Class of 2016: Five safe bets, five who come with risk

In recruiting, there is always risk involved with any player that you land. The degree of risk involved is reliant upon many variables -- development, growth, how long they stay on campus, etc. -- and just because a player is highly ranked it doesn’t mean they can’t be a risky proposition. As we continue to close out the class of 2016, we take a look at five highly ranked seniors who look to be relatively safe bets and five who may be a little more on the risky side.

RELATED: Final 2016 rankings | Instant impact freshmen

College choice: Duke

Bossi’s take: Tatum drew some criticism during the All-Star game circuit for some selfish shot selection and frankly he has been a bit of a ball-stopper at times on the offensive end. However, he is pushing 6-foot-9, highly skilled, athletic and he has a high basketball IQ. There’s not much doubt Mike Krzyzewski will get him playing the right way and all of his attributes -- especially his deadly mid-range game -- should allow him to thrive in the combo forward role that others before him like Jabari Parker and Brandon Ingram thrived in.

College choice: Kentucky

Bossi’s take: Guys of Adebayo’s ilk who rely on athleticism and motor over skill have been a bit hit-and-miss. What makes Adebayo a safe bet is that he’s much bigger and stronger than some of those who have struggled and he has terrific natural instincts on the floor. He’s got a knack for being in the right place at the right time and an interior warrior who gobbles up rebounds is exactly what Kentucky was missing from their 2015-16 team.

College choice: UCLA

Bossi’s take: You have to like pretty much everything about Leaf, who has all the tools to find instant success in the Pac-12. He’s got terrific size for a power forward, he is a good athlete but most importantly he is highly skilled with an inside and outside game. There’s going to be some defensive adjusting for him because he’ll often have to deal with smaller and more mobile four men, but everything about his game looks like it should be immediately translatable.

College choice: Michigan State.

Bossi’s take: At the end of the day, Bridges is an athletic and energetic forward who makes the game a test of physicality and will. You know who has done well under Tom Izzo? Guys who play exactly like he does. There’s a chance he’ll play at both the small and power forward position and coming out of high school, he looks to be a bit of an upgraded version of former Spartan Branden Dawson.

College choice: Miami

Bossi’s take: The reason Brown is set up so well for success is a little different. Yes, he’s physically ready for the ACC, an intense competitor and a big-time athlete. What he really has going in his favor, though, is that there isn’t an intense need for him to make a huge splash right off the bat. With Ja’Quan Newton, Davon Reed and transfer Rashad Muhammad in place, there will be minutes to be had, but he’ll be able to find his path while playing alongside talented and experienced players.

College choice: Duke

Bossi’s take: That Giles has missed so much time in high school due to injury and has had ACL surgery on each of his knees is a justifiable concern when it comes to him living up to his No. 2 overall ranking. When healthy, he shows extraordinary ability as a rebounder, scorer and rim-running big man. The questions are, just how close to full strength can be and will all the time he’s missed as a high schooler hurt him in making the transition to college?

College choice: Florida State

Bossi’s take: There’s no question the 6-foot-10 Isaac is a big time talent with huge potential. If ranking was done purely on potential and best-case NBA upside, he would probably rank higher than No. 8 overall. But, Isaac does have to get much stronger and he’s not yet proven to be consistent. He can shoot with range, he’s an athlete and he does many other things, but what makes him most risky for Florida State is how much of that they’ll get to see before he makes his way to the NBA.

College choice: Considering Houston, Kansas and Texas

Bossi’s take: Similar to Isaac, Allen is somebody who could rank higher than his final Rivals150 ranking of No. 15 if we were talking purely about NBA upside and how transferable his skills are. He runs the floor, blocks shots and has shown outstanding promise on the offensive end. He’s another whose stop in college could be so short that the school that lands him doesn’t get the type of benefit and production they might hope for out of such a highly ranked player.

College choice: Arizona

Bossi’s take: At 6-foot-5 with above average speed and athleticism, Simmons is a slick guard who can play either the one or the two. Sounds like a dream, right? The downside is that as a high schooler he was often seen as selfish and he needs to get much stronger. To Simmons credit, he openly acknowledged as a senior that he hadn’t always played the right way and he’s worked hard to be more of a team guy. There’s a potentially big reward with him as a player if Sean Miller gets him to fully buy in and he can make the physical adjustment.

College choice: Kansas

Bossi’s take: Azubuike is a grizzly bear of a low-post prospect. He’s bigger and stronger than everybody and he doesn’t give up position. He also does a great job of creating passing angles for guards looking to make post entries and he has very good hands. How ready he’ll be to contribute right away is a good question, though, because Azubuike lacks polish, needs to work on his touch and has to develop a backup plan for when bulldozing the guy in front of him and dunking it doesn’t work. There’s a good chance he struggles short term, but there’s big-time potential for once he figures it all out.