In regards to recruiting rankings, I buy into the five-stars being the truly elite players, in most cases. I just can't see how you can differentiate between 3 and 4 star players, and maybe even 2-star players.
Look at NFL player rankings. If you asked a panel of experts to rank the NFL players by position, their top 5 choices would probably look similar. Beyond that, the lists are going to have widely divergent rankings.
NFL players are the most watched and they play against the same competition, yet player rankings vary significantly. Based on that, how can you put any credence into ranking Player X from Emmetsburg, IA against Player Y from Houston, TX?
Agree. This is why bb rankings are so much more meaningful. They actually go against each other in the summer,allowing for significant comparisions. Football? Does not lend itself to that kind of evaluation.