Justin Young
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Senior Writer

» Class of 2010 Rivals150 | Position Rankings: PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Chat: Ask the experts

Change is indeed good.

There is a new No. 1 player in the Rivals.com Class of 2010 rankings.

The rankings are bigger. There are a handful of new five-star prospects. There are a number of big jumpers.

It is a new day for the class of 2010.

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Move over, Jeremy Tyler. There is a new player sitting atop the junior rankings. Seattle-area big man Josh Smith (6 feet 10/270 pounds) takes over the No. 1 spot in the class of 2010 rankings. He improved each tournament and finished the summer as one of the elite big men in the nation, regardless of class.

"Smith is just such a naturally gifted basketball player," national recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer says. "His size, strength and explosiveness around the rim are unparalleled in the class. Beyond that, he has one of the best set of hands I've seen on a big guy and has great shooting touch - if he's not dunking the ball on somebody.

"If he grows to be 7 feet tall, as expected, he has a chance to be a truly special big man."

Smith was outstanding in Cincinnati at the adidas It Takes 5ive Classic. He shined against senior five-star standout Derrick Favors. Later in the summer, he was the pillar of consistency and production in Las Vegas.

The Seattle area has become one of the best basketball hotbeds in the nation, and Smith has the tools to be the best of them all at the end of the day.