Early Signing 2014 Class Rankings

Early Signing 2014 Class Rankings
Early Signing 2014 Class RankingsKathryn Westbeld

UCLA holds on to the top spot as Connecticut closes the gap atop the recruiting class rankings.

In the last month there have been numerous big name recruits making their decisions and impacting the ProspectsNation.com top 25 class rankings and the latest, top international player Kia Nurse committed to Connecticut. It was a bit of roller coaster with social media rumors claiming she committed last week, for which she shot down, but just before the close of the signing week she did indeed choose the Huskies.

That all leads to the only change in the top five spots with Connecticut moving to No. 2 after UCLA. Following them are Ohio State, Texas and Louisville.

Notre Dame landed No. 33 Kathryn Westbeld of Kettering, Ohio, and in the process moved up two spots, to No. 6 overall. Duke and Cal follow the Irish.


No. 18 senior Bianca Cuevas.
*Photo by Chris Hansen.

Previously unranked South Carolina jumped all the way to No. 9 by securing commitments from two top 20 players, No. 14 Jatarie White of Charlotte, N.C., and No. 18 Bianca Cuevas of Brooklyn, N.Y. White, a powerfully built post player with a world of upside, paired with the electric playmaker that is Cuevas join a class that already had No. 105 Doniyah Cliney of Newark, N.J., and four-star guard Kaydra Duckett of Columbia, S.C.

The Gamecocks may not be done as Dawn Staley’s program is also a finalist for No. 2 A’ja Wilson of Hopkins, S.C., who will not sign until the spring signing period. That addition would further shake up the top five in this year’s arms race.

Vanderbilt closes out the top 10 and is followed by Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Georgia.

Making a jump from just outside the top 25 to No. 15 is Southern Cal, who landed No. 32 Kristen Simon of Los Angeles, Calif., after the signing period opened. Her addition gives the Women of Troy four commitments in the ELITE 150 in the first year of the Cynthia Cooper era.

Rounding out the top 20 are Maryland, Wake Forest, St. John’s, Kentucky and Michigan.

Pitt moved up two spots to No. 21 with the addition of No. 53 prospect Yacine Diop of Pittsburgh, Pa. The commitment gave Pitt three ELITE 150 guards in its four-player class.

New to the top 25 is Oklahoma, who landed at 22 after adding No. 63 Vionise Pierre-Lewis of Lake Worth, Fla., to a class that already included No. 41 Gabbi Ortiz of Racine, Wisc.

Closing out the top 25 signing classes are Miami, Florida and Iowa State.


Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and a McDonald’s All-American selection committee member. He was the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012. He can be reached at chris@prospectsnation.com.

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