by Alex Schwartz

The crop of available players in the class of 2011 got a whole lot better in the past couple days. Three players in the D1 Hoops Report Class of 2011 Top 150 and one player in the top 10 of the D1HR 2011 Post-Grad Top 40 are back on the board. Two of the three players from the D1HR 2011 Top 150 are ranked in the top 80.

According to multiple reports, all three members of the Maryland's class—Nick Faust, Sterling Gibbs and Martin Breunig—have been granted or will be granted a release from their Letter of Intent. The same goes for the top member of George Washington's class, Erik Copes.

Faust is a 6'5 shooting guard out of Baltimore City College HS (MD) and is ranked #37 in the D1HR 2011 Top 150. Gibbs, a 6'1 point guard from Seton Hall Prep (NJ), checks in at #76 on the list. Breunig, a native of Germany, is a 6'9 power forward out of St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (WI) ranked #8 in the D1HR PG Top 40.

Copes, a 6'8 power forward from Imhotep Charter (PA), checks in at #149 in the D1HR 2011 Top 150. His uncle, Roland Houston, was a member of the previous staff at GW.

All four players will be highly coveted now that they are available once again. With the limited number of quality players on the board in 2011, the addition of four players of this caliber—especially in May—is a big deal. In fact, all four are now among the top eight uncommitted players in the crop of 2011 prospects.

Faust is the second best available player in the class, behind DeAndre Daniels, a 6'7 small forward out of IMG Academy (FL) who is ranked #18 in the D1HR 2011 Top 150. Gibbs checks in at fifth best available player on the board, with 6'2 shooting guard Trevor Lacey of Butler (AL) and 6'9 center Joseph Uchebo of Word of God Christian Academy (NC) as numbers three and four. They are ranked #44 and #70, respectively. After #103 Kevin Ware, a 6'4 shooting guard from Rockdale County (GA), comes Copes and Breunig.

Of those eight players, all but one (Lacey) has previously decommitted and of the seven who have only one (Daniels) did not previously sign a Letter of Intent.

A number of top 15-20 available players in the class have committed in the past several days: 6'4 shooting guard Kelvin Amayo (Towson), 6'6 small forward Markus Crider (prep school), 6'9 center Ibrahima Djimde (Illinois), 6'9 center Yemi Makanjuola (Tennessee), and 6'7 small forward Dominique McKoy (Rhode Island).

There are still some other talented players on the baord in addition to the eight mentioned above. Alphabetically, the next seven players on the list, are arguably as follows: 6'7 power forward Chris Bryant of Rickards (FL), 6'8 power forward Percy Gibson of Southeastern (MI), 6'6 power forward Grandy Glaze of Notre Dame Prep (MA), 6'3 shooting guard Dante Holmes of Oldsmar Christian (FL), 6'7 power forward Ryan Martin of Bridgton Academy (ME), 6'9 center Daouda Soumaoro of Our Savior New American (NY), and 6'7 power forward Jamari Traylor of IMG Academy (FL).

Martin is the #14 ranked player in the D1HR PG Top 40, while Holmes checks in at #17 on the list. There are four other uncommitted players on the Post-Grad list.

While there is not a boatload of talent on the board, there are certainly some quality players remaining. The additions of Faust, Gibbs, Breunig, and Copes to the list are a big reason for that.

Note- photo is of Nick Faust and is from http://www.varsitysportsnetwork.com/