TUCSON, Ariz. -- And the No. 1 team in college basketball is ... Arizona. Well, at least when it comes to recruiting.
Scout.com named Arizona at No. 1 on Thursday after UA announced the signing of four players.
"Sean Miller's recruiting success since he arrived at Arizona has been well-documented," Scout.com's Evan Daniels wrote. "The past four years his recruiting class has been ranked in the top 5. That will continue this year. To date, the Wildcats have the best class in the country with three five-stars and a top 50 recruit. The scary thing is they are still in the hunt for five-star big men Stephen Zimmerman and Ivan Rabb."
Arizona enters Friday's season-opener with Mount St. Mary's as the No. 2 team in the polls. But it's already been a good week for Miller with the signings.
"This is an important class for us, as we're bracing for and expect a number of underclassmen on this year's team to pursue professional careers," Miller said in a release. "With the combination of seniors and underclassmen we will lose after this season, this class is significant in many ways. Two qualities we love about this class are that each member is a high-character individual and the fact that their qualities on the court complement each other very well."
Arizona is expected to lose Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Stanley Johnson to the NBA next season. T.J. McConnell is a senior, as is backup big man Matt Korcheck.
The recruiting class is comprised of a center (6-foot-10 Chance Comanche), a forward (6-8 Ray Smith) and two guards (6-5 Justin Simon and 6-5 Allonzo Trier).
Ray Smith (Las Vegas High)
No. 12 by Scout.com.
"Ray was hit with a setback this summer when he tore his ACL in July," Miller said.
"If there's a gift to that happening, it's when it happened. He has a great chance to make a full recovery and be 100 percent by the time school begins for him as a freshman at Arizona. Ray is a terrific athlete who can really get up and down the floor. He has the size you want as a small forward, and he can really pass, shoot and dribble. He's a very skilled basketball player with great size."
Allonzo Trier makes a move against Team Canada during the Nike Global Challenge this summer.
Allonzo Trier (Las Vegas Findlay Prep)
No. 13 by Scout.com.
He played for Team USA at the U18 FIBA Americas Championship last summer, a teammate of current UA player Stanley Johnson and coached by Miller.
"I know Allonzo well, having been one of his coaches last summer with USA Basketball," Miller said.
"He has a natural way of scoring that's really striking as a coach. He gets to the foul line as well as anyone I've seen at his age, and he has physicality to his game that makes him incredibly efficient. He's also a very good passer and can play more than one position, which makes him even better."
Justin Simon (Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, N.H.)
No. 17 by Scout.com. Is from Temecula, Calif.
"Justin is the ultimate versatile player in that he can play, and defend, as many as three positions," Miller said.
"He has great size as a guard. His disposition and length give him a chance to be very special defensive player. Regardless of what position he plays, he's an exceptional passer who really has a great feel for making his teammates better. He really fits our style of play in a number of different areas."
Chance Comanche (Beverly Hills, Calif., High)
No. 44 overall by Scout.com.
"Chance has a bright future," Miller said in a release. "He loves the game and he plays hard. As he gets bigger and stronger, the sky is the limit because he already has a great feel and skill level. As somebody who can make shots, score around the basket and run the court, we love where he's going to be in his future."
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