Breaking down Kentucky's top-ranked 2013 recruiting class

Talk of Kentucky and John Calipari's recruiting prowess will once again be the dominant theme of college basketball's spring signing period, which begins Wednesday and runs through May 15.

An unprecedented talent haul – even by Calipari's standards – is expected to make its way to Lexington next fall.

Six of the top 13 prospects in the 247Sports Class of 2013 rankings are included in the group of eight, headlined by No. 2 overall prospect Julius Randle and identical twin guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison – ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.

It's the deepest and most talented crop of stars Calipari has brought to the Bluegrass State, which is significant considering UK has landed the top-ranked recruiting class every year since 2009.



Names like Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Brandon Knight, Marquis Teague and John Wall have all come and gone during an unmatched run of recruiting success.

The recruitment of No. 1 overall prospect Andrew Wiggins is the other juicy storyline of the signing period and it also involves Kentucky. While the Wildcats are starting to look like a bit of longshot, never count out Calipari. Florida State, Kansas and North Carolina are also involved.

With or without Wiggins, the debate will continue through the beginning of the 2013-14 season – is this the greatest recruiting class in college basketball history? Click through for a breakdown. {PAGEBREAK} Julius Randle
High School: Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-8, 235 pounds
Position: Power forward
247 rankings: No. 2 overall, No. 1 power forward
2012-13 season: Missed virtually entire regular season with injury but returned to lead Prestonwood Christian to Texas private school state title.
What to expect in Lexington: Randle will be the centerpiece of a loaded frontcourt. A strong candidate to be UK's leading scorer and rebounder in 2013-14.

{PAGEBREAK} Aaron Harrison
High School: Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
Position: Shooting guard
247 rankings: No. 3 overall, No. 1 shooting guard
2012-13 season: Second team All-American by MaxPreps led Travis to Class 5A state title, averaging 23.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
What to expect in Lexington: Immediate starter, producer and impact performer. Will combine with twin brother Andrew and James Young to give the Wildcats one of the top backcourts in college basketball.

{PAGEBREAK} Andrew Harrison
High School: Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
Position: Point guard
247 ranking: No. 4 overall, No. 1 point guard
2012-13 season: Fought through injuries but returned to form late in season to help Tigers win Texas Class 5A state title.
What to expect in Lexington: Will be handed the keys to a Ferrari as the point guard of this high-performance outfit. Will be a major surprise if he is anything less than exceptional in that role.

{PAGEBREAK} Marcus Lee
High School: Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds
Position: Power forward/center
247 rankings: No. 9 overall, No. 3 power forward
2012-13 season: Lifted a school with little basketball tradition to new heights, piling up 17.9 points, 19.2 rebounds and 6.9 blocked shots per game.
What to expect in Lexington: Lee's athleticism and length should allow him to contribute at multiple positions. However, those positions figure to be stacked next year. Though the Bay Area product has one-and-done-type of physical gifts, spending a couple of years in the weight room at Kentucky wouldn't be a bad thing for his slight frame.



{PAGEBREAK} James Young
High School: Rochester (Rochester Hills, Mich.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 210 pounds
Position: Shooting guard/small forward
247 rankings: No. 11 overall, No. 4 small forward
2012-13 season: Piled up 26.4 points, 14.2 rebounds and more than five assists and steals per game, winning Associated Press and Bank Hoops Class A Player of the Year honors in Michigan.
What to expect in Lexington: Another versatile addition, Young should log heavy minutes at the two and three spot right away. Expect him to join the Harrison twins in the starting lineup.

{PAGEBREAK} Dakari Johnson
High School: Montverde Academy (Fla.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 250 pounds
Position: Center
247 rankings: No. 13 overall, No. 1 center
2012-13 season: Numbers weren't overwhelming playing alongside a half-dozen other major college recruits at Montverde, but earned MVP honors at prestigious City of Palms Classic. Johnson and Eagles won National High School Invitational and finished ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Academy Top 10.
What to expect in Lexington: A starter at the five spot the moment he arrives on campus in most programs, Johnson figures into a rotation at the center spot that could include returning 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein and potentially forward/center combo Marcus Lee.
 
{PAGEBREAK} Derek Willis
High School: Bullitt East (Mt. Washington, Ky.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds
Position: Power forward/small forward
247 ranking: No. 95 overall, No. 17 small forward
2012-13 season: Sixth Region Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball finalist led Bullitt East to 29-6 record and 108 wins in four years with the program.
What to expect in Lexington: An intriguing prospect who some believe has the ability to develop into an oversized wing, Willis' impact on the floor won't be felt for a couple of years.

{PAGEBREAK} Dominique Hawkins
High School: Madison Central (Richmond, Ky.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds
Position: Point guard/shooting guard
247 ranking: No. 44 point guard
2012-13 season: Earned Mr. Basketball honors in Kentucky after leading Madison Central to single-class state title. Averaged 19.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on the season, but pumped in more than 26 points per game in Kentucky's Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena – his future college home court.
What to expect in Lexington: UK is Hawkins' dream school and he will likely have to wait a year or two for a spot in the rotation.