High School Basketball Prospects

[Shadowlight]

Rivals has just updated their classes of 2018, 2019 and 2020. Below is the top 100 for 2020. Not as stacked as 2019 but vaguely comparable to 2018. A little heavier toward the top but thins out towards the bottom whereas 2018 is the opposite.

One player to keep an eye on in PF Walker Kessler. Noted for a feathery touch out to the three point line at 6-10 along with solid rebounding skills we could be looking at a Keith Van Horn kind of player. A thin but dynamic 4 man.

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2020

 

[Shadowlight]

Below is the updated top 150 for the class of 2019. This is one of the better classes in memory because six players are in the top 50 a rare occurrence in recent years. I am looking forward to seeing high rising SF Joey Baker in a Duke uniform. 5th rated PF Matthew Hurt who has been mentioned here several times is a long willowy player that has been compared to Austin Croshere the former Providence great. He is currently unsigned but all the big boys are after him like Kansas and NC.

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2019

 

[Shadowlight]

And finally the top 150 for next season's freshman, class of 2018. An ok class but lacking the one breakout star that jumps out although there is always potential. Three point guards to follow and they have all been mentioned here: AJ Green, Jordan McCabe and Foster Loyer.
Since white point guards have been going out of fashion these three are very exciting crowd pleasing type players. Each one will likely play for four full seasons. I suspect Green will play right away at Northern Iowa but hopefully the other two get their feet wet as soon as possible.

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2018

 

[Shadowlight]

Two more points about the Class of 2020.

Caleb Lohner is a 6'7" player to watch. Very athletic he has been climbing up the rankings of late.

Nico Mannion is very well known due to a lavish SI piece on him a while back. A 6'2" PG he has not rocketed up the rankings despite leading his team to the state championship. The flashy bouncy red head has been listed around 20-28 in the rankings but that looks to change too as he along with Lohner played great in a Dallas spring tournament.

But that good news could even get BETTER. Nico is considering taking summer classes and might jump up to the class of 2019 which would make that class one of the best in the past decade plus!

 

[Jack Lambert]

Here's an update on a few Class of 2018 commits as of late. I've gotta say, I do like where all three of them have committed.

Bryce Golden, the forward who I mentioned on the last page, committed to Butler today. I guess LaVall Jordan isn't quite done with white players yet. Out of the 4 commits he's got since he's become the Bulldog's head coach, two of them have been white players. With Butler's two starting post players in Kelan Martin and Tyler Wideman gone, Golden has a golden (no pun intended) opportunity to step up and play right away.

https://247sports.com/Player/Bryce-Golden-91430

Ursos Plavsic, a 7'1 Serbian who played HS in the United States this past year, has committed to Arizona State. Great news for Bobby Hurley's club. This gives them two white players in the Class of 2018, joining Finland guard Elias Valtonen. He's got the potential to become a big-time player; even the caste experts think so. He's still a bit raw; I'm hoping he'll be able to add a bit of strength and quickness to his frame. I'm not sure how much we'll see of him next year, but if he develops properly, should be a big threat in a couple of years.

https://247sports.com/player/uros-plavsic-46049719

Next, we've got 6'7 combo guard Trace Ramsey, who just committed to Maryland. He's got some athletic ability, a good-looking shot, looks to have good vision, plus is tenacious down low. A good pickup for the Terps! Depending on how things shake out, I could see him getting some minutes next year.

Trace Ramsey

https://247sports.com/Player/Trace-Ramsey-46054900

Also forgot to mention: Connor Vanover, the 7'2 center who I've posted about in this thread a couple of times, committed to Cal! I actually think it's a good spot. Cal needs front-court help, and that could give Vanover some early minutes there.

https://247sports.com/Player/Connor-Vanover-85013

Finally, Drew Peterson, a wing who I've mentioned, is committed to Rice; they got a steal. Peterson should play right away for the Owls.

