad Ford writes in an Insider piece that forwards Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are among the 2014 top-10 NBA prospects.
Gordon, who committed to Arizona in early April, ranks fourth in ESPN’s top 100. As a senior this past season, he averaged 21.6 points, 15.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 blocks per game at Archbishop Mitty High School in California.
5. Aaron Gordon | F | Arizona
Gordon might be the second-best athlete in this class, behind Wiggins. He flies up and down the floor, explodes at the rim and excels in transition. But he’s a bit of a tweener right now. He lacks elite size at the power forward position and doesn’t have a jump shot or ballhandling skills yet to play small forward. But few players combine the athletic skills he possesses with the motor he displays. He had a quiet night at the Hoop Summit but was the MVP of the McDonald’s game with 24 points and eight rebounds. Many compare him to a young Blake Griffin. Gordon, too, looks like a potential top-10 pick.
Hollis-Jefferson was named the Pennsylvania 4A high school MVP in his senior season. In the McDonald’s All-American game, the 6-foot-8 forward tallied nine points with two rebounds, two assists and one steal.
10. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | SF | Arizona
Hollis-Jefferson isn’t a particularly polished offensive player, but he’s a hound defensively. He can guard multiple positions, rebounds and plays with great athleticism and toughness. Like Young, his jump shot still needs major work, but he clearly showed his value in the Hoop Summit game, playing great defense, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds. He’s a sleeper first-rounder.
