Carter-Williams Cracks National Top 25

New England Recruiting Report | Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

ESPN has closed the door on 2010 and released their first ESPNU 100 list for the class of 2011, ranking the top 100 rising seniors in the country. 

While New England isn't as well represented in 2011 as they were in 2010, one local player made a significant jump as Michael Carter-Williams is now ranked as the 25th best prospect in the country. 

Carter-Williams' rise to national prominence began last summer when he earned his first rush of high-major offers while running with the BABC.  He made an early commitment to Syracuse during the beginning of November and suffered a leg injury that would sideline him for the first half of the prep school season shortly afterwards. 

When he returned in January Carter-Williams didn't miss a beat, earning all tournament accolades in his first game back at the Findlay Toyota Classic, then going on to earn the Most Outstanding Player award at the National Prep Invitational, first team all conference in NEPSAC class B east, and the Gatorade Player of the Year award in Rhode Island. 

It has been more of the same this spring as Carter-Williams has proven himself as an elite scoring guard during the Nike EYBL season while earning invites to the Chris Paul Camp, NBA Player's Association Camp, and the upcoming Lebron James Skills Academy. 

Also cracking the top 100 is Naadir Tharpe who checks in at #52 as the 8th best point guard prospect in the country. 

Tharpe is another player whose recruitment has been on the rise as of late as he has seen a plethora of scholarship offers from the highest levels since decommitting from Providence last month. 

Tharpe's rise up the national rankings has come in direct correlation with a dominant spring on the grassroots circuit.  Coming off a prep school season in which he ran the show for a Brewster Academy team which won both NEPSAC and national championships, Tharpe has been on a tear all spring, playing to rave reviews with his New England Playaz team at the Real Deal on the Rock and Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions while also shining at the Pangos All-American Camp, Chris Paul Camp, and NBA Player's Association Camp. 

While Carter-Williams and Tharpe are the only New England natives listed on the ESPNU 100 list, prep products Angel Nunez and Maurice Harkless were ranked at 74th and 81st respectively.