Seems like a good close-out to the Class of 2018!

 

[Shadowlight]

Nice to see the Maryland coach continue to pay attention to athletic white players. Trace Ramsey, see above post, may not be a four star prospect but with development could become a good exciting college player.

A couple of quick notes about two 2019 prospects.

Rylan Jones a top 100 Utah commit really dazzled in a recent tournament. He is a 6'1" PG and it looks like Utah got a big time player who can do it all.

A new name is Croat Oton Jankovic who is now playing stateside in California. He is a 6'10" developmental player who needs seasoning and strength. However the reason I bring his name up is he has outstanding athletic abilities so hopefully he starts to improve and gain traction in the recruiting world.

This season with the new recruit Bryce Golden, see above post, Butler will be pretty white friendly again with Jorgenson and blossoming McDermott coming back.

 

[Jack Lambert]

Good post Shadow. Jones should be a stud with Utah. I hope he doesn't displace Jaxon Brenchley at all there. 2019 really is shaping up to be a great year. A good point on Butler; I'm guessing that they will have 2-3 white starters next year, with all of their five current white scholarship players contributing.

Nico Mannion is very well known due to a lavish SI piece on him a while back. A 6'2" PG he has not rocketed up the rankings despite leading his team to the state championship. The flashy bouncy red head has been listed around 20-28 in the rankings but that looks to change too as he along with Lohner played great in a Dallas spring tournament.

But that good news could even get BETTER. Nico is considering taking summer classes and might jump up to the class of 2019 which would make that class one of the best in the past decade plus!

Good note on Nico; I've read that his plan is to now reclassify to 2019! This class should be just as good or even better than the 2012(?) class I believe (whichever one Freethinker made the thread on awhile back). As an aside, during my college basketball reading, I found a piece on his reclassification from "analyst" Adam Zagoria. Zagoria talks about the different schools recruiting Mannion, and that Marquette, Villanova, and Arizona are now recruiting him the hardest. Any of these schools would be a good fit for Mannion.

However, when Villanova is mentioned, this gem of a quote appears in the article:

Some see Mannion as a perfect Villanova fit who could follow in the mold of players like Ryan Arcidiacono, Donte DiVincenzo, Collin Gillespie and Cole Swider.

That's some pretty "lazy" analysis there. What was the "thought" process behind this? "Hey, Mannion is a white player... let's compare him to every other white guard/wing that has been recruited by Villanova over the last six years! He's obviously in the mold of those four guys more than anyone else!"

So Mannion must be one talented dude considering he's in the mold of Arcidiacono (a 6'3 lead guard; a true floor general), DiVincenzo (a 6'5 combo guard who's primarily off the ball thus far, but has red hair like Mannion), Gillespie (a 6'2 lead guard who's more about his defensive game thus far and creating for his teammates than flash), and Nova's incoming recruit Swider (a 6'7 wing/forward shot-maker; this one is by far the most lazy). Don't get me wrong, Mannion is good, and the comparisons to DiVincenzo and Arcidiacono are pretty good, but to compare him to every high profile white Villanova perimeter recruit is just lazy.

 

[celticdb15]

Thanks for the updates guys. Speaking of Mannion, he's got that killer instinct . Check out this highlight film, 1st dunk he throws down he posterize a taller affletes

 

[Jack Lambert]

Great video of Mannion, celtic!!

