As we rapidly approach the summer months, final player rankings for the hoops
class of 2006 are starting to come in, and Virginia Tech’s signees have some
very impressive marks. At this point it appears that Seth Greenberg has signed
the highest-rated recruiting class in school history, and the stock of some
players is still going up. Rivals.com released their latest batch of rankings
last month, and Scout.com did the same at the beginning of May. Using those
rankings, and that of the ACC Area Sports Journal, here is an updated look at
each of Tech’s new players.
Nigel Munson
Munson’s stock went on the upswing throughout the winter and early spring.
He is now generally regarded as a very good ACC point guard prospect and his
recruiting rankings have soared.
In Rivals’ most recent rankings, Munson was the #109 player in the country,
and the #22 point guard in the nation. Scout.com holds Munson in even higher
regard, rating him the #87 player in the nation and #16 point guard. He is the
third highest-rated point guard heading to an ACC school by Scout, and the
fourth highest by Rivals.
The ACC Area Sports Journal, whose rankings are done by Brick Oettinger,
regards Munson as a Top 100 prospect. However, with his impressive performance
over the winter and spring, he could easily end up as a Top 75 player in the
Journal’s final rankings, which have not yet been released.
Lewis Witcher
Lewis Witcher chose Virginia Tech over Maryland and Wake Forest, so it makes
sense that many scouts list him as a Top 100 player, and he is a unanimous Top
150 player. He had a big senior season for Franklin County High School, and his
experience with Boo Williams’ AAU team last summer helped his progress.
Witcher is rated the #99 player in the country by Rivals. He is a 4-star
recruit. Rivals rates him as the #23 power forward in the nation, ahead of
players who have signed with schools such as Memphis, Texas, Georgia Tech and
Villanova. Witcher is the fifth-best incoming ACC power forward, according to
Rivals. The top three are all heading to UNC.
Scout.com lists Witcher as a 3-star prospect (not in their top 100), while
the ACC Area Sports Journal lists him as a Top 150 recruit.
Tyrone Appleton
Appleton is Virginia Tech’s latest signee, and he is considered just as
strong a recruit as the other members of this class, if not stronger. He is
known for his tenacity on defense, which makes him stand out above other players
his age. He is a combo guard, meaning he can play both guard positions.
Appleton’s highest ranking comes from the ACC Area Sports Journal, which
lists him as a Top 75 recruit. According to the Sports Journal, he is Virginia
Tech’s best signee, although that could change with their final set of
rankings.
Rivals.com lists Appleton as the #124 player in the country and the #27 point
guard in the nation. Scout.com lists him as a 3-star recruit. Of the current
players on Tech’s team, Appleton most resembles Jamon Gordon.
Jeff Allen
Allen is the most intriguing prospect of the class of 2006. A power forward
who played most of his career at DeMatha High School in Maryland, he started for
famed Oak Hill Academy this past year. He will enroll at prep school at Hargrave
for the upcoming season and will join the Hokies for the 2007-08 season.
Allen’s rankings are all over the map. Not everyone was sure what position
he would play…some said power forward, while others said small forward. Recent
reports say that Allen has bulked up to 6-8, 250, indicating that power forward
is his likely position.
Rivals.com lists Allen as a 3-star recruit, but they have pushed him back to
the class of 2007 and have no other ranking information for him. Scout.com now
lists him as a 4-star prospect, the #51 player in the country and the #13 power
forward in the nation. However the ACC Area Sports Journals lists Allen as
merely a Top 200 player. But with his solid senior season at Oak Hill, and his
recent impressive performance against top notch competition at the King James
Shooting Stars Classic, that ranking is very likely to go up.
Tech Sideline is Presented By: