Kentucky’s [B]Michael Gilchrist has assumed the number one spot[/B] in the most recent ESPN RISE Mr. Basketball USA rankings.
For Gilchrist, it’s been an up and down when it comes to ratings. Gilchrist, ranked at one point as the number 1 player in the 2011 class, has moved up and down big boards, never falling out of the top five on anyone’s list.
Names like Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague and Austin Rivers have challenged the 6-6 small forward out of St Patrick, located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for the top spot. Currently Michael is rated number 4 by Scout and number 3 by ESPN and Rivals.
What the experts have to say:
[QUOTE][B]Scout:[/B] “No player in this class plays with a higher motor more consistently than Gilchrist.[B]
ESPN:[/B] “The kid is a winner with the disposition to dominate and does the dirty work that leads to championships.”[B]
Rivals:[/B] “He is dangerous offensively as a slasher and continually makes plays on defense.”[/QUOTE]
Gilchrist moved ahead of Austin Rivers who had been at the top spot since the pre-season. Gilchrist started the year off 25 points behind Rivers but has closed the gap each week, passing Rivers this week to take over the top spot by 5 points.
Other Kentucky commits in the top seven include [B]Anthony Davis[/B] at number six and [B]Marquis Teague [/B]at number seven. 2012 Kentucky recruit [B]Shabazz Muhammad[/B] is in the number four slot as he moved up one.
Go Cats!!!
[URL=”http://rise.espn.go.com/boys-basketball/articles/2011/02/18-POY-tracker.aspx?pursuit=BoysBasketball”]Read the full article at ESPN RISE by clicking here.[/URL]