Also, I've got two more commits for the Class of 2018 already:

The first is center Lukas Kisunas, who I (believe) mentioned before in this thread. The 6'8 Lithuanian prospect has been playing his HS ball over in the US, and was committed to UConn for awhile until their coach got fired. He smartly backed off of that pledge and has committed to Stanford! Jerod Haase and the Cardinal have an under-rated recruiting class; out of four pledges, three of them are white! Kisunas joins combo guard Cormac Ryan and forward Keenan Fitzmorris.

https://247sports.com/Player/Lukas-Kisunas-46036176

Lukas Kisunas

The next is 7'0 Argentinian center Francisco Caffaro, who committed to Virginia yesterday, giving Tony Bennett and the Cavs two white players out of three commits in their 2018 class. Caffaro is a mobile big man who's got a lot of potential, and one can be sure Tony Bennett will properly develop him. He's got to add some muscle, but he'll be a nice presence inside for Virginia's pack-line defense. There's a small video of him in the profile link; I believe it's the most recent highlight video of Caffaro.

https://247sports.com/Player/Francisco-Caffaro-46054667

Francisco Caffaro


All in all, it's been a good class. Despite not having a presence in the Top 30, white players have, you know, actually gone to teams that will utilize them for the most part. There are a couple of exceptions (Tyler Herro to Kentucky being the obvious one), but I'm pleased with how our guys have chosen this year.

 

[Shadowlight]

Mainly good news with a twist. Of course it is great when a player reclassifies up a class. Highly rated Duke commit SF Joey Baker has reclassified from the class of 2019 to the class of 2018. See below. The only fly in the ointment is he may redshirt since Duke has a loaded class coming in . Still overall this is good news. This makes him the highest rated white player in the class of 2018.

https://247sports.com/college/baske...dge-Joey-Baker-reclassifies-to-2018-117912564

 

[Jack Lambert]

Good news on Baker; I'm sure he'll be a stud whenever he starts playing. Hopefully, Duke can nab Hurt or one more 2019 white commit.

UCLA picked up the commitments of two 2019 white wings this week: Jake Kyman and Jaime Jaquez. Both of these players look pretty good in their highlights; Jaquez seems to get to the paint more, while Kyman is more active around the perimeter. I'm just hoping they can play at the same time, and not play over each other.

https://247sports.com/Player/Jaime-Jaquez-91003

Jaime Jaquez

https://247sports.com/Player/Jake-Kyman-46044613

Jake Kyman

 

[Shadowlight]

Franz Wagner, brother of Mo, is now listed as a member of the 2018 class (at 16 he skipped a class) so it will be interesting to see if he plays college ball like his big brother. Wonder where he would be ranked?

Below are some highlights from a player who is rising rapidly. First thing you notice is he is quicker than Mo.

 

[Riggins44]

How big is he? He looks shorter than 6'11" .

 

[Shadowlight]

Franz Wagner is about 6'8" but he is only 16 and is probably still growing.

 

[celticdb15]

Nice another Wagner!

Badgers land 4Star Small Forward Tyler Wahl! The Minnesota pipeline to Madison continues!

https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/20...-wahl-commits-wisconsin-basketball-recruiting

 

[Shadowlight]

Updating some class of 2019 news to be followed by some 2020 and 2021 info now that the "summer" schedule is dying down.

It is fairly official PG stud Nico Mannion is reclassifying from 2020 to 2019 and as expected teams like Arizona and others are in hot pursuit. It is a rare thing these days to project white HS PGs into the NBA but Mannion looks like he has a solid chance of getting drafted down the road and perhaps becoming a star at the highest level. He is with out a doubt a truly exciting talent.

A plethora of PF types have played well this summer including Drew Timme, Zach Freemantle, (C) Isaac Johnson and newcomer Liam McChesney.

Willowy Matthew Hurt is probably a cut above the four players above. A special talent, he is another NBA type player to keep a close eye on. There is a lot of drama regarding his recruitment. Will he land in Kansas or NC or MINN etc. We should know by November. Can't wait to watch him play in college.

Another newcomer really gets my attention. Cole Bajema a 6'7" SF out of WA has exploded this summer and now all of the big boy schools are looking at him. Can shoot it and is an impressive athlete with a lightening first step. One to really watch.

A 2020 player to keep in mind is highly rated C Hunter Dickinson. He is not a phenomenal athlete and high level projections vary due to that point but he is very skilled near the basket and should become an instant factor in the college ranks.

