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NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: SEC MEN

Filed Under Mississippi State Sports, SEC Sports | Posted on November 11, 2005

How the SEC’s recruiting classes rank, with players who signed Wednesday or are expected to sign during the weeklong period:

1. ARKANSAS
Michael Washington, 6-9, Cleveland, Texas (Heritage Christian); Sonny Weems, 6-6, 200, Fort Smith, Ark. (UA Fort Smith); Stefan Welsh, 6-3, Chatham, Va. (Hargrave Military)

Why they’re No. 1
Stan Heath landed the SEC’s top class, but it was ranked just No. 14 nationally by Scout.com. Weems, the network’s fifth-rated junior college prospect, is the big catch.

2. TENNESSEE
Wayne Chism, 6-8, Bolivar, Tenn. (Central); Duke Crews, 6-6 1/2, Hampton, Va. (Bethel); Marques Johnson, 6-5, Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider); Josh Tabb, 6-4, Cincinnati (Harmony Christian)

Why they’re No. 2
Bruce Pearl’s first Vols class is a star-studded one, with the 10th-ranked power forward (Crews) and the 12th-ranked shooting guard (Johnson).

3. KENTUCKY
Derrick Jasper, 6-4, Paso Robles, Calif. (Paso Robles); Jodie Meeks, 6-4, 185, Norcross (Norcross); Michael Porter, 6-1, Modesto, Calif. (Christian); Perry Stevenson, 6-9, Lafayette, La. (Northside)

Why they’re No. 3
Meeks, one of Georgia’s finest, averaged 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in helping Norcross go 31-1 and reach the Class AAAAA state final last season.

4. FLORIDA
Jonathan Mitchell, 6-6 1/2, Mount Vernon, N.Y. (Mount Vernon); Brandon Powell, 6-4, Memphis (Mitchell); Marreese Speights, 6-10, Chatham, Va. (Hargrave Military)

Why they’re No. 4
The Gators landed the tough guy they’ve been missing in the middle in Speights, a 245-pound bruiser with good hands and a nasty disposition.

5. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Ben Hansbrough, 6-4, Poplar Bluff, Mo. (Poplar Bluff); Jarvis Varnado, 6-8 1/2, Brownsville, Tenn. (Haywood)

Why they’re No. 5
The 190-pound Varnado needs to add a few pounds to play power forward in the SEC, but is a top-100 prospect nationally.

SEC Signing Day, Ratings