After staying quiet in July, Mitch McGary (Chesterton, Ind./Brewster Academy) emerged from the silence and he's constructed a final list of six schools. Making the cut, in no specific order, are Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke and Kentucky.

McGary, the nation's top power forward, hadn't mentioned the legitimate contenders for his services the entire month of July. Instead, the Indiana native elected to shut it down and concentrate on basketball. Coaches from major programs followed him to every event he participated in, jockeying for position, hoping to slip onto his list.

"I stayed low in July but I talked to coaches on Facebook and stuff like that," McGary said. "Some of the schools like Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky, they've got great coaches there. I like Michigan and Maryland in the rebuilding stage and they gave me good vibes. Florida's pretty good and they do a lot of similar things with guys like me who are versatile."

In-state schools Indiana and Purdue are not being considered and McGary feels good about his list, though he left the door cracked.

"Maybe if another school stays in contact, but I kind of wanted to narrow it down to these six," said the No. 4 overall player in the 2012 class. "I've got strong feelings about these six schools."

McGary's rise is one of the central stories in the Class of 2012. Midway through the year at Brewster Academy, McGary went from rotation player to beastly power forward. His spring on the travel team circuit was filled with intense performances that set up his June and July national breakout. From the NBPA Top 100 camp to his play with SYF, McGary's been a dominant player in the class. His trademark intensity is reminiscent of Tyler Hansbrough and his offensive game extends to the perimeter.

Dave Telep is the senior basketball recruiting analyst for ESPN.com. His college basketball scouting service is used by more than 225 colleges and numerous NBA teams. He can be reached at espndt@gmail.com. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter.