Class of 2012 forward Grant Jerrett is a significant addition for 2012-13 for Arizona but he will need help on the frontcourt (WildcatSportsReport.com photo)

Arizona’s recruiting effort among Class of 2012 talent started as well as anybody could imagine for a program still in reloading mode under second-year coach Sean Miller.

The Wildcats received a verbal commitment last Nov. 27 from LaVerne (Calif.) Lutheran power forward Grant Jerrett, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound player who plays much larger than that with a 7-foot-1-inch wingspan. He still has another season to grow and mature into an even more dominant player before he heads to Tucson.

His teammate Eric Cooper Jr. is a Class of 2013 guard who has also verbally committed to play with the Wildcats.

By the 2012-13 season, the UA should have at least three scholarship spots to fill. The Wildcats will lose three seniors (possibly four) before that season: Kyle Fogg, Brendon Lavender and Jesse Perry are the three players who should exhaust their eligibility after the 2011-12 season.

Current four-year junior Alex Jacobson has not played much this season because he is outside the UA’s 10-player rotation. It’s not certain whether Jacobson will return next season.

Miller has recruited particularly strong at the guard position in the Class of 2011 with Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep’s Nick Johnson and Winston-Salem (N.C.) Quality Education Academy’s Josiah Turner signed and ready to arrive in Tucson by July.

The Class of 2011 also includes Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy power forward Sidiki Johnson, and potentially San Diego Hoover power forward Angelo Chol, who will officially visit the UA campus on Saturday and Sunday.

Chol, 6-9, 220, will also visit Washington the weekend of Feb. 12-13 before making a decision on Feb. 17. His finalists are Arizona, Washington, Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas.

Not yet including Chol, Arizona’s 2012-13 roster composition looks like this in terms of positions (with players currently under scholarship, except for Jacobson and Derrick Williams, who might head to the NBA before his senior season):

Point guards: Turner and Jordin Mayes

Shooting guards: Nick Johnson, LaMont “MoMo” Jones and Daniel Bejarano

Small forwards: Solomon Hill and Kevin Parrom

Power forwards: Sidiki Johnson and Jerrett

Post players: Kyryl Natyazhko

Parrom — a projected senior that season along with Hill, Jones and Natyazhko — could evolve into a power forward. The position breakdown makes it obvious that Arizona is loaded on the perimeter and wing with players like Nick Johnson, Bejarano and Jones able to switch between the guard positions.

The void is on the frontcourt where Jerrett will be raw and so likely will Sidiki Johnson, who might need a year to become accustomed to the college game after missing most of this season at Oak Hill with a hairline stress fracture in his left foot.

At the post, the Wildcats will need more than Natyazhko, who could mature into a more productive player, but at the moment his playing time is dwindling. Chol’s inclusion would be very significant in making Miller’s frontcourt much more potent. Without question, Chol can have a similar impact with the Wildcats in 2012-13 as Williams is now having as a sophomore.

Ten players are listed above for 12 scholarship spots. Miller and his staff could stand to add more frontcourt help provided this roster stay intact.

Significant frontcourt prospects for the Class of 2012 include Oakland (Calif.) Bishop O’Dowd post player Brandon Ashley (teammate of Nick Johnson and Turner with the AAU Drew Gordon Soldiers), Landen Lucas at Findlay and Las Vegas Bishop Gorman forwards Rosco Allen and Ben Carter.

Lucas, 6-9, 240, is still developing as an inside force under Findlay coach Mike Peck. He currently plays behind junior Winston Shepherd and shares time with junior Anthony Bennett. In Findlay’s 89-86 double-overtime win over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, Lucas scored three points and grabbed six rebounds.

“Arizona is still a possibility for me,” said Lucas, who has been offered a scholarship by Arizona and other Pac-10 schools such as USC and the Oregon and Washington schools. “Right now, my list is wide open and I haven’t narrowed anything down, but Arizona is a great school. I can see myself there.

“I still communicate with their coaches. I respect them.”

Carter, 6-8, 210, told me after Saturday’s game that he is “really serious with Arizona.” He played impressively, looking under control in front of the packed gym at the Cox Pavilion, which included major-college coaches such as Washington’s Lorenzo Romar, UCLA’s Ben Howland and UNLV’s Lon Kruger.

Carter finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.

“ I know they are a great team,” Carter said about Arizona. “I know Nick Johnson is going there. He’s already committed. Then there’s Josiah Turner and Grant Jerrett. I know they have great talent coming in so there is definitely a lot of interest for me going there.”

Allen, presently more of a small forward than power forward, has been high on Arizona’s list because of his basketball IQ, passing from the wing and shooting ability. He never got in the flow of Gorman’s offense Saturday, scoring only seven points.

Ashley, 6-8, 210, is a highly-touted prospect who is also considering the likes of UCLA, Cal, Kansas and Kentucky, to name a few.