Caleb Lohner is a SF who can really jump, rebound and shoot. Needs to round out more of his game but he is being highly recruited.

A projectable NBA player is 6'10" Walker Kessler out of Georgia. Smooth player who can get up and down the court in a hurry he has legitimate three point shooting skills and is a tenacious rebounder. There is a tendency for people to get ahead of themselves when it comes to projecting HS talent. For instance Kyle Singler, who went on to have a sterling Duke career but has been only marginal as an NBA player, was being thought of in some quarters as the "next" Larry Bird. So we have to project with great caution.

That said this Kessler is one to watch!! There is a kind of player growth that takes place between their freshman and sophomore years at college and who knows perhaps this is the player that blossoms and explodes into something truly special.

Two highly rated 2021 players PF Caleb Hurst and SG Carson McCorkle cemented their high status with solid play this summer. Both are highly skilled fluid athletes and McCorkle is a great leaper to go along with pin point deep shooting skills.

 

[Shadowlight]

Cole Bajema who has blown up this summer (see above) has committed to Michigan. Great news. High profile team gets an athletic player with a great first step burst. See below.

https://www.maizenbrew.com/2018/8/6/17653912/michigan-basketball-adds-2019-forward-cole-bajema

Another riser out of the class of 2019 is 6'5" swingman Mate Okros out of Great Britain. Another quick and versatile player who might end up on a high profile team . Perhaps Georgia Tech?

 

[Shadowlight]

Figured I will write this up under the HS heading rather than start up an "international" thread. I noticed our resident college basketball guru JL has been missing since the World Cup so it is my duty to leave no stone unturned in the drive to eradicate caste sports.

"Young, Gifted and Black" is an album by the now late Aretha Franklin. Those words resonate because the backdrop to sports has been this constant beating of the drum playing to the music of the young black superstar in waiting. From Kobe Bryant to LeBron James and elsewhere we are reminded on nearly a daily basis of some young black budding star in whatever sport you care to name practically. And the athleticism that the media loves to hype.

It has gotten to the point where black 5th graders are often cited as the next big thing in football, basketball etc.

So expecting more of that theme heading into the Euro Fiba U16 basketball tournament the media outlets were letting it be known that several black players from France and a PF for Spain (black) Garuba were the true talents worth watching. Garuba, who the media touted as heads and tails above the other talent made the all tournament team but this go around the script didn't adhere to the normal scenario where the young black stars drop the "less" athletic Euro stars.

Croatia made a big splash this summer at the World Cup. But typically if one thinks of Croatian sports tennis and basketball (Toni Kukoc) come to mind.

Croatia won the U16 title game nipping Spain and Garuba 71-70, the first title for the young Croats since 2011. After that time the "black" euro players started to emerge as a force.

The MVP of the tournament SF Roko Prkacin made two important baskets down the stretch to seal the deal. One was a spectacular dunk. His teammate sharp shooter Boris Tisma also made the All Star 5 team.

Worth noting Turkey beat mainly black France for third place.

These are very young players and you won't hear their names called in the NBA Draft anytime soon but they are worth bringing up. Another star for the Croats was SF Ivan Perasovic.

But remember the name Roko Prkacin whose overall game lead Croatia to the title. In three to four years expect to hear his name called for the NBA draft. Perhaps at the very top!!

Another break out star at just 14 was Monetrego's 6'6" SG the electric Fedor Zugic.

It is so damn refreshing to see very young white players making noise for a change.

 

[white lightning]

Thanks Shadowlight. Your articles are a joy to read both in football & basketball. You have quite a journalistic talent
and you help to keep us up to date with the latest sports from around the world. I really appreciate it.

With Donkic going so high this year, hopefully it is a sign of great things to come in the future. There have been so many
great European basketball players going back to Sabonis and earlier but I think Nowitzki is the superstar & maybe Nash too that helped to change perceptions the most. They both won mvps and led their teams to the highest level of play all while being the superstar of the team for a decade or longer. Hopefully this trend will continue with Donkic & many others.

