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Ranking Decade's Recruiting Classes: 2004 By A Nose

One class was sexy, ego-driven and had plenty of flair, while the other took more time to develop and lacked the star power.

The classes of 2004 and 2007 were very different, but both are clearly the two best high school classes in the past decade.

"They're the gift that keeps on giving," ESPN.com recruiting director Dave Telep said. "As good we thought they were, they consistently get better."

After CBSSports.com senior writer Jeff Goodman's package last week on the class of 2002 and how it remains a cautionary tale for high school athletes, we look at the other side of the spectrum: Which was the best high school class of the decade? And, like many high-profile games over the year, it came down to top-tier talent (2007) against superior depth (2004).

Two-thousand-and-four was an extremely deep class. At least 20 players averaged double-figure points last season from the class, paced by Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay. Other top players from 2004 include Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Kyle Lowry, Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green, Nick Young, J.R. Smith and Dorell Wright. That doesn't include role players like Arron Afflalo, Daniel Gibson, Toney Douglas, Glen Davis, Ramon Sessions and others.

Cbssports.com for the complete article

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