Another potential Class of 2012 prospect for Arizona playing in the game for Gorman was former Marana Mountain View forward Demetris Morant, a very raw player who is only in his third year of organized basketball. Morant had two of the more impressive plays Saturday on putback dunks. His vertical leap is impressive, but his inside moves and rebounding position need a lot of work.

Class of 2012 forward Grant Jerrett (left) and Class of 2013 guard Eric Cooper donned UA caps during the LaVerne (Calif.) Lutheran media day last month (Photo courtesy of Eric Cooper Sr.)

Eric Cooper Sr. told me tonight his son Eric Cooper Jr., a promising Class of 2013 point guard, and highly-touted Class of 2012 forward Grant Jerrett came to the conclusion “that they had enough” and were ready to verbally commit to Arizona.

“They both have been to a lot of places,” Cooper Sr. said, referring to their unofficial trips to North Carolina, Duke, UA, USC, UCLA, UNLV, and California (among other places). “Grant was starting to get a lot of phone calls, a ton of them. He was ready to move on.

“In Eric’s case, he’s seen a lot of places and coaches know what kind of talent he has.”

Cooper Sr. is a former UA guard, signed by Lute Olson in 1985, and he coaches Jerrett and Cooper Jr. at LaVerne (Calif.) Lutheran.

Although Cooper Sr. attended the UA (before transferring to Texas-San Antonio after his freshman season) he did not sway his son’s decision one way or the other.

“Yes, that is true, he independently came to me to let me know he was ready to become a Wildcat,” Cooper Sr. said. “This definitely what he wanted.”

Cooper Sr., who dealt with plenty of coaches and different recruiting approaches, found UA coach Sean Miller‘s pitch refreshing.

“They basically took on all-comers,” Cooper Sr. said. “Their coaches put it out there that if you wanted to talk to them, they would listen. They have been very open to Grant and Eric and a lot of other kids.

“We knew all along that Arizona was interested. It is what it is with their commitment and they are very happy with it.”

Cooper Sr. added that he spent some time going over the advantages and disadvantages of each of the prospects’ suitors.

“They went through each program and they came to the conclusion that Arizona had more advantages than the others,” Cooper Sr. said. “Both of them feel like they can grow as players and young men under Coach Miller.

“Coach Miller has proven himself to be a great coach and he’s got that program headed in the right direction.”

During LaVerne’s media day last month, Cooper Sr. suggested to Jerrett and Cooper Jr. to try on different baseball caps of the teams recruiting them. Cooper Sr. released the photo of the two wearing Arizona caps to the media tonight. The cap and the school seems to be a good fit.

“Grant has visited the UCLA campus like 25 to 30 times,” Cooper Sr. said. “He’s been to USC a lot of times as well as Cal and Stanford. They’ve been to Arizona, UNLV, Duke, North Carolina … to a lot of places in the last two to three years.

“In the end, they felt that Arizona was best for them. Now they can concentrate on their schoolwork and improving their game.”

• Arizona’s chance to land Class of 2012 prospect not out of reach
• Eric Cooper Sr. reliving the recruiting process with Arizona again 25 years later

Grant Jerrett and Eric Cooper Jr. smile for the camera during LaVerne (Calif.) Lutheran media day last month. Photo courtesy of Eric Cooper Sr.

Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School coach Jim Harris, a 31-year coaching veteran in California, indicated to me last year that Arizona coach Sean Miller is not too far off from establishing a recruiting base in the West.

“Lute (Olson) was very much into recruiting this area, partly because he coached high school basketball around here,” said Harris, who coaches against Santa Ana Mater Dei, a program that has turned out former UA standouts Miles Simon, Reggie Geary and junior center Alex Jacobson.

“He knew a lot of us coaches who have been around a while. When he expressed interest in a player, he got the information and help he needed because of his connections. Coach Miller is starting to do that.

“Arizona is a national university as far as basketball is concerned. All that needs to happen now is for Coach Miller to lay the groundwork in California and be consistent in recruiting this area. I can certainly see him doing that consistently.

“A lot of the coaches and players in California have that same positive feeling about Arizona as before and that’s partly because of Coach Miller. He’s off to an impressive start.”

Harris’ comments were last November before Miller beat Kansas for high-profile Sacramento (Calif.) High School guard Josiah Turner. Nick Johnson, a program changer from Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep, also signed with UA after comitting in August.

Class of 2013 guard Eric Cooper Sr. was named recently the Team USA Developmental National Team

In his first recruiting class at Arizona, amassed in a mere three months, Miller inked California products Derrick Williams and Solomon Hill, both of whom are significant reasons why Arizona is 5-0 with a winning margin of 30.6 points heading into tonight’s game against No. 6 Kansas.

In his second class, Miller signed Phoenix North guard Daniel Bejarano (a former Texas commit) and Los Angeles (Calif.) Westchester High School point guard Jordin Mayes, who should evolve into one of the better freshmen in the Pac-10 this season.

