Arizona men’s basketball could lose four players to the NBA Draft, but UA fans don’t need to hit the panic button. The Wildcats’ recruiting class is ranked No. 3 by
Scout.com, No. 4 by 247Sports.com and Rivals and No. 9 by ESPN. Today at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN, many Arizona fans will get their first look at the UA’s future with Arizona signee Stanley Johnson playing in the Boys McDonald’s All American Game.
Stanley Johnson
6-foot-6, 225 pounds, small forward
Fullerton, Calif.
Mater Dei High School
Rankings:
No. 1 small forward ESPN
No. 1 shooting guard 247Sports.com
No. 2 small forward Scout.com
No. 3 overall 247Sports.com
No. 3 overall Rivals
No. 7 overall ESPN
The headliner of Arizona’s class, Johnson was selected to play in both the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
He played AAU ball for the Oakland Soldiers, the team that Brandon Ashley, Nick Johnson and former Wildcat Josiah Turner played for.
He picked Arizona over Kentucky, Florida, Oregon and USC.
“I haven’t seen many players with Stanley’s combination of skill level and physical attributes,” UA head coach Sean Miller said on Signing Day. “His physicality and athleticism speak for themselves, but you very seldom see that type of player really know how to play the game, be that smart and that skilled of a player.”
Mater Dei is the alma mater of former UA players Miles Simon, the 1997 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Reggie Geary and David Bagga.
Johnson led Mater Dei to a 35-0 record and a fourth consecutive California state boys basketball championship, tying the state record.
“He’s the ultimate winner,” Miller said. “Two prominent players from Mater Dei to play at Arizona before my time here were Reggie Geary and Miles Simon, both of whom went to the Final Four and one of whom won a national championship, so we’re excited to rekindle that relationship with Mater Dei.”
Craig Victor
6-foot-7, 205 pounds, power forward
New Orleans
Findlay College Prep
Rankings:
No. 4 power forward Scout.com
No. 10 power forward 247Sports.com
No. 9 power forward ESPN
No. 28 overall Rivals
No. 37 overall ESPN
No. 47 overall 247Sports.com
While he is from New Orleans, he transferred to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., for his senior year. Findlay plays a national schedule and is the alma mater of Ashley and Johnson.
He picked Arizona over Kansas, LSU and Oklahoma State.
“Craig Victor is a forward with tremendous versatility,” Miller said. “He has the intangibles of a winner, and he does a lot of things on the court.”
Parker Jackson-Cartwright
5-foot-8, 150 pounds, point guard
Los Angeles
Loyola High School
Rankings:
No. 11 point guard ESPN
No. 12 point guard Scout.com
No. 12 point guard 247Sports.com
No. 57 overall ESPN
No. 57 overall Rivals
No. 59 overall 247Sports.com
Jackson-Cartwright comes with baggage, as he withdrew from Loyola and admitted to academic misconduct.
“He feels bad,” said his father Ramon Jackson-Cartwright, to the Los Angeles Times. “He’s let down his teammates.”
He picked Arizona over ASU, NC State, St. John’s, UCLA, UNLV, USC and Washington.
“We identified Parker a long time ago as a priority for us,” Miller said. “The point guard position, in particular, is a real key in programs sustaining excellence over a long period of time. Parker is the consummate point guard.”
Kadeem Allen
6-foot-3, 180 pounds, combo guard
Wilmington,N.C.
Hutchinson Community College
Rankings:
No. 1 JUCO combo guard 247Sports.com
No. 2 JUCO overall 247Sports.com
The UA’s new Kadeem picked Arizona over Kansas despite playing junior college ball in the Jayhawk State.
“He’s a guard who can play multiple positions,” Miller said. “He’s an excellent defender. One of the striking things about Kadeem is his length and his 6-9 wingspan.”
Dusan Ristic
7-foot, 240 pounds, center
Novi Sad, Serbia
Sunrise Christian Academy
Rankings:
No. 11 center 247Sports.com
No. 15 center ESPN
No. 83 overall 247Sports.com
Ristic is the newest member of the list, having committed to the Wildcats last month.
Verbal commitments are not binding. He can sign a National Letter of Intent on April 16.
He picked Arizona over Nebraska.
—Follow James Kelley @JamesKelley520