Basketball Recruiting Update: 2007 Signees Moving Up in Rankings

Virginia Tech’s already stellar 2007 basketball recruiting rankings got a boost on Monday, when Rivals.com updated their National Top 150 list. All five Virginia Tech signees are on the list, and each
one of them moved up. Not only that, but the Hokies are in on a couple of other Top 150 prospects with their final available scholarship.

Virginia Tech’s recruiting class was previously ranked #2 in the ACC by
Rivals. That won’t change (Duke is the unanimous #1), but that didn’t stop each
individual Virginia Tech recruit from moving up the charts.

Power forward Jeff
Allen moved from #88 to #73, closer to where he stands in most other
national rankings. The #73 ranking is still low compared to where many national
level scouts have pegged him. Allen is prepping this season at Hargrave Military
Academy, where he is enjoying another fine season. There is a very good chance
that Allen will start for Virginia Tech next season.

Combo guard Malcolm
Delaney jumped up from #89 to #83. Delaney’s stock has been rising steadily
throughout his senior season, and he was rewarded with a slight bump in his
ratings by Rivals. Delaney is a long-range threat who can handle the ball. He
will see time at both guard positions for Tech next year and could be the first
backcourt player off the bench.

Shooting
guard Dorenzo
Hudson moved into the Top 100, from #104 to #99. Hudson is playing with Jeff
Allen at Hargrave this season. He is a streaky shooter who is capable of scoring
in bunches. He is the best natural scorer of the class. Hudson is also the
cousin of 2008 Virginia Tech commit J.T. Thompson, a possible Top 100 player
next year.

Power forward/center Gus
Gilchrist jumped from #110 to #102, narrowly missing the Top 100. He is the
type of physical presence on the inside that Virginia Tech has been searching
for. He should see immediate playing time next year.

Finally, small forward Terrell
Bell cracked the Rivals.com Top 150 for the first time this year, coming in
at #144. Bell is an excellent passer and a very good player in transition. He
could turn out to be the most undervalued player of the 2007 recruiting class.

Only eight prospects in the National Top 150 remained uncommitted. Virginia
Tech has one scholarship remaining, and they have the option of bringing another
player in for 2007, or saving it for 2008. Right now the Hokies are being linked
to two uncommitted players for the class of 2007.

The first is Alvin
Mitchell, a 6-5 scoring wing (shooting guard/small forward type player) from
Florida. Mitchell is ranked #137 in the Top 150. The second is former Florida
commit Gary
Clark, a 6-3 combo guard (point guard/shooting guard type player) from
Florida and the #138 recruit in the nation. Tech’s biggest need at this point is
another guard, so Clark is likely the main target of Seth Greenberg.

Virginia Tech and Ohio State each signed five recruits in the Top 150, more
than any other school in the country.

The Hokies are mentioned on the same recruiting chart, in basketball, with
schools like Ohio State, Memphis, Arizona, Florida, etc. That’s a good sign that
the program is continuing to move forward. Developing these players as
individuals and as a team is a separate challenge, but there’s no doubt that the
raw talent level coming to Blacksburg is increasing under Seth Greenberg’s
watch.