Before Miller moved from Xavier to Arizona, he did not recruit a player west of the Mississippi. His recruiting focus was on Ohio and other parts of the Midwest in addition to the East coast with New York-based AAU director Book Richardson on his staff.

Miller now has his first Five-Star recruit overall in Turner for the Class of 2011. News broke this morning from Dave Telep of Scout.com that Miller has achieved commitments from Class of 2012 forward Grant Jerrett and Class of 2013 guard Eric Cooper Jr.

Jerrett, a Five-Star prospect, and Cooper play at La Verne (Calif.) Lutheran for former UA player Eric Cooper Sr. They are slated to announce their commitment tonight at a press conference at Lutheran.

Cooper Sr. told me in July that Jerrett, who stands at 6-9 and has a wingspan of 7-1, is a coach’s dream.

Grant Jerrett is only a junior who figures to grow more than where he is at now 6-9 with a 7-1 wing span

“He’s not an egomaniac,” Cooper Sr. said.

“He’s not concerned with being the superstar but he’s going to be a superstar. He does not take bad shots. I tell him just be a player and be an impossible matchup. If you’re on a big, take him outside. If the guy guarding you is small, take him inside. Dirk Nowitzki does that in the NBA.”

Cooper Jr., added to the the Team USA Developmental National Team (Under 16) earlier this fall, was unable to play during the summer AAU tournaments because of a stress fracture in his right leg.

“He got caught up in a situation where his bones are growing at the same time he had the stress fracture,” Cooper Sr. told me. “He’s growing and trying to play at the same time. The doctors feel it’s best that he take some time off to let it heal.”

Any concerns about Miller and his staff (primarily Archie Miller and James Whitford, who recruit mostly in the West) being able to sign top-notch talent in these parts can be put to bed. Miller also has a streak going against Kansas coach Bill Self for landing recruits.

Self won the battle for Baltimore’s Josh Selby last year. Miller nabbed Turner, Jerrett and Cooper Jr., all of whom were recruited by Kansas.

Belmont Shore coach Dinos Trigonis, the AAU coach for Cooper Jr. and Jerrett, indicated to media this morning that UCLA, Washington, Duke, USC and Texas expressed a strong interest in both of them. North Carolina coach Dean Smith was also the Tar Heels’ primary recruiter for Jerrett. He attended most of Jerrett’s games during the summer in Las Vegas.

Comments from recruiting guru Van Coleman, the editor of Hoopmasters.com, on Jerrett and Cooper Jr.:

On Jerrett: “He is a talented face-up junior, who Hoopmasters has rated as No. 24 in the Class of 2012. He is just coming into his own as a dominate face-up player. He can handle and create drive or pop 15 to 17 footers off the dribble. As he gets stronger, he will become an impact talent in the Pac-10.”

On Cooper Jr.: “He is a rangy 6-4 combo guard who has tools to mature into a point at the next level. He is currently rated our No. 35 sophomore. He has the ability to score from three or off the dribble and is becoming a solid passer off the dribble. He will be an immediate contributor down the road for the Cats.”

Verbal commitments are non-binding. Miller and has staff are unable to comment about Jerrett and Cooper Jr. per NCAA rules.

Former UA guard Eric Cooper is reliving the recruiting process, now as coach and father of Class of 2013 prospect Eric Cooper Jr.

LAS VEGAS — Eric Cooper is familiar with the stage of Sean Miller‘s program at Arizona because he experienced a similar phase in Lute Olson’s timeline with the Wildcats.

Cooper was part of Olson’s famed Class of 1985, arguably the best Olson amassed, that included Sean Elliott, Anthony Cook, Kenny Lofton and Bruce Wheatley.

That was Olson’s third class at Arizona. Olson’s first class included emergency plug-ins, such as Steve Kerr, Pete Williams and Eddie Smith following Ben Lindsey‘s 4-24 debacle in 1982-83. Olson’s recruiting scope broadened with his second class, in which he signed his first McDonald’s All-American Craig McMillan.

Olson’s third recruiting class with Cooper, Elliott and Co., hit the mother lode, a result of the former coach’s ability to take the UA to the NCAA tournament in only his second season. Olson’s full potential was not realized at the time of their signing, however.

Olson had no Pac-10 titles and no Final Fours with the Wildcats at that point. Sellouts at McKale Center were not yet the norm. McKale Center, which had a capacity of 13,658 at the time, averaged 7,297 fans in Olson’s first year and 10,932 in his second.

“The team has a little bit to prove,” Cooper said Saturday when asked of his thoughts about Arizona’s program under Miller. “The coaching staff has a little bit to prove. The fan support is there on another level.”

The average attendance during Miller’s first season was 13,815, slightly less than the current McKale Center capacity of 14,545.

