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Syracuse's Mike Hopkins, shown talking to Michael Carter-Williams during the Orange's NCAA Tournament game against California last year, is ranked second in an ESPN poll of top recruiters.

(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse University basketball fans have known for a long time that Orange assistant coach Mike Hopkins was one of the nation's top recruiters among assistant coaches.

After all, Hopkins had convinced the likes of Gerry McNamara, Hakim Warrick, Dion Waiters and Michael Carter-Williams to attend college in one of the snowiest cities in America.

A new ESPN Insider poll confirms that opinion.

Jeff Goodman surveyed 200 college head coaches, asking them which college assistants were the most feared on the recruiting trail. (Please note: This is an ESPN Insider story)

Hopkins, who played for Syracuse from 1988 to 1993 and has been on Jim Boeheim's coaching staff since 1996, came in second on the list.

Here's what Goodman had to say about Hopkins:

The No. 1-ranked recruiter was Kurtis Townsend of Kansas. Louisville's Kevin Keatts came in right behind Hopkins at No. 3.

Syracuse's other assistants -- Adrian Autry and Gerry McNamara -- did not make the top 20. But Autry's been at Syracuse for only two full recruiting years and McNamara is in just his second summer of being on the road.