USF hoops signee Caleb Murphy No. 72 in ESPN 100

The most heralded USF basketball recruit of the Brian Gregory era has been hyped a bit more, this time by ESPN.

Loganville (Ga.) combo guard Caleb Murphy has risen 23 spots to No. 72 in the latest ESPN 100 released Wednesday. A four-star prospect, Murphy is the second-highest-ranked American Athletic Conference signee on the list behind incoming Houston small forward Tramon Mack (No. 68).

No other Gregory recruit has been ranked higher on this list. Bulls redshirt junior two-guard Zack Dawson, who transferred to Gregory’s program from Oklahoma State in 2018, was No. 76 in the ESPN 100 for the Class of ’17.

“Murphy is a gifted scoring guard and one of the best guards in the class you never hear enough about.” ESPN recruiting analyst Paul Biancardi wrote.

“Murphy posted strong performances all season long, and he stands out during a contest because of his game instincts and how he navigates so well in the open floor. As a combination guard, he brings a quietly competitive demeanor with a focus on the task at hand. Murphy has quick hands on defense and excellent passing vision on offense.”

Murphy (6-feet-3, 180 pounds), the Bulls’ first four-star signee of the Rivals era, currently is No. 59 in the Rivals150.

His arrival will give Gregory myriad backcourt options next season, especially if rising senior two-guard David Collins ― who is gauging his NBA stock ― remains for his senior season.

When USF opts to go small, Gregory could employ a lineup featuring junior Xavier Castaneda at the point, Murphy or Dawson at shooting guard and Collins at small forward. A Murphy-Collins backcourt tandem, with Murphy running the point and veteran Justin Brown or Iowa State transfer Luke Anderson at small forward, also is plausible.