“I went down there in February and watched them play USC,” Cooper added. “The crowd was good, the best in the West, as far as I can see. UNLV has a good fan base, but I was really impressed to see the Arizona crowd.

“And they are intelligent fans. They do all the little things to do keep (the atmosphere) high level.”

Cooper was in Tucson that day with his son Eric Cooper Jr., a Class of 2013 guard prospect who is a recruiting target of Miller and his staff. He coaches Cooper Jr. at La Verne (Calif.) Lutheran High School and with the Belmont Shore AAU program. Cooper Sr. was in Las Vegas last weekend at the Fab 48 tournament at Bishop Gorman High School.

His son remained home in California nursing a stress fracture in his right leg. He can not return to the court until at least September, maybe longer.

“He got caught up in a situation where his bones are growing at the same time he had the stress fracture,” Cooper Sr. said. “He’s growing and trying to play at the same time. The doctors feel it’s best that he take some time off to let it heal.”

Cooper Jr., only 15 years old, is taking the time off from basketball in stride. His father said he is not showing frustration.

“He’s the type of kid that he is like, ‘Ok, what do I do next?’ It’s not a sad thing or happy thing. It’s just normal.”

Cooper Sr. knows all about overcoming obstacles in basketball. He and Wheatley transferred from Arizona after their freshman season. They followed former UA assistant coach Ken Burmeister in 1986 to Texas-San Antonio, where Burmeister became head coach, because of the promise of much more playing time.

Cooper Sr. faced the likelihood of sharing minutes or playing behind Steve Kerr, Craig McMillan and Kenny Lofton. Wheatley figured to never play much behind Cook and Tom Tolbert.

Burmeister admitted to reporters in 1988, when UTSA was in the NCAA tournament, that Cooper Sr. and Wheatley were not inclined to leave Arizona at first.

“They just wanted to play,” Burmeister said. “We had to recruit them hard to get here (to UTSA), to be honest.”

Cooper Sr. said he remains in contact with some of his former Arizona teammates. He communicates often with McMillan, the head coach of Santa Rosa (Calif.) College. McMillan picks his brain and inquires about some of Cooper Sr.’s AAU players.

After an extended playing career, which included a few years in Europe, Cooper Sr. has dedicated himself to coaching and training young talent. He coaches at the high school and AAU levels and serves as the director of Quick Shot Hoops , a training program in its 14th year of existence that assists players of all ages to prepare for the next level of competition.

Cooper Sr. and his staff work with players in elementary school, middle school, high school, college and the pros.

“Everything is fine with me at this point,” Cooper Sr. said. “I played pro ball in Europe, coached in the WNBA and other leagues. I had a kid so I had to decide if I should continue to be a pro coach and have my son see me on TV every night or bring him up and give him the same opportunity that I did.

“Once he gets out of here (graduates from high school) who knows? I’m also involved with Dream Builders Integrate, a non-profit organization that helps youth reach their potential in whatever they do. We take tours overseas. We hold award banquets and reward kids who do good things in the community.”

Cooper Jr. is appreciative of his father’s lessons on and off the court. His father’s experience playing the game, and now coaching it, is invaluable for the recruiting process. The elder Cooper has been involved with recruiting in different angles — from being recruited as a player, to dealing with colleges as a high school coach, and to now being the AAU contact for these coaches.

“I deal with the whole spectrum of communicating with Roy Williams all the way down to the lowest college,” Cooper Sr. said. “I deal with them on a daily basis. I get the kids to understand what they have to do.”

Cooper’s assistance goes beyond helping his prospects formulate a list of where they might attend college.

“I try to hear what the college coaches have to say and I write the coach’s name down,” Cooper Sr. said. “I make sure our guys learn how to communicate with 40-year-old men. It’s like learning all you need to learn to communicate with your future boss.

“It’s not about what school you want to go to. It’s about knowing how to deal with people. If you do that, you will form the best possible decision. Everything will work its way out.”

Derrick Williams was selected the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year after being recruited in Sean Miller's first class (Photo by Jason O. Watson, US Presswire)

Many coaches would agree that a recruiting class must be given at least three years before placing a value on it. So at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season we can determine where the Class of 2010 — Sean Miller’s second at Arizona — rates among those classes in the modern era (since Fred Snowden was hired in 1972).

One argument: A recruit talented enough to play one season before entering the NBA should elevate the value of that class in spite of the three-year evaluation period. That is certainly true, but in my opinion a higher value should be placed on what a class does to sustain the program’s performance over the long haul. After all, it is called a “class”, meaning it’s a group of individuals headed to college to compete together from year to year (or class to class).

Miller’s theme to date: Recruits are headed to Arizona to help build a winning program, not build a team.

His first group is an indication of how well he can recruit, especially in a limited amount of time (he was hired on April 7, four months before the next school year started). The class, which included Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Derrick Williams and sparkplug guard Lamont “MoMo” Jones, had similar success to the first class of recruits signed by Fred Snowden and Lute Olson in their inaugural seasons.