I'm going to keep a close eye on some of these kids in Europe!

 

[Shadowlight]

WL one player that will be fairly easy to follow is Turkey's SG 6'8" Tibet Gorener. Turkey won third place as he scorched mainly black France for 32 points. He had a very strong tournament.

He is going to attend High School in the USA and will be part of the class of 2020. Very good rangy athlete who can shoot from deep. I would be shocked if he doesn't get listed in the top 50 for the class of 2020 when updated rankings are released.

 

[Shadowlight]

The class of 2019 has just been updated by 247 sports. A long list over 200 prospects see below. Pictures are included.

https://247sports.com/Season/2019-Basketball/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool

A few comments. Nico Mannion the stud PG who reclassified from 2020 is all the way up to 9. Most will be surprised if he doesn't land at AZ.

Willowy PF Matt Hurt is at number 8. The big boys are chasing him.

Two big movers include SF Cole Bejama (56), see above, who just committed to Michigan and PF Robbie Beran who jumped to 46.

Two very good centers cracked the top 50 with skilled Will Baker at 28 and mobile Drew Timme at 44.

Two white Utah HS players landed in the top 100. PG Rylan Jones at 70 and unsigned center Isaac Johnson at 88.

CG Brock Rivet, a Gonzaga commit, landed at 91. And SF Pat McCaffrey (93) will play for his dad at Iowa

Mobile center Zach Freemantle also move up into the top 100 for the first time landing at 95. He just committed to Xavier.

All in all not a bad class in relative terms. Some big time pro potential in a few of these players.

 

[Shadowlight]

As anticipated Five star 2019 PG recruit Nico Mannion committed to Arizona. He had previously reclassified from the class of 2020.

This is a terrific move. Always nice to see players stay home and get the opportunity to become a hometown hero. Expect the fan base to go nuts.

Mannion is an unusual white prospect in this day and age. It is rare to find a white PG rated in or near the top ten of his High School class so it will be interesting to see his development.

At 6'3" Mannion has the goods to carry him into the NBA perhaps sooner rather than later. He can shoot it, distribute it and finish at the rim with highlight dunks. Earmarking a white PG for the NBA at such an early stage is unheard of these days but Manni0n breaks the mold.

Call him a caste buster deluxe. He is not only the consummate PG he is a thrilling prospect too. Think Jason "white chocolate" Williams in terms of excitement. Mannion will immediately turn Arizona into an upbeat fast breaking team that will delight the fans there.

Maybe just maybe the NBA will improve down the road when it comes to the number of white stars. Remember at one time the league had a few star white PGs including Mark Price, John Stockton, Jason Williams and Steve Nash.

Hopefully Mannion will be the next big thing.

 

[Bucky]

Good news about Mannion! Watched his Highlights few months back and he is the real deal. A year or two in Tucson and yes he should be in the NBA!

 

[white lightning]

Great news about Nicco Mannion. I also saw his hilite tape mix and was very impressed. The kid is an incredible athlete with a great vertical, fast feet and hands, great ball handler and also a very good shooter to go with a high basketball i.q. His dad was also a very good basketball player for many, many years. Congrats to Arizona on landing this kid.

 

[Shadowlight]

Bubbling just under the top 100 for the class of 2019 6'5" SG/SF Christian Braun has committed to Kansas. Over time he should become a valuable asset to the team. Has enough budding skills to turn into a real good player. Plus he is athletic. Reminds some of a bit more athletic version of Jerod Haase a fan favorite here a while back.

I like to see the big time programs reel in white prospects because it increases their visibility twofold. And visibility is essential in the battle against the caste wall.

Always the danger of a player like Braun being a bench warmer but I suspect this hustling guard will find a way to contribute if not sooner then later.