Look at some of the names Snowden and Olson were able to attract in a short period of time, also a four to five month window after their respective hire (Snowden was hired in March 1972 and Olson in March 1983):

Snowden: Ron Allen, Al Fleming, John Irving, Eric Money, Coniel Norman, and Jim Rappis.

Olson: Steve Kerr, Eddie Smith and Pete Williams.

Snowden’s first group of recruits was coined the “Kiddie Korps” because of their youth leading the Wildcats into a new era (McKale Center also opened that season). Money and Norman left to the NBA after their sophomore seasons, and Allen was a JC recruit. Irving transferred by his junior season.

Fleming and Rappis, as seniors, were part of the 1975-76 team that came one game from reaching the Final Four. With teammate Bob Elliott at center, they lost at UCLA in the West Regional final after keeping it close for two-thirds of the game.

Olson’s class in 1983 did not have a nickname but they were part of his Phase I project of instilling a winning attitude into a program that went 4-24 under Ben Lindsey the year before his arrival. Van Beard played all but three minutes as a freshman before transferring and Michael Tait transferred during his sophomore year. However, Williams, Smith and Kerr left an enduring mark on the UA program.

Williams and Smith, both junior college transfers, and Kerr helped lead the UA back to the NCAA tournament in Olson’s second season. The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA tournament every year afterward until last season. Kerr, as a senior, along with Sean Elliott captained the Wildcats to their first Final Four appearance in 1988. Kerr went on to win five NBA titles, the most by a former Wildcat.

The best recruiting classes in the modern history of Arizona basketball, in my opinion: 1, The 1985 class with Sean Elliott, Anthony Cook and Kenny Lofton; 2, The 1972 class with Money, Norman, Rappis and Fleming; and 3, The 1994 class with Miles Simon, Michael Dickerson and Ben Davis. How can you argue against a class that won a national title? That’s what Simon (Final Four MVP) and Dickerson did three years after they signed with Arizona.

Steve Kerr (left) and Lute Olson together during Sean Miller's introductory press conference last year at McKale Center (Photo by Chris Morrison, US Presswire)

In terms of the Class of 2010, Miller already has in tow shooting guard Daniel Bejarano from Phoenix North High School, which won consecutive state titles under his leadership. Bejarano signed a national letter of intent last November. The spring signing period starts Wednesday, and the UA is expected to sign Los Angeles Westchester guard Jordin Mayes and Logan (Ill.) Junior College wing player Jesse Perry.

Other recruits reportedly considering Arizona include Baltimore Lake County point guard Josh Selby, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill combo guard Doron Lamb, Detroit Country Day School point guard Ray McCallum Jr. and Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice power forward Kadeem Jack.

McCallum will announce his decision on Signing Day. Selby and Lamb will disclose their choice April 17 during halftime of the Jordan Brand All-American game at Madison Square Garden. Jack told me last week that he should announce his decision on April 28, although it may came sooner.

Other comparisons of the first-year classes of Snowden, Olson and Miller:

• Olson and Snowden recruited future NBA draft picks in Money, Norman, Fleming, Rappis, Kerr, Smith and Pete Williams (Note: Rappis, Smith and Pete Williams were drafted after the second round when the selections lasted 10 rounds). Miller’s first recruiting class appears to have at least one potential NBA player in Derrick Williams.
• Norman remains the UA’s career leader in scoring average (23.9 points a game). Fleming is still atop the the career rebounds list (with 1,190) and Kerr continues to hold the school’s three-point percentage record (57.3 percent).
• The first classes helped lead the Wildcats to their first Elite Eight (Snowden) and Final Four (Olson). By the time it exhausts its eligibility at Arizona in 2013, how far will Miller’s first class go in the postseason?
• At least one player transferred away from Arizona in each of class recruited by Snowden and Olson. All the players in Miller’s first class appear to be staying with the Wildcats for now.
• The UA went from 6-20 in Bruce Larson’s last year to 16-10 in Snowden’s first season. After Lindsey’s miserable four-win season in 1982-83, Olson’s team finished 11-17 in his first year (the last time the Wildcats had a losing record). Miller’s first team failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years, but the program tried to get back on its feet after two consecutive years with interim coaches during Olson’s retirement saga.

Here’s a look of each UA recruiting class since Snowden was hired and how the Wildcats fared three years after they were signed out of high school or junior college (future NBA draft picks are italicized and recruits who never played at Arizona, i.e. Brandon Jennings are not included):

• Head coach: Fred Snowden
  • 1972: Ron Allen, Dave Burns, Al Fleming, John Irving, Eric Money, Coniel Norman, Jim Rappis and James Wakefield. Three years later (1974-75): The UA finishes 22-7 and is selected to the National Commissioner’s Invitational Tournament. Money, Norman, Fleming and Rappis are arguably the best foursome recruiting class the Wildcats have ever produced based on pure talent. Rating (scale 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest): 9.
    

    Eric Money was a key member of Fred Snowden's first recruiting class in 1972, labeled the Kiddie Korps

  • 1973: Bob Aleksa, Bob Elliott, Jerome Gladney, Len Gordy, Herman Harris, Gary Harrison and Steve Kanner. Three years later (1975-76): The UA finishes 24-9, wins the WAC title and loses in the 1976 Elite Eight to UCLA. Elliott is the UA’s career scoring leader before Sean Elliott (no relation) breaks his record. Herman Harris’ scoring average might have increased by four points if a three-point line exists back then. Rating: 8.
  • 1974: Tom Ehlmann, Mitch Jones, Tim Marshall, Gilbert Myles, Phil Taylor. Three years later (1976-77): The UA finishes 21-6 and loses in the first round of the 1977 NCAA tournament (the last time the UA made the NCAA tournament under Snowden). Rating: 5.
  • 1975: Larry Demic, Ron Fuller, Brian Jung and Sylvester Maxey. Three years later 1977-78): The UA finishes 15-11. Demic is a first-round draft pick in 1979. Rating: 6.
  • 1976: Kenny Davis, Joe Nehls and Tommy Williams. Three years later (1978-79): The UA finishes 16-11, the last time the Wildcats have a winning record for six years. Rating: 3.
  • 1977: Russell Brown, Robby Dosty, Steve Lake and John Smith. Three years later (1979-80): The UA finishes 12-15. Brown remains the school’s career leader in assists with 810 (no other player has more than 700). Rating: 5.
  • 1978: John Belobraydic, Ray Donnelly, Greg Hawthorne, John Hutcherson, Donald Mellon, Charles Miller and Michael Zeno. Three years later (1980-81): The UA finishes 13-14. Hawthorne, Mellon and Zeno are highly-regarded recruits but nothing materializes from this group.Rating: 3.
  • 1979: Ron Davis, David Mosebar, Frank Smith Jr. and Leon Wood. Three years later (1981-82): The UA finishes 9-18 in Snowden’s last season. Wood transfers to Cal State-Fullerton after his freshman year and is later drafted in the first round. After extremely impressive recruiting classes his first couple of seasons, Snowden never really sustains that level of success and the UA gradually declines. This class is good, however, with Davis, Smith and Wood. Rating: 5.
  • 1980: Jeff Collins, Greg Cook and Ricky Walker. Three years later (1982-83): The UA finishes 4-24 in Ben Lindsey’s only season at Arizona. None of these recruits are around for that debacle. Rating: 1.
  • 1981: Brock Brunkhorst, Mark Jung, Jack Magno and John Vlahogeorge. Three years later (1983-84): The UA finishes 11-17 in Olson’s first season. The only player from this class on Olson’s first team was Brunkhorst. Rating: 2.
• Head coach: Ben Lindsey
  • 1982: Troy Cooke, Ken Ensor, David Haskin, Todd Porter, Greg Scott, Greg Taylor, Morgan Taylor and Puntus Wilson. Three years later (1984-85): The UA finishes 21-10 and returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977. Only Haskin and Morgan Taylor are there to experience it. Scott, Wilson and Porter are not retained by Olson. Rating: 2.
• Head coach: Lute Olson
  • 1983: Van Beard, Steve Kerr, Eddie Smith, Michael Tait and Pete Williams. Three years later (1985-86): The UA finishes 23-9 and wins its first Pac-10 title with Kerr as a captain. Olson credits Williams as being one of the best rebounders he’s ever coached. Beard and Tait transfer. Rating: 8.
  • 1984: Jon Edgar, Bruce Fraser, Rolf Jacobs, Craig McMillan and Joe Turner. Three years later (1986-87):The UA finishes 18-12 partly because Kerr is forced to redshirt with a knee injury. McMillan is the first McDonald’s All-American recruited by Olson to Arizona. Jacobs is dismissed from the team after breaking McMillan’s nose in practice with another in a series of elbow incidents. Edgar and Fraser, JC transfers, develop as leaders. Turner is mostly a role player known most for his affable personality. Rating: 5.
  • 1985: Anthony Cook, Eric Cooper, Sean Elliott, Kenny Lofton and Bruce Wheatley. Three years later (1987-88): The UA finishes 35-3 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It reaches its first Final Four in school history. Elliott is the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He eventually breaks Lew Alcindor’s conference scoring record. Elliott and Cook are drafted in the first round in 1989. Lofton, who leads the UA’s 1988 Final Four team in steals, emerges as a successful major league baseball player. Wheatley and Cooper transfer. Note: Cooper’s son, Eric Cooper Jr., is a Class of 2013 point guard recruit from La Verne (Calif.) Lutheran who has already been offered a scholarship by Miller and his staff. Rating: 9.
    

    Sean Elliott was part of arguably Arizona's best recruiting class ever in 1985 (Photo by Malcolm Emmons, US Presswire Archive)

  • 1986: Jud Buechler, Brian David, Harvey Mason and Tom Tolbert. Three years later (1988-89): The UA finishes 29-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10 the second straight year. Buechler goes on to the NBA and wins three titles with the Bulls. David, Mason and Tolbert (a JC recruit who departs in 1988) help form a strong team bond along with Buechler. Rating: 6.
  • 1988: Ron Curry, Mark Georgeson, Matt Muehlebach, Matt Othick, Sean Rooks and Wayne Womack. Three years later (1990-91): The UA finishes 28-7 and wins its fourth straight Pac-10 title. Curry and Georgeson transfer. Muehlebach, Othick, Rooks and Womack play through their senior seasons and form a solid team nucleus. Rating: 7.
  • 1989: Casey Schmidt and Ed Stokes. Three years later (1991-92): The UA finishes 24-7 overall, average by its standards. The Wildcats are upset by East Tennessee State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Stokes never flourished as a 7-footer. Schmidt transfers. Rating: 3.
  • 1990: Tony Clark, Kevin Flanagan, Deron Johnson and Khalid Reeves. Three years later (1992-93): The UA finishes 24-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. Kentucky transfer Chris Mills is a captain of the team. Reeves is first N.Y. product recruited by Olson and he is drafted in the first round 1994. Clark and Johnson transfer. Flanagan becomes a role player. Rating: 5.
  • 1991: Sean Allen, Ray Owes and Damon Stoudamire. Three years later (1993-94): The UA finishes 29-6 overall and advances to its second Final Four. Stoudamire becomes Olson’s sixth first-round draft pick in 1995. Owes is one of the more consistently productive players in the Olson era. Allen transfers. Rating: 6.
  • 1992: Joseph Blair, Edtrick Bohannon, Reggie Geary, Joe McLean and Corey Williams. Three years later (1994-95): The UA finishes 24-7 and loses in the first round to Miami (Ohio) with Sean Miller as an assistant to Herb Sendek. Bohannon transfers. Blair, Geary, McLean and Williams form another strong nucleus. Rating: 6.
  • 1993: Jarvis Kelley. Three years later (1995-96): The UA finishes 27-6 and loses in the Sweet 16 to Kansas. Kelley transfers after his sophomore season. Rating: 1.
  • 1994: Marty Bartmentloo, Ben Davis, Michael Dickerson and Miles Simon. Three years later (1996-97): The UA finishes 25-9 and wins its first NCAA title. Simon is named the Final Four MVP. Dickerson is a first-round draft choice in 1998. Davis, a JC recruit after playing at Florida, is one of more productive power forwards in the Olson era. Bartmentloo moves back to his native Australia before completing his eligibility. Rating: 8.
  • 1995: Donnell Harris and Jason Terry. Three years later (1997-98): The UA finishes 30-5 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Sweet 16 against Utah. Terry is picked in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft. Harris plays good enough in the 1997 title game against Kentucky to help UA win but personal problems force an early end to his career. Rating: 5.
  • 1996: Mike Bibby, A.J. Bramlett, Eugene Edgerson and Bennett Davison. Three years later (1998-99): The UA finishes 22-7 and loses in the first round to Oklahoma. Bibby is already gone, selected in the first round of the 1998 draft (the highest pick in UA history at No. 2 overall). Davison (a JC transfer), Bramlett and Edgerson play through their respective senior seasons and were successful team-oriented players. Rating: 7.
  • 1997: Quynn Tebbs and Justin Wessel. Three years later (1999-2000): The UA finishes 27-7 overall and loses in the NCAA second round to Wisconsin. Tebbs transfers after one season and Wessel was a career reserve. Rating: 1.
  • 1998: Luke Walton, Rick Anderson, Ruben Douglas, Richard Jefferson, Traves Wilson and Michael Wright. Three years later (2000-01): The UA finishes 28-8 and advances to its fourth Final Four. The Wildcats lose to Duke in the title game. Douglas and Wilson transfer after their freshman year, but Jefferson, Walton (who redshirts in 1998) and Wright establish themselves. Jefferson is selected in the first round of the NBA draft in 2001. Walton wins an NBA title with Lakers in 2009. Douglas becomes leading scorer in NCAA with New Mexico his senior year. Anderson becomes a contributor as a senior. Rating: 8.
  • 1999: Gilbert Arenas, Lamont Frazier, Jason Gardner and Robertas Javtokas. Three years later (2001-02): The UA finishes 24-10, its first season with double-digit losses since 1987. Arenas is an unknown recruit, not sought by other programs. He leaves the UA after his sophomore season and becomes an NBA all-star. Gardner holds the UA record for career minutes played. Frazier and Javtokas transfer.Rating: 7.
  • 2000: Travis Hanour. Three years later (2002-03): The UA finishes 28-4 overall and 17-1 in the Pac-10. It loses in the Elite Eight to Kansas. Hanour only lasts a year before transferring. Rating: 1.
  • 2001: Will Bynum, Isaiah Fox, Channing Frye, Dennis Latimore, Salim Stoudamire and Andrew Zahn. Three years later (2003-04): The UA finishes 20-10 overall and struggles in the Pac-10 with an 11-7 record. Bynum, Latimore and Zahn all transfer before 2003. Fox becomes a role player. Frye establishes himself as a first-round pick in the NBA draft in 2005. Stoudamire becomes a deadly perimeter shooter. Rating: 6.
  • 2002: Hassan Adams, Andre Iguodala and Chris Rodgers. Three years later (2004-05): The UA finishes 30-7 and 15-3 in the Pac-10, winning its last conference title. The Wildcats lose in the Elite Eight to Illinois, blowing a 15-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Iguodala becomes a first-round draft pick in 2004. Rodgers gets in Olson’s doghouse and Adams is a solid contributor. Rating: 6.
  • 2003: Mustafa Shakur, Ivan Radenovich and Kirk Walters. Three years later (2005-06): The UA finishes 20-13 overall and loses in the second round to Villanova. Shakur struggles throughout most of his UA career while Walters is injury-plagued. Radenovich, who enters mid-season from Serbia in 2003, gradually improves as a contributor.Rating: 4.
  • 2004: Daniel Dillon, Jawann McClellan, Mohamed Tangara and Jesus Verdugo. Three years later (2006-07): The UA finishes 20-11 and loses in the first round to Purdue. This group never pans out. Verdugo transfers after his freshman year and Tangara (who completes his degree at UA) transfers before his senior season. Dillon becomes a career reserve while McClellan is beset by personal problems and injuries. Rating: 2.
  • 2005: Fendi Onobun, J.P. Prince and Marcus Williams. Three years later (2007-08): The UA finishes 19-15 under interim coach Kevin O’Neill. Onobun becomes a career reserve. Prince transfers in 2007 and Williams leaves for the NBA the same year but toils in the developmental league. He now plays professionally in China. Rating: 2.
    

    Jerryd Bayless, of the Class of 2007, is the most recent recruited Arizona player to be selected in the NBA draft (Photo by Kirby Lee, US Presswire)

  • 2006: Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise. Three years later (2008-09): The UA finishes 21-14 and is one of the last teams to make the NCAA tournament, extending its streak to 25 years. Hill is selected in the first round of the NBA draft while Budinger slips to the second round after leaving school early. Wise returns for his senior year and is selected an All-Pac-10 guard despite struggling through most of it. Rating: 7.
  • 2007: Jerryd Bayless, Jamelle Horne, Zane Johnson, Laval Lucas-Perry and Alex Jacobson. Three years later (2009-10): Arizona fails to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984. Bayless is selected in the first round of the NBA draft after his freshman season in 2008. Johnson and Lucas-Perry transfer. Horne starts most of his sophomore and junior seasons but is stagnant in his development as a player and leader. Jacobson is a little-used reserve to date. Rating: 4.
  • 2008: Kyle Fogg, Jeff Withey, Brendon Lavender and Garland Judkins. Three years later: To be determined in 2010-11. Fogg, who slips through the recruiting cracks to Arizona, starts as a freshman and sophomore. Withey transfers before putting on an Arizona uniform and Judkins leaves midway through his sophomore season. Lavender starts eight games as a sophomore and only plays 16.1 minutes a game while struggling with his confidence. Rating (could change by 2011): 2.
• Head coach: Sean Miller
  • 2009: Solomon Hill, Lamont Jones, Derrick Williams, Kyryl Natyazhko and Kevin Parrom. Three years later: To be determined in 2011-12. The class gets No. 12 ranking in the nation by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Williams emerges as Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and Jones matures into more of a leadership role. Parrom’s stress fracture in his right foot affects his development as a freshman but he shows flashes of being a decent defender and strong around the basket. Hill gradually improves after showing up to school 30 pounds overweight. Natyazhko hustles and plays with tenacity but often becomes frustrated. He has the most room for improvement in this class. Rating (could change by 2012): Too early to tell but capable of 7 or more.
  • 2010: Daniel Bejarano, Jordin Mayes and Jesse Perry (Mayes and Perry have verbally committed and are expected to sign their letter of intent Wednesday). Three years later: To be determined in 2012-13. Bejarano, who captained Phoenix North to consecutive state titles, has the perimeter shooting ability Arizona lacked in 2009-10. Mayes has the ability and basketball IQ to be a strong contributor at point guard. Perry is a JC transfer who will lend some offense with his shooting ability and athleticism on rebounds and defense. Rating (could change by 2013): Too early to tell but capable of 7 or more.